Career In Ergonomics - A Career In Ergonomics Can Be Both Challenging And Rewarding

Put simply, ergonomics is the study of working conditions, particularly the design of equipment and furniture, so that people are able to work more efficiently. At present, many people are choosing ergonomics as a viable career option, which can be both challenging and rewarding at the same time. Ergonomists are engineers who have specialized in studying the human interaction with the processes and systems and are able to apply their knowledge to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use. They can thus design furniture, cars etc. that the human body finds comfortable to work with.

Ergonomics has become an attractive career option these days because it offers great job prospects with fat salaries. In fact, the demand for ergonomists is all set to go up even further because the field of ergonomics is expanding so rapidly that ergonomists will get opportunities to work in several sectors to improve services and products along with working conditions of employees. Ergonomics has created such an impression in various businesses that they have started believing that good ergonomics means good economics. Using their specialized skills, competent ergonomists help in increasing productivity, reduce expenses and thus make a business not only more profitable but also more employee-friendly.

Those who have specialized in ergonomics can find attractive career options in various areas that include product, equipment and transport design and systems, material handling systems, information technology. Ergonomists can also find lucrative jobs in the area of robotics, mobile technologies and aerospace research. In addition, they can also choose to work as human factors specialists in R&D institutes, consultancy firms, teaching centers, utility companies, consumer and safety laboratories, government bodies and defense, and process organizations.

Many manufacturing firms need the services of ergonomists who can work in tandem with their designers and improve upon their various products such as backpacks for children, laptops and keyboards for adults. It is highly likely that an ergonomist would design a school that would have lumbar air cushion, wider foam-cushioned shoulder straps, adjustable tops and bottoms with slide strapping to keep appropriate ergonomic support and padded haul handle. An ergonomist's job may also be to design, for example, a ring pen that can be worn in the finger and designed to fit the person's hand in such a way that that there is neither writer's cramp nor any arthritic pain. So imagine the career opportunities that are open for a qualified ergonomist!

An ergonomist specializes in finding practical solutions to problems that arise because of the lack of compatibility between the physical characteristics of an employee and the equipment and machinery he/she has to use in the workplace. Apart from compiling statistical data and writing proposals and user manuals, they can also evaluate health and safety standards in case of workplace accidents or act as an expert witness in cases of industrial injury. The demand for ergonomists is increasing in the IT sector as more and more people are looking for user-friendly workstations and laptops.

In order to become a professional ergonomist, the best way is to complete a Bachelor's of Science in ergonomics from an institute, wherein the degree is recognized by the Ergonomics Society. Several institutions offer accredited courses in ergonomics and its related fields. However, an MSc or a PhD degree in a relevant course, such as engineering, computer science, pure science, operational research, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medicine, sports science, psychology and biology can also come in handy.

• Janny Raines
• 14/04/2009, 6:59 AM
• 0 Comments