Ergonomics In The Workplace - The Role Of Ergonomics In The Workplace

Historically, Ergonomics was another name for Human Factors. Today, Ergonomics commonly refers to designing work environments for maximizing safety and efficiency. Biometrics and Anthropometrics play a key role in this use of the word Ergonomics. Engineering Psychology often has a specialty dealing with Workplace or Occupational Ergonomics. Ergonomics can be defined as the science of being able to adapt to the work processes and also the conditions in order to fit the physical capabilities of workers. The only aim is to reduce the possibilities of musculoskeletal injuries by eliminating or even minimizing the risk factors for having musculoskeletal injuries.

Companies once thought that there was a bottom-line tradeoff between safety and efficiency. Now they embrace ergonomics because they have learned that designing a safe work environment can also result in greater efficiency and productivity. Recently, U.S. laws requiring a safe work environment have stimulated great interest in Ergonomics - from ergonomic furniture to ergonomic training. But it is in the design of the workplace as a whole where the greatest impact can be seen for both safety and efficiency.

While we have helped many individuals recover from their injuries and return to work, we have not as a profession taken a very active role in reducing the exposure of workers to stressful situations. One of the primary methods employed to reduce exposure to a hazardous work environment involves improving the workplace. The science of matching workers with their work environment is known as ergonomics. Properly defined, ergonomics is the scientific study of human work. A more practical definition states that ergonomics is "the science of matching the job to the worker and the product to the user."

In reality, ergonomics is the application of common sense to everyday work situations. For instance, if workers encounter problems with their wrists because the counter they work on is too hard, a reasonable solution is to provide a padded wrist support. Or if a worker develops a tendonitis in the elbow because the forces required to tighten a machine part are too great, the solution involves providing mechanical assistance to reduce the forces.

The two primary objectives of ergonomic intervention are to enhance performance and control fatigue. Three primary areas, physical, psychological, and psychosocial, can affect both performance and fatigue. Within each of these primary areas are a number of factors including: workers physical fitness, force, position, repetition, duty cycle, friction, work practice, environment, and job satisfaction.

The Role of Ergonomics is like human resource management. The workplace helps their employees to get back to work after a period of long illness, and not only post illness but often if the employee faces trouble during work help is provided. This not only helps the work run smoothly but the employee is happy as well and their commitment towards the company also increases. Every employee wants to work in a safe place and if safety tops the list employee retention also increases.

The interaction of these factors has a cumulative effect. The process of improving workplace safety involves identifying the risk factors, investigating the actual causes of injuries or the triggering events, designing intervention, strategies, implementing necessary procedures, and tracking outcomes.

• Emma Bullock
• 01/04/2009, 8:59 AM
• 0 Comments