Study On Ergonomics

Ergonomics, which is also known as human engineering or human factors engineering, is the science of designing machines, products, and systems to maximize the safety, comfort, and efficiency of the people who use them.

Ergonomics draws on the principles of industrial engineering, psychology, anthropometry (the science of human measurement), and biomechanics (the study of muscular activity) to design products and workplaces to people's sizes and shapes and their physical strengths and limitations. The goal is to optimize work by creating comfort and safety for the users. Ergonomists establish a clear understanding of how fast humans react to changes in their environment and how they process information. And if you're wondering just to what extent Ergonomists actually play a role in our daily lives, well they design just about everything from your toothbrush handle to the cockpit of an airplane.



The study of Ergonomics is not a new one, Ergonomists have been around for quite some time. These are the guys responsible for giving the bent neck to the razor for shaving, rather than the old straight razor shape which often led to injuries. Ergonomists also redesigned the interior of cars to make the driving experience more comfortable, less stressful for the muscles and safer in general. This involves everything from a making more comfortable seats to a better, easier to grip steering wheel. Even factory structures require ergonomic approval and meeting with safety requirements, all for the purpose of ensuring that workers don't have to bend much or keep their arms elevated at awkward angles for longer periods of time.

Recently the study of Ergonomics has come under greater light for a rather obvious reason, the PC and increased number of desk jobs in every organization. More and more people now spend a solid 10 hours sitting in front of their computers. Hence Ergonomists were brought in to not only make the office space safer, they also were given the task to design safer, healthier furniture. While you may wonder what's so dangerous about office, you may want to think of the agony that is called back pain. Sitting for ten hours in chairs not designed to keep a human being seated for more than an hour, will lead to a number of postural problems, with muscles spasms as the least of our worries. Also, keyboards and computer mouse designs which fail to take into account how the human body will interact with them and what will be the result of say, keeping your hand raised and without support for longer periods of time, can lead to serious impairments.

Of course every human being has their own body type, but mass ergonomically manufactured products consider the average human physique. Alteration to a product can of course be mad by adjusting for factors such as the individual's age, health and size. How do you know that you may need to have some ergonomic adjustments made to your workplace? A simple rule is that work is not meant to hurt. So if your feel aching muscles in your back and shoulders, you defiantly need to have your office furniture and other equipment checked out ASAP.

• John Palsson
• 20/12/2008, 2:59 PM
• 0 Comments