FCR 1602C02- BASICS OF ERGONOMICS

What is Ergonomics?

• The term ergonomics is derived from the Greek words ergo (work) and nomos
(natural laws) to denote the science of work.

• Ergonomics is the science and the art of fitting the job and the workplace to workers’
needs.

• It is the study of work

• It is a way to make jobs/tasks fit the employees better

• It is a way to make work easier

WHY ERGONOMICS EMERGED…?

• As early as 18th century doctors noted that workers who required to maintain body
positions for long periods of time developed musculoskeletal problems.

• Ergonomics can roughly be defined as the study of people in their working

environment.

• More specifically, an ergonomist designs or modifies the work to fit the worker, not
the other way around.

• The goal is to eliminate discomfort and risk of injury due to work.

• Hence, ergonomists study human capabilities in relationship to work demand.

Ergonomics Definitions

• According to the International Ergonomics Association,

• “Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the
understanding of the interactions among human and other elements of a system, and the
profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize
human well-being and overall system performance.”

• Ergonomics means “fitting the job to the worker” (International Ergonomics Association
(IEA) in 2000).
SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF HUMAN WORK

• "Designing the job to fit the worker, not forcing the worker to fit the job”.

• Science that deals with designing and arranging things so that people can use them easily
and safely.

• Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so

that they fit the people who use them.

• Ergonomics applies to the design of anything that involves people – workspaces, sports
and leisure, health and safety.

• Ergonomics aims to improve workspaces and environments to minimise risk of injury or

harm. So as technologies change, so too does the need to ensure that the tools we access
for work, rest and play are designed for our body’s requirements.

OBJECTIVES

• To improve the relationship between people, equipment, workplace, and the environment.

• Increase work efficiency and productivity.

• Promote safety and comfort at work station.

• To reduce physical workloads.

• To know how to recognize and minimize the risk of injury, illness, accidents and errors
without compromising productivity.

• Understand how the body works

• Know how to stretch and warm up

• Improve quality of life

• The objective is to improve the efficiency of operation by taking into account a typical
person's size, strength, speed, visual acuity, and physiological stresses, such as fatigue,
speed of decision making, and demands on memory and perception.

Benefits

• Helps to prevent injuries

• Improve quality of work and life

• Reduce fatigue and discomfort

• Increased productivity and efficiency - Decrease time required to perform tasks

• Decrease errors and product defects

• Improved morale and job satisfaction

• Reduce worker discomfort

• Improve & increase general health awareness

• Financial savings

• Reduced turnover (people quitting)

• Improved employee engagement

• Better safety culture

• Thus, it systematically identifies ergonomic hazards and puts in place engineering and
administrative control measures to quantifiably reduce risk factors.

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT (MSD)

Parts of the body affected by MSD:

• Arms

• Hands

• Fingers

• Neck

• Back

• Wrists

• Legs

• shoulders

Importance of Ergonomics and its Role in Society

• To realize a safe, secure and comfortable society and to maintain and promote
people’s health

• Ergonomics started by scientifically seeking the best and least tiring way to use muscles
when working. There are tasks that force people to walk a long way, carrying heavy
loads.

• Keeping the same posture without any alterations can be a factor that causes people to
feel fatigued.

• Use of ergonomically designed tools or equipment

Principles of Ergonomics

1. Maintain Neutral Posture

Neutral postures are postures where the body is aligned and balanced while either sitting or
standing, placing minimal stress on the body and keeping joints aligned.

Neutral postures minimize the stress applied to muscles, tendons, nerves and bones and
allows for maximum control and force production.

• Maintain erect position of back & neck with shoulders relaxed

• Position equipment & work directly in front of and close to your major tasks

• Keep upper arms close to the body, elbows 90-100 degrees

• Keep feet flat on floor, upper body weight resting on “sitz bones”

• Wrists as neutral as possible.

• The opposite of a neutral posture is an “awkward posture.”

• Awkward postures move away from the neutral posture toward the extremes in range of
motion.

• This puts more stress on the worker’s musculoskeletal system, is a contributing risk factor
for Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), and should be avoided.
2. Work in the Power/Comfort Zone

• The power zone for lifting is close to the body, between mid-thigh and mid-chest height.

• This zone is where the arms and back can lift the most with the least amount of effort.

• Working from the power / comfort / handshake zone ensures that you are working from
proper heights and reaches, which reduces MSD risk factors and allows for more
efficient and pain-free work.

3. Allow for Movement and Stretching

 Stretching reduces fatigue, improves muscular balance and posture and improves muscle
coordination.
 Everyone is an athlete in life, so you need to prepare your body for work by warming up
to improve performance and lower injury risk.
 A warm-up stretching regime is a great way to prepare your body for work.
 It is also beneficial to take periodic stretch breaks over the course of your work day to get
your blood moving and restore your energy.

4. Reduce Excessive Force

• Excessive force is one of the primary ergonomic risk factors.

• Many work tasks require high force loads on the human body.

• Muscle effort increases in response to high force requirements which increases fatigue
and risk of an MSD.

• There are numerous conditions that affect force, but the idea is to recognize when a job or
task requires excessive force and then find ways to reduce that force.

• Eliminating excessive force requirements will reduce worker fatigue and the risk of MSD
formation in most workers.

• Using mechanical assists, counter balance systems, adjustable height lift tables and
workstations, powered equipment and ergonomic tools will reduce work effort and
muscle exertions.

5. Reduce Excessive Motions

• Repetitive motion is another one of the primary ergonomic risk factors.

• Many work tasks and cycles are repetitive in nature, and are frequently controlled by
hourly or daily production targets and work processes.

• High task repetition, when combined with other risks factors such high force and/or
awkward postures, can contribute to the formation of MSD.

• A job is considered highly repetitive if the cycle time is 30 seconds or less.

• Excessive or unnecessary motions should be reduced if at all possible.

• In situations where this is not possible, it is important to eliminate excessive force

requirements and awkward postures.
• Other control methods to consider are job enlargement, job rotation and counteractive
stretch breaks.

6. Minimize Contact Stress

• According to OSHA, contact stress results from continuous contact or rubbing between
hard or sharp objects/surfaces and sensitive body tissue, such as soft tissue of the fingers,
palms, thighs and feet.

• This contact creates localized pressure for a small area of the body, which can inhibit
blood, nerve function, or movement of tendons and muscles.

• Examples of contact stress include resting wrists on the sharp edge of a desk or
workstation while performing tasks, pressing of tool handles into the palms, especially
when they cannot be put down, tasks that require hand hammering, and sitting without
adequate space for the knees.

7. Reduce Excessive Vibration

• Hand-arm vibration can cause a range of conditions collectively known as hand-arm

vibration syndrome (HAVS), as well as specific diseases such as white finger or
Raynaud’s syndrome, carpel tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. Vibration syndrome has
adverse circulatory and neural effects in the fingers.

• The signs and symptoms include numbness, pain, and blanching (turning pale and
ashen).

8. Provide Adequate Lighting

• Poor lighting is a common problem in the workplace that can affect a worker’s comfort
level and performance.

• Too much or too little light makes work difficult – just imagine trying to do your job
without sight!

• Dimly lit work areas and glare can cause eye fatigue and headaches and improperly lit
areas put workers at greater risk for all types of injuries.
• Providing workers with adjustable task lighting is often a simple solution to lighting
problems.

• At a computer workstation, take steps to control screen glare, and make sure that the
monitor is not placed in front of a window or a bright background.

Need, Significance and Importance of Ergonomics

The importance of ergonomics

• Ergonomics is about ensuring a good fit between people and the things they interact
with. This could include the objects they use or the environments they live in.

• You should consider ergonomics in the design of every product, system or environment.

• You should focus on ergonomics early in the design process.

• Ignoring ergonomics can lead to designs that are likely to fail commercially - as they
don't fit the needs of the user.

• Ergonomics is an important part of research in the product development process.

• Its purpose is to increase the safety, comfort and performance of a product or an

environment, such as an office.

• Ergonomics uses anthropometrical data to determine the optimum size, shape and form of
a product, and make it easier for people to use.

• Ergonomists can help you to identify which user characteristics you should take into
account during your design process.

• This is important when you consider how much individuals vary in terms of:

• body size
• body shape
• strength
• mobility
• sensory sensitivity
• mental ability
• experience
• training
• culture
• emotions
Ergonomics Domains
• When you apply ergonomic methods early in the design process, they can often identify
opportunities for innovation.

• According to the International Ergonomics Association, there are three broad areas of
ergonomics:

• Physical,

• Cognitive, and

• Organizational

1. Physical ergonomics looks at how human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and

biomechanical characteristics relate to physical activity. This includes:

 working postures

 manual handling

 repetitive movements

 musculoskeletal disorders

 workplace layout and environment

2. Psychological/ Cognitive ergonomics studies mental processes (eg. perception,

cognition, memory, reasoning and emotion) and how people interact with products,
systems and environments. This includes:

 mental workload

 decision-making

 human-computer interaction

 human reliability

 attitudes

 stress

 motivation

 pleasure
 cultural differences

 skilled performance

 training as these may relate to human-system design

3. Organisational ergonomics is about optimising the organisational structures, policies

and processes of socio-technical systems. This includes:

 communication

 work design

 staff resource management

 working time patterns

 co-operative work

 quality management

 organisational culture

 To ensure that you keep your end users' needs in focus at all times, you should make
ergonomists an integral part of your design development team.

Why is ergonomics important in interiors?

• Ergonomics is a type of science that focuses on ways to close the gap that exist between
humans and the world in which we live.

• When applied to interior design, it simply helps to make the design more user-friendly.

• As a result, the space becomes more useful. You’ll notice an increase in productivity and
it helps to create a safer environment for everyone occupying the structure.

• SPACE PLANNING IS A BIG PART OF ERGONOMIC

• The first step in creating an ergonomic interior design is making sure you have enough
space to accommodate your needs. If you’re cramped and crowded, you feel
uncomfortable and it’s difficult to work or relax whichever the case may be.

• For example, when designing an office space you have to make sure there is enough room
for all of the equipment and for the staff to work comfortably.
• In a residential home, you need enough room to move around freely, have enough
furnishing to be comfortable and to have adequate storage space.

• Otherwise, everything will begin to feel cluttered and before long, you’ll start feeling
uncomfortable and very unhappy with your design.

• CUSTOMIZING YOUR HOME OR OFFICE

• Since the ergonomic design focuses on creating a space that meets all of your needs while
providing maximum comfort, customizing everything is also very important.

• People come in all shapes and sizes and your interior design needs to accommodate all
users no matter how tall or short they may be.

• For residential homes, you need to customize everything from the kitchen cabinets to the
furniture.

• For example, if the main cook barely stands five foot tall, you need a kitchen design that
makes it easy for that person to reach the cabinets and counters comfortably even if
everyone else is much taller.

• A female of small stature would find it difficult sitting on a large sofa because her feet
wouldn’t touch the floor if she tried to sit all the way back.

• However, a six-foot male would be uncomfortable on a small sofa suited for a person of
smaller stature.

• This is why you need to choose custom pieces when creating an ergonomic design.

• All furnishings need to match the size of the person using it the most to increase
productivity and comfort.

Consequences of not using an Ergonomic design

• One of the most common reasons why ergonomics is ignored, is that we often confuse
the symptoms it causes, with other conditions.

• We tend to attribute eye strain to working too many hours; tingling in extremities to
conditions like anxiety; and muscular pain, to accidental injury.

• While our diagnosis can be right, sometimes, it is important to understand that these
symptoms can also be caused by seemingly harmless factors like poor lighting, an
uncomfortable chair or the repetition of detrimental movements: in other words, the
root of our suffering, is poor ergonomics.
 Poor ergonomics can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs):

• These are debilitating, painful conditions affecting muscles, tendons, tendon sheaths and
nerves.

• (MSD) Musculoskeletal Disorder

• MSD are injuries and disorder of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and
cartilage) as well as the nervous system.

 Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)

• One of the most oft-cited MSDs is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a condition in which
a nerve within a specific passageway in the wrist is pinched, causing an array of
symptoms ranging from unpleasant to painful.

• These include numbness, tingling and sharp pain.

• In serious cases, CTS can affect mobility and even cause partial paralysis.

• The compression and entrapment of the median nerve where it passes through the wrist
into the hand – in the carpal tunnel. The median nerve is the main nerve that extends
down the arm to the hand and provides the sense of touch in the thumb, index finger,
middle finger, and half of the fourth or ring, finger.

 Tendinitis

• Tendon inflammation occurring when a muscle or tendon is repeatedly tensed from

overuse or unaccustomed use of the wrist and shoulder.
 Raynaud’s Syndrome

• Blood vessels of the hand are damaged from repeated exposure to vibration long period
of time.

• The skin and muscle do not get the necessary oxygen from the blood and eventually die.

• Symptoms include intermittent numbness and tingling in the fingers; pale, ashen, and
cold skin; eventual loss of sensation and control in the hands and fingers.
 Poor ergonomics can cause back injuries:

• The nature of your profession often determines your risk of suffering from painful back
injuries.

• Some of the highest risk employees are those working in the healthcare profession.

• Nurses, for instance, or those who care for the ill or elderly, tend to bend from the waist
continually and lift or move patients with more weight than their body can bear.

• Those in the construction sector are likewise particularly vulnerable, as are those who
work in the food sector lifting heavy boxes and carrying heavy trays.

• The range of movements that can cause back problems is ample and includes twisting the
waist while lifting items and lifting items from below the knees or over the shoulders.

• Poor ergonomics can affect you in ways you least expect; merely sitting or standing for
long periods of time, for instance, can cause cumulative trauma, as can adopting the
wrong posture while working on your computer.

 Poor ergonomics can cause headaches & migraines:

• Working for too many hours with the wrong lighting can cause headaches; if the light
on your computer screen or in the room itself is too bright or dim, it can also cause
everything from itching, burning and fatigue in the eyes to seemingly unrelated
symptoms like indigestion, nausea and even blurred or double vision.

• Poor posture is a big factor in migraine and headache sufferers due to the mechanical
forces that apply strain or stress to the muscles, fascia, and ligaments in the back and
neck, causing active trigger points in your neck and shoulder to refer pain or symptoms
directly to your forehead, temples, or other parts of your head.

 Poor ergonomics can cause a stiff neck:

• More often than not, we tend to attribute severe pain in the neck and immobility in the
neck area, to a bad sleeping position; we are often surprised to learn that the cause can
commonly be attributed to actions undertaken during our waking hours.

• If you keep your neck in a rigid position for too long, you will more than likely suffer the
consequences in your neck area.