Industrial ergonomics studies how people interact with equipment and workplaces to improve efficiency and safety. It includes physical object design, work procedures, and organizational structures. The field aims to create safer and more effective workplace equipment and procedures, and even small design changes can have significant health effects. The idea of designing tools and workspaces to work more efficiently with human users is not new, and the study of ergonomics as a scientific discipline has been around since the 19th century.
Industrial ergonomics is the field of ergonomics focused on the study of how people use and interact with equipment and workplaces, and the application of that knowledge to improve efficiency and occupational safety. This field includes the design of physical objects such as tools, workstations, and the layout and design of the workplace as a whole. It also involves less concrete areas such as work procedures and organizational structures. In this context, industrial is often used in the broadest sense of the word to mean work in general, and therefore industrial ergonomics can cover any form of work. It is not limited to manufacturing, as the name might suggest. It incorporates insights from various fields such as psychology, human biology, and engineering.
The most prominent area of industrial ergonomics is the creation of safer and more effective workplace equipment and procedures, often referred to as physical ergonomics. Occupational injuries often result from sudden events, such as malfunctioning machinery, but from muscle and skeletal damage that builds up over time due to factors such as posture, overexertion, and repetitive motion. Seemingly small factors in the design and operation of tools can be significant.
For example, if a hand tool is too heavy or has an awkward grip, it can cause injury by encouraging workers to hold it with a bent wrist, which is more physically stressful than keeping the wrist straight. Frequent exposure to vibrations can cause musculoskeletal damage. The shape of a tool’s handle or handle can be dangerous if it puts too much pressure on the user’s fingers or palms. Working gloves that are too tight can cause damage to the user’s hands, while gloves that are too loose can make it difficult to use tools properly. A workspace that requires workers to stand with their backs bent, frequently bend or twist their bodies, or remain seated or standing in the same position for long periods of time can cause muscle strain or strain on the spine.
A better understanding of industrial ergonomics can greatly improve these issues, aiding in the design of tools that are safer to use. Simple changes to work procedure, such as the worker’s position when operating a tool, how often he changes his position or how he lifts heavy objects can have significant health effects. Even among workers who do not do extensive physical work, factors such as chairs and tables that encourage good posture can make a difference.
The idea of designing tools and workspaces to work more efficiently with your human users is probably as old as the use of human tools itself. Structures and tools from classical Greece and ancient Egypt demonstrate a rather sophisticated understanding of what would now be considered principles of ergonomics. The earliest known written texts on how to design a workplace are in Greek and date back to the 5th century BC.
In 1700, physician Bernardino Ramazzini wrote De Morbis Artificum Diatrib, or Diseases of Workers, discussing workplace health hazards in 52 different occupations. In addition to studying external health hazards such as toxic materials and smoke, Ramazzini helped lay the groundwork for the future development of ergonomic design, devoting attention to injuries caused by factors such as awkward posture and repetitive motion. The study of ergonomics as a scientific discipline was deepened in the 19th century by the work of figures such as biologist Wojciech Jastrzebowski, who coined the word ergonomics, and engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor, a pioneer in scientific management.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
