Ergonomics and Human Factors

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
Introduction to Ergonomics
and Human Factors
Sections:
1. Overview of Ergonomics
2. Human-Machine Systems
3. Topic Areas in Ergonomics

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Physical and Cognitive Demands .

Most work activities require a combination of

physical and cognitive exertions

Shoveli Translatio
ng n
Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work
by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Ergonomics .
An applied scientific discipline concerned with how humans interact
with the tools and equipment they use while performing tasks and
other activities

Derived from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomos,
meaning laws

The word ergonomics was coined by British scientist K. F. H. Murrell

and entered the English language in 1949

Earlier applications in “fitting man to the job” (1900’s)

Choose from the pool of job applicants who were best suited to
the requirements (psychological tests)

Hawthorne experiments (1920’s)

Importance of social factors in work

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Human Factors.
Human factors is synonymous with ergonomics

Ergonomics emphasizes work physiology and

anthropometry (individual at work)
Europe – industrial work systems

Human factors emphasizes experimental psychology

and systems engineering (the human element in a
system)
U.S. – military work systems

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 History of Ergonomics.

Taylor – scientific management movement

Critics against Taylorism
Frank and Lillian Gilbert- human factors
Early 1900s: “fitting the man to the job”
Late 1920s: The Hawthorne experiments – social factors in the
workplace- “human relations” research
1900-1945: growth of use of machinery and mechanization
End of WW II: Increased complexity of equipment – human-machine
systems
K.F.H. Murrel: the term ergonomics – emphasis on industrial work
systems
1950: Ergonomics Research Society (UK)
1957: The Human Factors Society (US)
1960: consumer products and working class impact politically
1980 - current:
Advances in computer and automation technologies
Disasters: critical importance of human in the operation of human-
machine systems
 From www.ergonomics.org.uk
1949

July - "Ten scientists of differing background, but all interested in the study
of human work, decided to form a group to enable research workers in
different disciplines to meet and exchange ideas. They called themselves
the "Human Research Society"" (K.F.H. Murrell, BPS Bulletin, No.22,
January 1954).

Summer - "Ergonomics" defined by Murrell after consultation with Greek

and Latin Scholars as "the study of the relationship between man and his
working environment".

Autumn - meeting held in Oxford which decided to turn the group into a
Society

27th September - Ergonomics Research Society formed - Queen Anne’s,

Admiralty, London.

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Objectives in Ergonomics

Main objective: to improve the performance of systems consisting of

people and equipment.

Human-machine systems
Machine: a variety of objects – aircraft, appliances,
automobiles, chairs, computers, hand tools, sports equipment

“using knowledge of human abilities and limitations to design and build for
comfort, efficiency, productivity and safety” – The Ergonomics Society

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Objectives in Ergonomics

Greater ease of interaction between user and machine

Avoid errors and mistakes
Greater comfort and satisfaction in use of the equipment
Reduce stress and fatigue
Greater efficiency and productivity
Safer operation
Avoid accidents and injuries

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Methods Engineering vs. Ergonomics
Closely related and their general objectives are the
same:

1. To improve the performance of existing systems

2.

3. To design new systems for optimum performance

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Methods Engineering vs. Ergonomics
Emphasis in Methods Emphasis in Ergonomics and
Engineering Human Factors
Safety
Efficiency Comfort
Cost reduction Interaction between human
Labor reduction and equipment
Workplace environment
Workplace layout Fitting the work to the
“One best way” individual
Facility layout Reduction of human errors
Elimination of waste Accident avoidance

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Ergonomics Application Areas
Work system design: interaction between worker and the
equipment used in the workplace
Objectives: safety, accident avoidance, improved
functional performance
Also includes environment such as lighting

Product design
Objectives: safety, comfort, user-friendly, mistake proof

Our focus: work systems (which in fact overlap with the

product design)

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Ergonomists – What They Do
Research on human capabilities and limitations
Discover the characteristics of human performance, e.g.,
how much can an average worker lift?

Design and engineering applications

Use the research findings to design better tools and work
methods

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Fitting the Person to the Job (FPJ)
Common philosophy prior to ergonomics
Ergonomics is the science
of fitting the job to the
person, rather than Considers worker’s physical and mental aptitudes
requiring the person to
conform to the physical (skills) in employment decisions
parameters of the job. An
ergonomic evaluation is a Psychometric testing (e.g., tests for intelligence and
formal, structured process
that assesses many
personality characteristics)
physical and cognitive
parameters of the worker,
For example, using worker size and strength as criteria for
the workspace, and the job physical work
characteristics to determine
if the job fits the worker and
to identify ALL risk factors. 

FPJ is still important

For example, educational requirements for technical
positions

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Fitting the Job to the Person (FJP)
It is the approach that ergonomics follow and opposite of FPJ

Philosophy: design the job so that any member of the work force can
perform it

Why the FJP philosophy has evolved:

Changes in worker skill requirements
Today, companies do not need to be much selective, since workers
are much more educated. In stead of investing time in selection
procedure, companies spend time to train the new workforce
Demographic changes (e.g. more women in the workforce,
recruiting fewer people of young age)
Social and political changes (e.g., equal opportunity laws, trade
unions, collective bargaining)
Hiring handicapped workers is encouraged by the laws.

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Changes: 1930 and 2000
1930 2000
Total U.S. Population 123 million 281 million
Life expectancy 60 years 77 years
Median age 27 years 35 years
Number of people age 65 and 7 million 35 million
over
Proportion of women in the 24% 61%
labor force
a
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Human-Machine Systems
Basic model in ergonomics

Defined as a combination of humans and equipment

interacting to achieve some desired result – ref. Chp. 2 (e.g.
external vs. internal work elements, levels of operator
attention)

Types of human-machine systems:

1. Manual systems: a person using some (nonpowered) tool
2. Mechanical systems: one or more humans using powered
equipment
3. Automated systems: automated system requiring occasional
human attention

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Human-Machine Interactions
A human-machine system has boundaries, that define what
components are included within the scope of the system.
A worker-machine production cell is one component in the larger
production department.
The ergonomist must decide where to draw the boundaries of the
human-machine system of interest.
 System Components
Setting the boundary matters because
it identifies controllable / uncontrollable
it reflects what the human -machine system operation is
assumed to be

The human
The equipment
The environment (both physical and social)
Poor lighting may effect worker’s ability to perform an
inspection task
An unfriendly supervisor may reduce a worker’s
motivation to work.

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Human Components
Functions: (1) sensing the operation, (2) information
processing, (3) actions
Human senses - to sense the operation
Five basic human sense (vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell)
Related with sensory (+ nerveous) system of the body
Human brain - for information processing by the stimuli received
from the senses
Thinking, planning, calculating, making decisions, solving problems
Related with the brain
Human effectors - to take action by the impulses from the
nervous system
Fingers, hands, feet, and voice
Related with the musculoskeletal system (+ nerveous) system of the
body.

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Machine Components
The machine in a human machine-system can range from a simple hand tool to a complex
and sophisticated system of equipment.

The process – function or operation performed by human-machine system

Displays - to observe the process

Direct observation for simple processes
Artificial displays for complex processes (speedometer in a car)

Controls - to actuate and regulate the process

Steering wheel, computer keyboard

A worker using a shovel to dig a hole in the ground.

Process: digging, Displays: direct observation (no need for displays), Controls:
handle of the shovel

A worker monitoring the operation of an automated process. The worker should make sure
that the process is within defined tolerances
Process: process itself, Displays: a digital monitor, Controls: buttons, levers

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Environmental Components
Physical environment
Location and surrounding lighting, noise, temperature, and
humidity

Social environment
Co-workers and colleagues at work
Immediate supervisors
Organizational culture
Pace of work

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.