Republic of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

ERGONOMICS 1: Introduction

Prepared by:
Dr. Philip P. Ermita, PIE, ASEAN Eng.
Associate Professor III
Industrial Engineering Department
Ergonomics 1

1. Introduction
2. Visual Sense
3. Auditory Sense
4. Vestibular Sense
5. Anthropometry
6. Biomechanics
7. Postural Analysis
8. Manual Material Handling
9. Workstation Design
What is Ergonomics?
• Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces,
products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.
• Most people have heard of ergonomics and think it is something
to do with seating or with the design of car controls and
instruments – and it is… but it is so much more.
• Ergonomics applies to the design of anything that involves
people – workspaces, sports and leisure, health and safety.
• Ergonomics (or ‘human factors’ as it is referred to in North
America) is a branch of science that aims to learn about human
abilities and limitations, and then apply this learning to improve
people’s interaction with products, systems and environments.
• Ergonomics aims to improve workspaces and environments to
minimize 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.
Why is Ergonomics important?
• In the workplace: According to Safe Work Australia, the total
economic cost of work-related injuries and illnesses is estimated to
be $60 billion dollars.
• Recent research has shown that lower back pain is the world’s most
common work-related disability – affecting employees from offices,
building sites and in the highest risk category, agriculture.
• Ergonomics aims to create safe, comfortable and productive
workspaces by bringing human abilities and limitations into the
design of a workspace, including the individual’s body size, strength,
skill, speed, sensory abilities (vision, hearing), and even attitudes.
• In the greater population: The number of people in Australia aged 75
and over is forecast to double over the next 50 years. With this,
equipment, services and systems will need to be designed to
accommodate the increasing needs of the ageing population,
applying to public transport, building facilities, and living spaces.
How does Ergonomics work?
• Ergonomics is a relatively new branch of science which
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1999, but relies on research
carried out in many other older, established scientific areas,
such as engineering, physiology and psychology.
• To achieve best practice design, Ergonomists use the data and
techniques of several disciplines:
• Anthropometry: body sizes, shapes; populations and variations
• Biomechanics: muscles, levers, forces, strength
• Environmental physics: noise, light, heat, cold, radiation,
vibration body systems: hearing, vision, sensations
• Applied psychology: skill, learning, errors, differences
• Social psychology: groups, communication, learning,
behaviours.
Ergonomics
History of Ergonomics
• Christensen (1987) points out that the importance of a “good fit” between humans and
tools was probably realized early in the development of the species.
• Australopithecus Prometheus selected pebble tools and made scoops from antelope
bones in a clear display of selecting/creating objects to make tasks easier to
accomplish. It seems that the history of ergonomics goes back as far as humans do.
• In the work environment, the selection and creation of tools, machines, and work
processes continued. Over centuries, the effectiveness of hammers, axes and plows
improved.
• With the Industrial Revolution, machines such as the spinning jenny (a machine that
produced yarn to make cloth) and rolling mills (a method of flattening iron ore into flat
sheets) were developed to improve work processes. This is the same motivation
behind much of ergonomics today.
• The association between occupations and musculoskeletal injuries was documented
centuries ago. Bernardino Ramazinni (1633-1714) wrote about work-related complaints
(that he saw in his medical practice) in the 1713 supplement to his 1700 publication,
“De Morbis Artificum (Diseases of Workers).”
History of Ergonomics
• Wojciech Jastrzebowski created the word ergonomics in 1857 in a
philosophical narrative, “based upon the truths drawn from the Science of
Nature” (Jastrzebowski, 1857).
• In the early 1900’s, the production of industry was still largely dependent on
human power/motion and ergonomic concepts were developing to improve
worker productivity. Scientific Management, a method that improved worker
efficiency by improving the job process, became popular.
• Frederick W. Taylor was a pioneer of this approach and evaluated jobs to
determine the “One Best Way” they could be performed. At Bethlehem
Steel, Taylor dramatically increased worker production and wages in a
shoveling task by matching the shovel with the type of material that was
being moved (ashes, coal or ore).
• Frank and Lillian Gilbreth made jobs more efficient and less fatiguing
through time motion analysis and standardizing tools, materials and the job
process. By applying this approach, the number of motions in bricklaying
was reduced from 18 to 4.5 allowing bricklayers to increase their pace of
laying bricks from 120 to 350 bricks per hour.
 History of Ergonomics
• After World War II, the focus of concern expanded to include worker safety
as well as productivity. Research began in a variety of areas such as:
1. Muscle force required to perform manual tasks
2. Compressive low back disk force when lifting
3. Cardiovascular response when performing heavy labor
4. Perceived maximum load that can be carried, pushed or pulled
• Areas of knowledge that involved human behavior and attributes (i.e.,
decision making process, organization design, human perception relative to
design) became known as cognitive ergonomics or human factors.
• Areas of knowledge that involved physical aspects of the workplace and
human abilities such as force required to lift, vibration and reaches became
known as industrial ergonomics or ergonomics.
• The broad group focus and name duality continues at this time.
Contributors to ergonomics/human factors concepts include industrial
engineers, industrial psychologists, occupational medicine physicians,
industrial hygienists, and safety engineers. Professions that use
ergonomics/human factors information include architects, occupational
therapists, physical therapists, occupational medicine nurses, and
insurance loss control specialists.
Ergonomics: Scope and Fields of Application
• Anatomical factors in workplace layout, including the placement of
machines/equipment and components to suit human body
measurements and design of seats etc.
• In order to help accurate perception of various display panels and
presentation of all types of instrument dials to deal with layout of
the work place.
• The design of wheels and control levers in order to suit human
mental and physical characteristics. Climatic conditions such as
lighting and noise at the workplace.
• Adaptation of the designs of machines/equipment, tools and work
place layout to suit human beings was under taken by work study
engineers. But these engineers relied mostly on their intuition and
practical knowledge in that field.
Ergonomics: Scope and Fields of Application
• The other sources of information were human experience of
fatigue plus stress felt by his subjects. All this was a
generalistic approach which has been discarded in current
ergonomic practice.
• Current ergonomic practice is emphasis on a systematic
research into all human aspects of the system under
investigation.
• Studies were conducted in the areas of air craft, military space
vehicle systems and electronics initially.
• Presently the design of various systems such as, automobile,
production equipment, transportation systems, consumer
products, architectural design, computers, housing, town and
country planning public Utilities and agriculture equipment etc.
are being studied to determine their ergonomic suitability.
Likewise service system have also been investigated.
Ergonomics is profitably applied in following three areas:

1. Design of Man-Machine Systems:

• A man-machine system is a system where one or more workmen/ human beings work in
relation with one or more machines, devices or equipment.
• Thus a worker drilling a hole in a job or a person using a hammer to drive a nail in a wooden
job (an article being manufactured is an example of a man- machine system as far as
ergonomics is concerned.
• Such systems could be productive systems as well as service systems such as a post office
or fire fighting system or a dispensary etc. Ergonomics is applied to adapt such systems so
as to provide maximum job satisfaction and comfort and minimum physiological and mental
load to the operator of the system.
Ergonomics is profitably applied in following three areas:

2. Design of Consumer Goods and Service Systems:

• Ergonomics is applicable in the design of consumer goods starting from design of tooth
brush and other items such as dinning set; sofa set; kitchen ware, house hold fittings table
and shoes etc.
• Similarly protective equipment such as safety goggles, adverse weather and space clothing,
gloves, crash helmets, fire fighting and industrial hazard protection and appliances etc.
should also be economically sound.
Ergonomics is profitably applied in following three areas:

3. Design of Working Environment:

• While designing a proper working environment for work force/workers at work, the various
factors related with ergonomics such as human endurance of illumination, pollution, noise
heating and ventilation should be taken into consideration.
• This aspect should be taken into consideration at each stage right design up to real
utilization or actual service.
• The field of this applicable unlimited. All factors concerned with environments such as design
of work benches, public transport, road systems, town and country planning, personnel,
neighborhood, as well as airports etc. should be subjected to ergonomic analysis.
• The users of ergonomics information such as engineers (may be civil, electrical, mechanical,
production, industrial, space and biomedical) can utilize behavioral scientists (i.e.
anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists) as sources of information. Likewise other
users have relevant sources of information.