What is ergonomics?
What do ergonomists do?
Age-related design
Further information sources

See also the Ergonomics Society's press releases.

what is ergonomics?
Ergonomics, or Human Factors as it is known in North America, is a branch of science that aims to learn about human abilities and limitations and then apply that knowledge to improve people's interaction with products, systems and environments.

A fuller explanation is provided by Dr E J Lovesey of the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics, University of Surrey, UK and Fellow of The Ergonomics Society:

Ergonomics is a relatively new branch of science which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 1999, but relies on research carried out in many other older, established scientific areas, such as engineering, physiology and psychology.
It originated in World War 2, when scientists designed advanced new and potentially improved systems without fully considering the people who would be using them. It gradually became clear that systems and products would have to be designed to take account of many human and environmental factors if they are to be used safely and effectively. This awareness of people’s requirements resulted in the discipline of ergonomics.
Most people have heard of ergonomics and think it is something to do with seating or with the design of car controls and instruments. It is. But it is much more! Ergonomics is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use.
Ergonomics comes into everything which involves people. Work systems, sports and leisure, Health and Safety should all embody ergonomics principles if well designed.
Some years ago, researchers compared the relative positions of the controls on a lathe with the size of an average male worker. It was found that the lathe operator would have to stoop and move from side to side to operate the lathe controls. An ‘ideal’ sized person to fit the lathe would be just 4.5 feet tall, 2 feet across the shoulders and have an arm span of 8 feet.
This example epitomises the shortcoming in design when no account has been taken of the user. People come in all shapes and sizes, and the ergonomist takes this variability into account when influencing the design process.
In addition to physical size, ergonomists look at strength, compatibility of controls, vision, sound, thermal comfort, motion, vibration and workloads.
Vision is usually the primary channel for information, yet systems are often so poorly designed that the user is unable to see the work area clearly. Many workers using computers cannot see their screens because of glare or reflections. Others, doing precise assembly tasks, have insufficient lighting and suffer eyestrain and reduced output as a result.
Sound can be a useful way to provide information, especially for warning signals. However, care must be taken not to overload this sensory channel. A recent airliner had 16 different audio warnings, far too many for a pilot to deal with in an emergency situation. A more sensible approach was to have just a few audio signals to alert the pilot to get information guidance from a visual display.
Motion and vibration can have a detrimental effect upon the worker’s efficiency, health and comfort, ranging from motion-sickness in vehicles to ‘whitefinger’ for vibrating hand tool users. Chemicals, pollutants and ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ also need to be taken into account in many working situations.
The ergonomist’s role is to study all aspects of the working situation and to fit the job to the human’s attributes.

what do ergonomists do?
Ergonomists use information about people, for example, their size (height, weight etc.), their ability to handle information and make decisions, their ability to see and hear and their ability to work in extremes of temperature. An ergonomist studies the way that these things vary in a group of people. With this information, the ergonomist, working with designers and engineers, ensures that a product or service will be able to be used comfortably, efficiently and safely. This must be so not only for 'average' people, but also for the whole range of people who use the product - including perhaps, children, the elderly and the disabled. An ergonomist can also assess existing products and services, showing where they fail to 'fit' the user (in every sense of the word) and suggesting how this fit may be improved.

age-related design
The number of people in the UK aged 75 and over is forecast to double over the next 50 years. As such, there is a need to extend the range of application of equipment, services and systems designed for the general population.
Design for all
Data needs to be available on relevant aspects of the capability of the whole population including older and disabled people. The aspects include the physiological (for instance, range of limb movement, strength, vision, hearing) and the psychological (for example, cognitive, reaction time, memory). Anthropometric data is also required (size and shape ranges of people). With data such as this available, a knowledge base can be generated for access by conscientious designers.
The built environment
Quality of life for older and disabled people may also be enhanced by improvements in the built environment. This includes design of the home, design of public access buildings and public spaces, and design and operation of transport systems. Physical aspects of design that need to be considered include stairs and ramps, hygrothermal conditions (cold, damp, heat), security and accessibility. Sensory aspects include acoustics, lighting, comfort, communication systems, signage and navigation.
EQUAL
In 1995, the Government's Office of Science and Technology initiated EQUAL (Extending QUAlity Life). This initiative draws research activities together that focus on achieving a better lifestyle, participating more fully and actively, and avoiding or alleviating the effects of disability. In 1997, the built environment was highlighted as an area in which EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) funded research could make significant contribution to the aims of EQUAL. 11 projects were funded at that time (for details see http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/). Proposals are again being sought in the themes of design for all and the built environment. These may be for feasibility studies or research projects, in collaboration with organisations able to provide a user perspective, for example, charities or local authorities. For more information on the EQUAL initiative see the Office's web page http://www.dti.gov.uk/ost/ostbusiness/equal.htm.
Further relevant information can also be found at the AgeNet web site http://www.agenet.ac.uk/.


further information sources
The Ergonomics Society, a professional society with over 1000 members in industry, government and universities, can direct you to ergonomists specialising in particular applications of the subject and can offer guidance on the teaching of ergonomics in schools, industry and universities. The Society can also send you a free copy of their booklet A career in ergonomics. Contact the Office at the address below.
See our education page for details of university degree courses including ergonomics.
Also see our links page for links to other sites of ergonomic interest.

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