Lecture line Ergonomics Week 2:

I hope based from the videos you have sent, you already had an idea about ergonomics. Can anyone from
the class, tell me their perception about ergonomics?

Slide 1:
Basic ergonomics has been around since our forefathers began inventing simple instruments to make
activities simpler. Tools, household equipment, and other constructed objects have been found to
demonstrate sophisticated (for their time) ergonomic concepts dating back to some of the oldest Egyptian
dynasties, as well as other, more solid artifacts from 5th Century BCE Greece.

Slide 2:
Many ergonomics claims or references where contemplated then. The link between work and
musculoskeletal injuries has been known for centuries. In the 1713 addition to his 1700 publication, “De
Morbis Artificum (Diseases of Workers),” Bernardino Ramazinni an Italian Physician and considered to
be the Father of Occupational Medicine wrote about work-related problems (that he saw in his medical
practice). In this book, ailments seen among metal mining employees included not just respiratory
disorders such as asthma and tuberculosis caused by small particles, but also the consequences of
uncomfortable working postures on miners' bodies.

Slide 3:
In connection, the first publication about work-related physical symptoms date back several centuries.
The fact that the word ergonomics was coined by a Polish scholar, Wojciech Jastrzębowski, in 1857
became widely known when his book in Polish was reprinted with English translation in 1997. It was
taken from his philosophical story entitled “The outline of Ergonomics, in other words Science of Work”.

Slide 4:
Factory machinery and equipment began to be designed with design considerations closer to what we
think of today as "ergonomics" shortly after the Industrial Revolution. In the early 1900s, industry
output was still heavily reliant on human force and motion, and ergonomic principles were being
developed to boost worker productivity. Scientific Management became popular as a way for increasing
worker efficiency by optimizing the working process.

Slide 5:
In the early nineteenth century, industry output was still heavily reliant on human labor, and ergonomic
concepts were being developed to boost worker productivity. Frederick W. Taylor was a forerunner in
the field of scientific management and ergonomics. He analyzed jobs to find the simplest and most
effective ways to complete them. Bethlehem Steel was the most prominent illustration of his work. Taylor
greatly enhanced worker productivity and salaries in a shoveling activity at Bethlehem Steel by matching
the shovel to the type of material being handled (ashes, coal or ore).
Slide 6:
The World Wars were a time when ergonomics was heavily used. During World War II, there was a
surge in interest and study on human-machine interaction, particularly in advanced military technology.
Fitting the machine to the soldier's size and having logical/understandable control buttons were design
concepts. Between the wars, Frederick Taylor's scientific and efficiency concepts were applied to
industry. Manufacturing got more efficient throughout time. Workers were retrained and tools and
procedures were updated.

Slide 7:
From the 1960s onward, computer use substantially revolutionized day-to-day work, making it much
easier, safer, more efficient, and more productive. This was followed by the development of various
computer software and the recent internet evolution, all of which led to significant improvements.

Slide 8:
The science of modern ergonomics includes the work of industrial engineers, occupational medical
physicians, safety engineers, and many others studying both “cognitive ergonomics” (human behavior,
decision making processes, perception relative to design, etc.) and “industrial ergonomics” (physical
aspects of the workplace, human physical abilities, etc.).
Nearly every aspect of modern life now includes some level of ergonomic design. Automobile interiors,
kitchen appliances, office chairs and desks, and other frequently used devices are designed
ergonomically.

Slide 9 and so on: