ergonomics

UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(IOT)
DEPARTMENT Of INDUSTRIAL
ENGINEERING
ERGONOMICS ASSIGNMENT ONE

SET BY –ANTENEH TARIKU………..ID ……..00562/10

SUMMITED TO INSTRUCTOR

Submission date February 21 /2021

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1. What are the benefits of Ergonomics ?

There are many benefits to integrating an ergonomics process deeply into all of your
operations. Among the many benefits are:

 Ergonomics reduces costs

 Ergonomics improves productivity
 Ergonomics improves product quality
 Ergonomics increases employee engagement
 Ergonomics creates a better company safety culture


a)  Decreased costs and improved profitability

 Injuries can cost more than manufacturers realize, these costs are often
unaccounted for and associated with each injury.  It is the cost of time spent by
other people related to the injury.  This includes supervisors who have to
reschedule work shifts and train workers to perform the injured worker’s tasks;
co-workers who must work overtime to ensure work is completed without their
injured peer; human resources professionals who need to process workers
compensation claims, file reports and complete incident reviews; and managers
who interview workers, identify root causes, and report findings to other
managers and teams. 
 Effective ergonomics reduces the risk of injury, thus eliminating the costs
associated with the time spent on these activities.
 By reducing ergonomic risk factors and creating user-friendly work processes,
manufacturers can reduce or prevent costly injuries, improve productivity, and
maintain quality.  All of these aspects positively impact costs and profitability
within the company. 

b)  Increased productivity

Comprehensive ergonomics evaluations consider the entire work process.  These

evaluations primarily aim to identify and decrease the injury risk factors that are
present, but in many cases result in improvements in productivity.  When items
are brought within reach or lifting from the floor is eliminated, there is a time
savings associated with the elimination of the extra movements resulting in
decreases in cycle time and increases in productivity.  In one case, a process was
changed to reduce pinching, pushing and pulling.  The improved work process
also resulted in a decreased cycle time of up to 15%.  Ergonomics and LEAN
principles often go hand in hand to reduce waste (non-value added activities),

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 thus making jobs easier and more efficient to perform, resulting in increases in
productivity. 
 One of the benefits of ergonomic desks is that they boost productivity. Despite
the change in working position, employees report that standing desks boost
productivity. This is because these desks improve mood and energy levels

c) Increased quality

Workers who are not working efficiently, who are experiencing discomfort, or who are
straining to complete their work tasks often do not do their best work.  When workers
aren’t working their best, quality suffers.  Quality also suffers when the work that would
normally be performed by the injured worker is assigned to a less experienced worker
or is added onto the workload of a more experienced peer.  Decreased quality results in
increased costs including increased time to production, rework and scrap. 

In addition to decreasing the presence of risk factors, an effective ergonomics program

establishes standard operating procedures.  These procedures not aim to standardize a
way of performing a task to minimize risk, but also serve to maintain established quality
standards.

d) Improved safety

 Ergonomics will create a safer work environment and increase awareness.

You’ll remove hazards, improve workstations for less discomfort, and teach
your employees to update their spaces with safety in mind.
Not to mention, the health benefits that
come with ergonomics keeps employees healthy at work. This will encourage safety on
another level. You can keep your work consistent and stable by providing employees
with a safe environment they can thrive in.

Many manufacturers focus on accident prevention;  However, injuries that result from
poor ergonomics are some of the most common and severe kinds of injuries in
manufacturing.  Ergonomic injuries are sometimes called musculoskeletal injuries,
strains, sprains, or cumulative trauma disorders and can have a significant impact on an
organization. 

 Effective ergonomics reduces the presence of injury risk factors, reduces the risk
for worker injury, and thus improves overall safety..
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 e) Worker health

 Repetitive bending, twisting, turning and heavy lifting can result in painful
injuries for a worker.  Discomfort and injuries affect the person at work as well
as at home and can have implications in all areas of their life. 
 People who work in ergonomic workplaces have improved health. It typically
starts within the cardiovascular system and spreads to other areas. Your heart
will be healthier than it would be if you were working in a standard environment.
Also, you and your employees will feel less tension in your body because you’ll be
adjusting the workstations to fit your height. These natural positions will prevent you
from straining your eyes and necks. You’ll also reduce swelling in your legs because
your blood flow will be optimal.

 Effective ergonomics reduces the risk of worker injury, and maintains or

improves their health allowing workers to perform their work and enjoy improved
quality of life outside of work.

f)  A better workforce

A proactive ergonomic plan can also create a better work environment.  The ability to
perform a job without discomfort plays a role in the worker’s perspective about the
culture of their company and their satisfaction with the work they do and their
company.  A manufacturer that cares for their workers well being and communicates it
through a safe workplace and a health safety and ergonomics work culture has a better
chance of retaining their workforce. 

  g) Increased Employee Engagement

Your employees will notice that your business provides the best conditions for increased
employees’ health and safety. Because they won’t be experiencing fatigue and
discomfort, you’ll see an increase in the employees’ involvement. You’ll find their
motivation will increase the more they feel taken care of by the company.
This can reduce the turnover rate and make your business one others want to work
with. Your employees’ opinions matter, and you can benefit from it by utilizing
ergonomics.

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 2. When is the most cost-effective time to consider ergonomics?

The most cost-effective time to consider ergonomics is

 during the design and

 planning of new work processes.

A proactive approach to ergonomics emphasizes primary prevention of MSD through

recognizing, anticipating and eliminating risk factors in the design and planning stages
of new work processes.

3. What are the elements of an ergonomics improvement process?

The reactive part of the ergonomics improvement process we use for clients involves six
steps:

 Step 1: Prioritize Jobs for Ergonomic Analysis

 Step 2: Conduct Ergonomic Analysis
 Step 3: Develop an Ergonomic Opportunity List
 Step 4: Determine Best Solution with Team Approach
 Step 5: Obtain Final Approval and Implement Solution
 Step 6: Evaluate the Ergonomic Improvement

4. Who should be involved in the ergonomics process?

The ergonomics process is typically managed through the Health & Safety
department. OHS should have a close relationship with engineering, supervisors,
HR and all employees because successful ergonomics requires a team effort.
Commitment to the process from all of these parties as well as upper
management is an important indicator of success.

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 5. What are ergonomic risk factors?

Risk factors related to work activity and ergonomics can make it more difficult to

maintain this balance, and increase the probability that some individuals may develop
an MSD.

The major workplace ergonomic risk factors to consider are:

Risk factors inherent in the worker. Physical, psychological and non-work-related

activities may present unique risk factors.

Risk factors inherent in the job. Work procedures, equipment, workstation design
may introduce risk factors.

Risk factors inherent in the environment. Physical and psychosocial "climate"

may introduce risk factors.

Physical Risk factors

 Awkward postures
 High Task Repetition
 Forceful Exertions
 Repetitive/Sustained Awkward Postures
 Vibration
 Frequency
Psychological risk factors
Due to bad ergonomics relation we may get distress (negative stress)
 Illness increase
 Deafness
 Noise felling
Environmental risk factor
 Temperature
 Noise
 Light
 Hot/cold
Simply risk factors are the following below Compression or contact stress

 Forceful exertions
 Insufficient rest breaks
 Lifting
 Lighting
 Noise
 Pushing, pulling
 Reaching

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 Repetitive motions
 Static or sustained postures
 Temperature extremes
 Vibration
 Bending

Ergonomic risk factors interact in three areas:

The Worker

The Environment

The Job

6. What are ergonomic controls?

In general, ergonomic improvements are changes made to improve the fit between the
demands of work tasks and the capabilities of your workers. There are usually many
options for improving a particular manual handling task. It is up to you to make informed
choices about which improvements will work best for particular tasks.

There are three types of ergonomic improvements:

1. Engineering improvements

2. Administrative improvements

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 3. personnel protective device/ work practical control

1. Engineering Improvements

These include rearranging, modifying, redesigning, providing or replacing tools,

equipment, workstations, packaging, parts, processes, products, or materials

Putting control measures in place reduce injury risk. Ergonomics opportunities

should be systematically identified and reduced through ergonomic controls:

o Engineering Controls – Eliminate or reduce awkward postures with

ergonomic modifications that seek to maintain joint range of motion to
accomplish work tasks within the mid-range of motion positions for
vulnerable joints. Proper ergonomic tools should be utilized that allow
workers to maintain optimal joint positions.

2, Administrative improvements,

such as job rotation, can help reduce workers’ exposures to risk factors by limiting
the amount of time workers spend on “problem jobs.” However, these measures may
still expose workers to risk factors that can lead to injuries. For these reasons, the
most effective way to eliminate “problem jobs” is to change them. This can be done
by putting into place the appropriate engineering improvements and modifying work
practices according

 Alternate heavy tasks with light tasks.

 Provide variety in jobs to eliminate or reduce repetition (i.e., overuse of
the same muscle groups).
 Adjust work schedules, work pace, or work practices.
 Provide recovery time (e.g., short rest breaks). Modify work practices so
that workers perform work within their power zone (i.e., above the knees,
below the shoulders, and close to the body)
 Rotate workers through jobs that use different muscles, body parts, or
postures
3. Work Practice Controls – Work procedures that consider and reduce
awkward postures should be implemented. In addition, workers should be trained on
proper work technique and encouraged to accept their responsibility to use their
body properly and to avoid awkward postures whenever possible.

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 Wearing safety clothes

Wearing helmet

Wearing gloves and glass

7. What are the recommended ergonomic assessment tools?

Ergonomic assessment tools are used to quantitatively measure risk factors and
determine the need for control measures to be put in place. Here are a few of our
recommended ergonomic assessment tools:

 Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)

 Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
 NIOSH Lifting Equation
 NIOSH Short Form
 Snook Tables
 Washington State Ergonomic and MSD Risk Assessment Checklists

8. What are ergonomic design principles?

Using ergonomics design principles helps engineers and those involved in process
design evaluate what is needed and should be considered for a good ergonomic
workstation design.

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9, what is the relation b/n work study and ergonomics

Work study and ergonomic

Ergonomics It is application of knowledge about human capabilities and

limitation to

 the design of workplace

 equipment
 tools
 work methods
 products and organizational structures.

The purpose of the ergonomics is to promote physical comfort, productivity and

efficiency.

Work study is systematic examination of methods of carrying out activities such as to

improve the effective use of resources and to set up standards of performance for the
activities carried out. A generic term for those techniques, which are used in the
examination of human work in all its contexts, and which lead systematically to the
investigation of all the factors which affect the efficiency and economy

• Method study enables the industrial engineer to subject each operation to

systematic analysis.
• The main purpose of method study is to eliminate the unnecessary

operations and to achieve the best method of performing the operation .

Method study is also called methods engineering or work design. Method
engineering is used to describe collection of analysis techniques which focus on
improving the effectiveness of men and machines.

Principles of ergonomics while working all activities should permit the worker to have
several different healthy and safe postures. Work activities should be perform with the
joints at about midpoint of their range of movement.

This applies particularly to the head, trunk upper limbs. ---it is impossible to understand
the control of movement without understanding the human bodies as a mechanical
system with respect to its internal external force

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. Method study represent following stages.

1. Select a task to study.

2. Record the facts about it.

3. Examine these.

4. Develop a new method.

5. install/implement it.

6. Maintain it

The purpose of the work study is to find economy of the money, economy of human
effort, economy of time, material, skill, space machine time and tool

Therefore when we study work we must consider ergonomics, else impossible to study
work study because ergonomics is fitting the job (work) to worker at that time work study
included with in ergonomics

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