MASTER OF SCIENCE IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND

HEALTH MANAGEMENT
FASM 5103
ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT

Chapter 8
Human-machine system
 Human-Machine System
Environment

Human Machine

Sensory Display

Interface
Cognitive Processor

Motor Control
 Introduction
• A system defined as mathematical symbols
and set theory.

• A Human-Machine System could be defined

verbally as an arrangement of people and
machines (or physical components) interacting
within an environment in order to achieve a
set of system goals.
 Introduction
• Examples of Human-Machine Systems include
a person with a hammer, an office machine
with its operator, oil refineries, hospitals, a
rescue operation of a crashed airplane.

• The task of a human factors specialist is to

optimize the interaction between people and
machine elements of the system while taking
the environment into account
 environments

Human

Machine
 The human machine systems consists of three
main systems
• The first component : is the human component
which includes all human characteristics , like
anatomical, physiological and psychological
elements.

• The second component : is the machine

component like chairs, tools and equipment
with which the human-being interacts
• The third component: is the environment , it is
the place and the circumstances in which the
work is carried out and it includes physical and
social aspects

• The physical aspects includes noise, vibration,

light, climate and chemical substance
• The social aspects includes the family and the
surrounding people
 The workplace Characteristics
1. Systems Are Purposive: A system has a purpose. The
purpose of the system is the system goal or objective. A
system could have more than one objective.
2. Systems Can Be Hierarchical: A system may be composed of
a number of subsystems. System boundary and resolution
limit must be set.
3. Systems Operate in an Environment: The system
environment is every thing outside its boundaries. It could
range from immediate environment (such as a chair)
through intermediate (such as an office) to general (such as
a city).
4. Components Serve Functions: Each component serves at
least one function that is related to achieving the system
goal.
8
 The workers function
• The senses are the means of the input by which
the human is aware of the surrounding. We have
5 sense sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch and
other sense like balance, body position in space,
and sense of speed
• The brain is the main information processing
centre in the human which contain low level
programs to control the basic sensorimotor work
activities and higher level cognitive processes
• Which responsible about planning , decision making and
problem solving activities of work
• Physical and mental work need education, training, energy and
motivation.
• The psychological aspects and motivation support and sustain
the working behavior

• the effectors : are the systems by which information is entered

into a machine or passed from one human to the other . They
include hands , feet , voice……..

• If the task demands exceed the human abilities

case injuries and health problems will takes place
Ergonomic of human-machine
• Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain
injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders which can develop over
time and can lead to long-term disability.

• Human factors and ergonomics is concerned with the "fit" between the
user, equipment and their environments. It takes account of the user's
capabilities and limitations in seeking to ensure that tasks, functions,
information and the environment suit each user. Human–machine
system is a system in which the functions of a human operator and a
machine are integrated
Advantages such as high attention to ergonomics and easy
operations

The Human-Machine Interface is quite literally where the human

and the machine meet. It is the area of the human and the area of
the machine that interact during a given task.
Ergonomic Controls
Ergonomic controls are used to help fit the workplace to
the worker. They seek to place the body in a neutral
position and reduce the other ergonomic risk factors.
Ergonomic control designed specifically for one handed
operation. Controls should be designed to be operable in
low stress postures and without static loading of body parts,
particularly the fingers.
Ergonomic display
 1. Digital display – to be used in
situations where highly accurate
reading of displayed quantities is
required (Speedometer)

2. Multiple display -are necessary to

visualize events and improve
communication flow, so operators can
either manage the situation from afar,
or give the individuals on the scene
the information they need to respond.
3. Complex display – Special methods
for highlighting potentially hazardous
situations and guiding visual search to
the appropriate part of the display may
be required.

4. Computer generated displays – To

increased flexibility, the possibility of
using innovative graphical techniques
for representing the changing state of
a system.
• Three-dimensional displays- is disclosed which uses a variable
focal length lens through which two-dimensional images of an object
are viewed. In one embodiment, a sequence of different images
representative of cross sections of the object along its depth
dimension are presented by a two-dimensional display apparatus
such as a high resolution CRT.
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