ERGONOMICS

HISTORY OF ERGONOMICS
• 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.
• It is the Scientific Management,
a method that improved worker
efficiency by improving the job
process, became popular.
 World War II

• WORLD WAR II prompted greater interest in

human-machine interaction as the efficiency
of sophisticated military equipment (i.e.
aeroplanes) could be compromised by bad or
confusing design.
• Design concepts of fitting the machine to the
soldier and logical/understandable control
buttons evolved.
• Starts from 1949 with the study of aircraft
accident of military pilots.
 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:
– Muscle force required to perform manuel
tasks
– Compressive low back disk force when lifting
– Cardiovascular response when performing
heavy labor
– Percieved maximum load that can be carried,
pushed or pulled.
 Ergonomics (Ergon=work ,
nomos= natural laws/study)
• Ergonomics is the study of
optimizing the interface
between human beings and the
designed objects and
environments they interact with.
• An ergonomically designed
product implies that the device
blends smoothly with a person’s
body or actions.
• It is also the science of people-
machine relationships.
Ergon (work) and nómos (laws)- The science of
optimizing the interactions between the person,
the job, and the environment.

‘Fitting the job to the worker’ rather than the

worker to the job.

Other terms-
• Engineering psychology
• Human engineering
• Ergonomics
• Bioengineering
• biomechanics
Ergonomics
• Study of the relationship between people
and the furniture, tools, and machinery
they use at work.
• The object is to improve work performance
by removing sources of muscular stress and
general fatigue, for example by presenting
data and control panels in easy-to-view
form, making office furniture comfortable,
and creating a generally pleasant
environment.
Ergonomics (or Human Factors)
• Is the scientific discipline concerned with the
understanding of interactions among
humans and other elements of a system,
and the profession that applies theory,
principles, data and methods to design in
order to optimize human well-being and
overall system performance.
 Human Factors in Design
• Interaction of human with product

• Design product for humans through the

recognition of human capabilities, needs, and
limitations.
• Aim of this discipline is to study human
characteristics, behaviour, needs, and
expectations, and to apply all this knowledge
into product design.
 Industrial Engineering
Work Methods
Facility Layout
Anthropometry Work Flow
Psychology
Biomechanics Physiology

Industrial Ergonomics

Methods Operator
Analysis Assignments
Machine &
Workplace Tool & Job Design
Equipment
Design Design
Design
 Four related science that enables product
planners to account for ergonomics in in their
work are:
1. Anthropometry
2. Physiology
3. Anatomy
4. psychology
 Anthropometry
• Technic used to express human body
Quantitatively is called anthropometry.
• Science of human measurement, body size &
proportions.
• Significance is to provide comfort,
performance and physical welfare.
• Dimensions are always taken on an average
person or mean dimensions are taken from
variable structures.
• Male and female weight, dimensions and
other anthropometric data have been charted.
• This data can be helpful to the product
designers
• Though 50% of population would be too large
or too small to accommodate this average
dimension.
• In order to avoid this, we can plan the product
which can be adjust to fit the users.
• Height of seats, chairs, kitchen counters, sinks
as well as controls of pilot, truck driver, or
lathe operator determine from this study.
• Exercise machine manufacture must account
human anthropometry (seats, footplates,
handles)
 Physiological Factor
• Science dealing with the function of living
organism.
• Dealing with the human visual, tactile, and
auditory sense and how these relate to
product.
 Visual sense
• Number of factors affect vision.
• intensity of light, brightness, glare, colour,
motion of object. Improper proportion of all
theses causes illusion.
• Different task required different illuminance
level.
• The rate of light emission is having unit
luminous flux, measured in lumens, and
illuminance is measured in footcandles.
• Warning labels on vehicles and equipment
must be readable.
 Tactile Senses
• Sense of touch of feel. Related to the sensible
nerve fibers near the surface of the skin, that
can detect pressure & temperature difference.
• This features used to design control knobs,
control levers according to size, shape, and
texture to avoid recognition problems.
• Noise is important aspect of design, because it
leads to the permanent and temporary
hearing damage.
• Auditory sense-alarm signal, Helmets, Head
phones.
• It can interfere with communication and can
affect performance of work
• Vibration is also design aspect for designing
heavy machinery and construction equipment.
• Too little noise and vibration can also affect
the work performance.
 Anatomy
• Science of human body structure (skeleton,
muscles, nerves, blood vessels)
• Designer should aware about it in order to
design product more satisfactorily.
• Muscles contracts and expands in order to
apply mechanical leverage at joints , larger
muscles greater force we can apply.
• Bones and muscles working in union and act
as a levers.
• They also account human musculoskeletal
system so that weight and force devices can
be adjusted to provide desire exercise without
damaging soft tissues (tendons & ligaments)
 Psychological Factors
• Science of human nature and behaviour.
• Industrial psychologist concerned with
societal, mental, cultural, and emotional
conditions such as boredom, isolation, fatigue,
and confusion and their effects on human
performance.
 ADVANTAGES OF ERGONOMICS
 Increase in productivity.
 Increase in quality.
 Increase in employee morale/Job satisfaction.
 More Human Comfort, less fatigue to the operator.
 Better design of machine.
 Better integration of man machine system.
 Awkward Postures
Being in these work positions for
more than 2 hours total per day
– Hands above head
– Elbows above shoulder
– Back bent forward more than 30 degrees
– Neck bent more than 30 degrees
– Squatting
– Kneeling
Working with the Hands Above
Head
For more than 2 hours per day
Working with the Elbows
Above Shoulders
For more than 2 hours per day
Neck or Back Bent Forward More
than 30º
For more than 2 hours per day
Neck or Back Bent Forward More
than 30°
For more than 2 hours per day
Neck or Back Bent Forward More
than 30°
For more than 2 hours per day
 Squatting
For more than 2 hours per day
 Kneeling
For more than 2 hours per day
High Hand Force
More than 2 hours per day of:
Pinching 2 or more
pounds weight or
4 or more pounds
force
High Hand Force
More than 2 hours per day of:
Gripping 10 or more
pounds weight or
force
 Highly Repetitive Motion
Workers repeat same motion every
few seconds for more than 2 hours
per day with:
– neck
– shoulders
– elbows
– wrists
– hands
 Highly Repetitive Motion
Intensive keying
for more than 4 hours per day
Repeated Impact
Using hands or knees as a hammer
– more than 10 times per hour
– more than 2 hours per day
Repeated Impact
Using hands or knees as a hammer
– more than 10 times per hour
– more than 2 hours per day
 Heavy, Frequent, or Awkward
Lifting
Lifting objects more than:
– 75 lbs. once/day
– 55 lbs. more than ten times/day
– 10 lbs. more than twice/minute
for more than 2 hours per day
– 25 lbs. above shoulders,
below knees, or at arms length
for more than 25 times/day
Heavy, Frequent, or Awkward
Lifting
Heavy, Frequent, or Awkward
Lifting
Moderate to High
Hand-Arm Vibration
Moderate Level
more than
2 hours/day
Moderate to High
Hand-Arm Vibration
High Level
More than
30 Min/day
 Awkward Positions
•Knees - Squatting
More than 4 hrs/day
 •Arms, Wrists, Hands

High Hand Force –Gripping an unsupported object 10 lbs

or > per hand
Or
–Gripping with force of 10 lbs or > per
hand (clamping light duty jumper
cables onto battery)

+
–Highly repetitive motion
More than 3 hrs/day
High Hand Force •Arms, Wrists, Hands
–Gripping an unsupported
object 10 lbs or > per hand
Or
–Gripping with force of 10
lbs or > per hand (clamping
light duty jumper cables onto
battery)

+
–Wrists bent in flexion 30° or
more, or in extension 45° or
more, or in ulnar deviation
30° or more
More than 3 hrs/day
 Wrists Bent
Extension
Ulnar Deviation

Flexion
 Tendonitis Risk Factors

• Repetition
• Forceful exertion
• Awkward / sustained
postures
• Mechanical Stress
 Awkward / Sustained Postures

• Neutral posture is the

goal
• Built-up handles
• Avoid wrist deviation
– flexion / extension
– radial/ulnar deviation
Mechanical Stress
 Highly Repetitive Motion
•Intensive Keying
Awkward posture,
including wrists bent in
flexion 30° or more, or
in extenson 45° or
more, or in ulnar
deviation 30° or more
More than 4 hrs/day
Heavy, Frequent, Awkward

Lifting
 General

ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS
Illustrations from Ergonomic
Checkpoints by the International
Labour Organization (ILO), and
Practical Ergonomics by the
UAW-GM Ergonomics Task
Force
Stretching
 ERGONOMIC INJURY FACTORS
• Lesions to tendons of the
neck, back, shoulders,
arms, wrists or hands
• Primary causes:
– Repetitive movements
over long periods of
time
– Awkward postures
– Use of excessive forces
ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS: POSTURE
• NEUTRAL &
COMFORTABLE:
– Wrists straight
– Shoulders relaxed with
elbows close to body
– Head / shoulders & back
in vertical alignment
– Frequent breaks when
bent postures can’t be
avoided
Tools: Orientation to Work Surface
 ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS
Shoulder harness for landscaping tool
to reduce hand forces
Harder, Not Smarter!
Wrong Tool
Choose the Right Tools
Choose the Right Tools
ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS
Using a carpet stretcher to
eliminate knee impacts
Redesign the Work Station
Awkward Postures
Awkward Postures