INTRODUCTION TO

ERGONOMICS
Chapter 1: OSH2122
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of lecture, students should

be able to:

• Define ergonomics
• Identify human factors in ergonomics
• Explain application of ergonomics
• Effectiveness of ergonomics
 WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?

Derived from the Greek: ergon (work) and

nomos (laws) to denote the science of work.

Ergonomics 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. 
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
ERGONOMICS & HUMAN

• Ergonomics is the
technology of work
design based on
the human
biological sciences
include anatomy,
physiology, and
psychology (WHO).
 ERGONOMICS VS HUMAN FACTORS

• Ergonomics helps harmonize things that interact with

people in terms of people’s needs, abilities and limitations
SO WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION?
ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

• Physical ergonomics is concerned with

human anatomical, anthropometric,
physiological and biomechanical
characteristics as they relate to physical
activity.

• Focus on ergonomic workplace.

• Designing the job, equipment, and

workplace to fit the worker
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

Relevant topics include:

• working postures
• materials handling
• repetitive movements
• work-related
musculoskeletal
disorders
• workplace layout, safety,
and health.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeDUCXfzl6U
• Identify
ergonomics
hazard in this
picture and its
adverse effect.
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

• Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with

mental process such as perception, memory,
reasoning, and motor response, as they affect
interactions among humans and other
elements of a system.

• It focuses on the fit between human cognitive

abilities and limitations and the machine, task,
environment
• 
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

• Cognitive ergonomics aims to design

work conditions and environments
that enhance cognitive functioning
and human performance at work

• Benefit of cognitive ergonomics:

improve productivity, safety, and
health at work.
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

Issues related to cognitive ergonomics include:

• mental workload
• decision-making
• skilled performance
• human-computer interaction
• human reliability
• work stress
• training as these may relate to human-system
design
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

• Study showed a positive correlation

between cognitive failures and
occupational safety and concluded that
workplace accidents were caused by
inattention, distraction, and mental
errors
(Arthur et al
1991)
1.List examples of cognitive ergonomics
risk which are not stated in previous
slide.

2.Give example of application of

cognitive ergonomics.
 ERGONOMICS DOMAINS OF
SPECIALIZATION

• Organizational ergonomics is concerned with the

optimisation of socio-technical systems, including:

• organizational structures, policies, and processes

• communication
• crew resource management
• work design
• design of work times
• organizational culture
• People’s behaviour in the workplace is affected by the
characteristics of the business or organisation for
which they work. 

• The design of the job, the equipment, information

and work environment should all take account of
individual capabilities and limitations, as far as is
reasonably practicable

• It is also important to ensure that the workplace is

adapted as far as is necessary to support rather than
hinder people’s task performance. 
 HOW DO HUMAN FACTORS
IMPACT SAFETY?

• Errors and unintentional mistakes.

• Poor judgment and bad decision making.
• Disregard for procedures.
• Injury and accident.

Only by understanding human factors, can

an occupational safety professional seek
out ways to mitigate risk with stopgap
measures that prevent accidents before
they occur.
 DISCUSSION

• Can risks from human factors be

eliminated?

• What if the training is not enough to

prevent risky behavior?
APPLICATION OF ERGONOMICS
 APPLICATION OF ERGONOMICS

Designing jobs for reducing stress

and burnout and improving
satisfaction and retention

Implementing improvement activities

such as teamwork and participation
Implementing crew resource
management training

Designing work schedule for reduced

fatigue and enhanced performance

User interface design such as

computer display, web design
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF
ERGONOMICS
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF
ERGONOMICS
 BENEFITS OF ERGONOMICS AT
THE WORKPLACE

• Improve productivity by designing a job to allow for good

posture, fewer motion etc.

• Reduce cost of compensation by reducing the risk of injury

and accident.

• Improve employee engagement by reduce turnover,

decrease absenteeism, improve morale and increase
employee involvement.

• Improve quality of products. For examples workers

concentrate or focus when performing their jobs.

• Create a better safety culture (physical, mental and social)

THANK YOU