Ergonomics & Human Factor

Engineering
Presented by :
T.A / Iman Khtab Sayed
1- Overview of ergonomics.
 Introduction
• People are one of the most important resources in an
enterprise
• In today’s industrial and service operations, people perform
physical tasks of assembling and handling materials, as well
as sensory and cognitive tasks such as inspecting
components, issuing tools, entering data, and managing
people and operations.
• People are also prospective customers. If manufactured
products and services meet the needs and desires of
customers at reasonable prices, customers will buy them
• improving both the effectiveness of people in industry and
the products and services that industry sells.
 Introduction
• Ergonomics is An applied scientific discipline
concerned with how humans interact with the
tools and equipment they use while performing
tasks and other activities
• Human factors is synonymous with ergonomics
• Ergonomics is the study of people at work
• Human factors Must be considered during the
design phase
• Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics
(HFEE) is concerned with ways of designing
jobs, machines, operations, and work
environments so they are compatible with
human capacities and limitations
• the industrial ergonomics is study of existing
research, design, and evaluation methods that
are appropriate to human factors engineering
and ergonomics
 What is ergonomic design?
• Ergonomists study people and how they operate equipment
in the home, in commerce, in factories, and in governmental
activities.
• It stands to reason, then, that ergonomic engineers design
products. They also design jobs.
• More specifically, they design methods and tools for
performing tasks, machine-tool interfaces, workplace
layouts, inspection stations, process-control interfaces,
machine-tool layouts, training programs, questionnaires,
interviews, human performance predicting systems,
material handling systems, safety and health programs.
• this is not a complete list, it gives some idea of the scope of
ergonomic design.
 Ergonomic design activities
activities that might occur during the ergonomic design of products
and jobs.
• Analysis of similar systems
• Activity analysis
• Critical incident study
• Functional flow
• Decision/action analysis
• Action/information requirements analysis
• Functional analysis
• Task analysis
• Failure mode and effects analysis
• Timeline analysis
• Simulation
• Link analysis
• Controlled experimentation
• Operations sequence analysis
• Workload assessment
Objectives of human factors
operational objectives
• increase safety
• increase reliability
• improve system performance
• improve maintainability
• reduce loss of time and
equipment
• reduce errors
• assess personnel requirements
• assess training requirements
• increase economy of production
users and operators
- improve working environment
- increase ease of use
- increase user acceptance
- increase human comfort
- reduce monotony
- reduce fatigue
- reduce mental and physical
stress
 Why Consider Human Factors?

• Enhance efficiency (productivity)

• Ensure safety
• Assure tasks are within human capability
• Improve human performance
• Gain market acceptance
• Reduce costs (economic, legal, social)
Fields of application
 Human Factors in Engineering Design
• What is Human Factors in Design?
Considering information about human behavior,
abilities, characteristics and physical limits
• Ensuring that the final product can be
effectively utilized by the end user, without
exceeding their capabilities
• ‘Fitting the Job to the Man’ rather than ‘Fitting
the Man to the Job’
• Optimizing Efficiency, Health, Safety and
Comfort of people through better designs
Importance of Human Factors in Design

• Improve productivity Ease and Efficiency

• Improve safety
• Improve comfort
• Improve satisfaction
• Decrease errors
• Reduce fatigue Human factors

• Reduce the learning curve

• Meet user’s needs and wants
• Positive perception of product Man* Machine*

13
Difficulties of Human Factors

• Humans are flexible and

adaptable
• Large individual differences
• Obvious differences:
Physical size and
strength
• Non-obvious
differences:
culture*, style, and skill

14
 Methods Engineering vs. Ergonomics
Emphasis in Ergonomics
Methods Engineering
and Human Factors
Efficiency
Safety
Cost reduction
Comfort
Labor reduction
Interaction between human and equipment
Workplace environment
layout
Facilitythe
Fitting layout
work to the individual
Eliminationofofhuman
Reduction waste errors
“One bestavoidance
Accident way”
 ERGONOMIC FOCUS

The Task
The Tool

The User /Operator

The Work
Station and
Environment
 Goals and Process of Human Factors
Engineering
• Human factors engineering improves people’s
lives by making technology work well for them.
• Most broadly, human factors engineering aims
to improve human interaction with systems by
enhancing:
• Safety: Reducing the risk of injury and death
• Performance: Increasing productivity, quality, and
efficiency
• Satisfaction: Increasing acceptance, comfort, and
well-being
 Forms of Human Factors A
n
t
1. Anthropometric h
r EP
(Human interaction in static sense; o rh
dimensions of body) p gPy
o oss
2. Ergonomics m nyi
e oco
(Human interaction in dynamic t mhl
sense; repeated tasks) r ioo
i c gl
3. Physiological c oi
gc
(Human interaction with body
ai
characteristics) cl
a
4. Psychological l
(Human interaction with mental
activities)

19
 n
t
1. Anthropometric Factors h
r EP
o rh
p gP y
o os
m n yi
Anthropometric human factors are e o co
t mh l
related to the physical size of humans; r io
i c lg
it is man-machine interaction in static c so i
gc
ia
sense cl
a
l

20
 Anthropometry
Empirical science concerned with the physical
measurements of the human body, such as
height, range of joint movements, and weight
• Derived from the Greek words anthropos
(man) and metron (to measure)
• Usually considered a branch of anthropology
1. Anthropometric Factors
Adequate attention to the nature
of the physical dimensions of
humans

• Design for • Design for

Adjustability Average
• Design for • Design for
all Extreme

22
1. Anthropometric Factors
Statistical distribution Cumulative distribution diagram
(relative frequency) diagram is an alternative method to
for the height of people present the same information

• The peak in the relative frequency diagram is often close

to the average value
• By designing for the average person we often exclude
50% of the population
23
 1. Anthropometric Factors example
Being able to see an obstacle of height h at a
minimum distance L from the front of the car*

The average

95
50
5

24
Anthropometric Analysis and Data
1. Static dimensions – body measurements
while in a fixed position
– Data are more easily determined, so much more
static data are available
2. Dynamic dimensions – body measurements
while performing some physical activity
– Probably more relevant in design
 Human Variability
• Differences in body dimensions exist among
people because of:
– Ethnicity and Nationality
– Heredity
– Diet
– Health
– Sex
– Age
– Living conditions
 Anthropometric Design Principles
• Design for extreme individuals
– Designing for the maximum( Doorway heights, Automobile door
openings)
– Designing for the minimum (Heights of kitchen cabinets)
• Design for adjustability
– To accommodate a wide range of users( Automobile driver seats,
Office chairs)
• Design for the average user
– For situations in which design for extreme individuals and
adjustability are not feasible (Stair heights, Stadium seats , Sofas)
• Design different sizes for different size users
– When the only way to accommodate user population is to make the
product in different sizes (Clothing, Shoes)
2- Ergonomic Factors
 Importance when the human operator is involved with the
machine in a dynamic sense.

A human is required to exert a force or perhaps supply work to

the machine.

 It should be obvious that the effective operation of a machine

over long periods of time will depend upon the matching of
requirements to human capability.

Human Factors 28
2- Ergonomic Factors
One simple example is that when the
brake operating force is higher than can
be normally tolerated. The driver will
cope with the situation at first, but if
the brake operation is frequent, muscle
fatigue will eventually occur and a
dangerous situation will develop.

Human Factors 29
 Ergonomic Factors

The capability for performing mechanical tasks of this type

depends upon:
 The physical ability of the operator
 The range of movement required
 The speed of movement
 The duration of the activity
 The position of the operator
 The environmental condition.

Human Factors 30
 n
t
h
r EP
3. Physiological Factors o rh
p gP y
o os
m n yi
• Factors dealing with human sensations e o co
t mh l
• These involve the neurological, r io
i c lg
c so i
muscular, respiratory, vascular and gc
ia
sensory systems cl
a
l

• They can be grouped according to the

response to various inputs such as:
 Visual
 Auditory
 Tactile (the sense of touch)
 Kinesthetic (detecting body position)
 Taste senses
 Environment
31
 3- Physiological Factors

 Human operators receive a great deal of information visually.

 The visual processes enable us to perceive (understand) form, color,

brightness and motion and so read printed instructions and
instruments, observe moving objects and react emotionally to
combinations of shape and color.
 In order to achieve the discrimination necessary for correct
interpretation it is necessary to achieve satisfactory intensity and color
discrimination and resolution.
__________________________
discrimination: recognition

Human Factors 32
 3- Physiological Factors

 Color discrimination is reduced when illumination (lighting)

levels are low, and this can lead to unexpected difficulties in
comprehension.
 An associated problem of illumination which has a critical
effect on contrast is that of glare and shadow formation. These
can be controlled by careful design of lighting systems and
selection of materials and colors.

Human Factors 33
 3- Physiological Factors

 Another source of information is that which is transmitted

audibly (capable of being heard). This will range from spoken
information to the noise which machinery makes when
operating.

 Spoken communication is, of course, very obvious, but the

unusual sound that is made by malfunctioning equipment are
often recognized as such and lead to the taking of remedial
action.
Human Factors 34
 3- Physiological Factors

 An excessive level of noise pollution is, in fact, undesirable

for a number of reasons:
 Leads to degradation of speech intelligibility (clearness)
 Will lead to physical damage to the human auditory system.
 Hinders (prevent) mental activity due to distracting influences.
 Can lead to psychological and mental disorders if sustained.

Human Factors 35
• https://youtu.be/syFev-ojRnQ