what is ergonomic mean?
What is Ergonomics mean? It is the study of the optimal adaptation between man and machine. It is a technological science that is responsible for the design of workplaces and tools, optimizing the adaptation for their use. Ergonomics looks at the type of work, the tools used, and the work environment as a whole.
The word ergonomics comes from the Greek words ergon (work) and nomos (law, norm). Ergonomics is a key piece within the workplace because it allows adapting the work to the capabilities and possibilities of the human being. And, there are characteristics of the work environment that are capable of generating a series of disorders or injuries: this is what we call ergonomic risks.
These ergonomic risks, which can be of various kinds, such as excessive physical and postural effort at work, psychosocial aspects related to a poor organization of the actions to be carried out, inadequate ergonomic training … irremediably affect the productivity of employees, and consequently to the profitability of the company. To avoid this, it is very important to adopt preventive measures that reduce ergonomic risks.
What’s your objective?
Finding the best adaptation between man, tools, machines and workplaces in order to reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and of course, improve user and worker satisfaction and thus productivity.
People are much more skilful and versatile than objects and machines, and he considered it more effective to train them to get used to certain situations, instead of modifying undesirable conditions so that they adapt to people.
This philosophy guarantees a poorly designed work environment, which will affect the productivity and development of the worker’s activity.
Today, designers and engineers rely on human factors research, such as experimental studies of anthropometric data (body measurements) and ease of use, to help make products that are easier to understand, safer to handle. And better adapted to the human body.
What Aspects Does Ergonomics Study?
- All those who influence the interaction between the person and the work they do:
- Energetic demands of the activity, postures, movements and forces applied during work.
- Environmental conditions such as noise, lighting …
- Temporary work conditions: breaks, schedules, rhythms, days …
- Social conditions of the company: command styles, promotion systems …
- Information conditions: orders, instructions for tasks, communication channels
ergonomic design innovations examples
An Ergonomic keyboard is one that is designed to spend too many hours on the keyboard, the purpose of the design is to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, which is manifested by pain in the joints of the fingers and wrist and numbness of the muscles of the hand and long wing causes arthritis in this area.
What is the quietest keyboard?
The shape of these are varied, they can be in the form of arches or half-moons almost flat in front where the space bar is located or with some kind of ramp where the wrist rests.
There are some that are keyboards that are practically divided into two sections to place them at more comfortable distances in relation to the distance of the shoulders
- Another example is the Computer Monitor or Screen:
- Always located in front of us, not to the side, perpendicular to the windows.
- At eye level, or slightly lower.
- Position the screen at a distance between 50 and 70 cm.
- Use filters or monitors that have anti-reflective treatment.
- The image on the screen must be stable, without glare, to avoid visual fatigue.
- Avoid close sources or transformers.
Look at this example of how we should sit in front of the computer:
Sitting ergonomics
Think … What should a car seat be like? Well, that’s what ergonomics solves. Logically the seat should be ergonomic.
After all, I’ve seen, there would be a lot to analyze to get it.
Types of Ergonomics
Depending on the areas studied, they are classified into:
Biometric ergonomics: anthropometry and sizing, physical load and postural comfort.
Environmental ergonomics: environmental conditions, visual load and lighting, sonic environment and vibrations.
Cognitive ergonomics: psycho perception and mental load, communication interfaces, biorhythms and Chrono ergonomics.
Preventive ergonomics: safety at work, health and comfort at work, effort and muscle fatigue.
Specific ergonomics: handicaps and disabilities, children and schools, autonomous micro-environments (aerospace).
Ergonomics is essential to stay motivated and increase employee productivity.
What is an ergonomic workplace?
- Redesign the workplace, adapting spaces, lighting, sound …
- Provide tasks with a degree of increasing motivational interest.
- Establish measures on a personal level such as to encourage self-confidence, apply relaxation techniques, develop self-esteem …
- Favour new models of task planning that facilitate participation and work, avoiding monotonous and repetitive tasks.
- Make the worker a participant in the decisions and the operation of the company, to ensure that they are perfectly integrated into the philosophy of the company.
Respect the limits of weight handled, and use proper techniques in handling loads if the load is handling manually.
Establish organizational measures, such as job rotation if the task to be carried out is too heavy.
- Take breaks at work to change posture and change posture periodically if the effort requires excessively repetitive movements.
- Adapt the furniture and the distance of the materials to the intrinsic characteristics of the employee himself. In short, take into account the ergonomic design of the workplace.
- Use the appropriate tools s for each type of job and keep them in good condition and undamaged.
- Avoid repetitive tasks by programming work cycles longer than 30 seconds and do not repeat the same movement for more than 50% of the duration of the work cycle.
- Certainly, carry out periodic medical examinations that facilitate the detection of possible musculoskeletal injuries.
- Supervise handling methods, handle heavy loads between two or more people and substitute manual handling, for mechanical, as far as possible.
What is an ergonomic assessment? …
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