Ergonomics
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Ergonomics
Ergonomics, the European word synonymous with human factors, was invented in the early 1950s by a group of scientists and engineers interested in the relationship between people and machine. The
word is derived from the Greek "ergon" -- work, and "nomos" -- natural laws of.
In a business context, we perhaps associate machines most readily with factories. However, typewriters, telephones, dictating equipment, photocopiers and computer terminals, have established
themselves so firmly that office employees have as much contact with machines as do factory employees.
There are two principles to ergonomics: fitting the person to the job and fitting the job to the person.
For a number of years there have been efforts to improve ergonomics---primarily in factories and product design. However, in spite of the extensive knowledge gained in these efforts, there are still
many examples of products and work place design where ergonomic improvements can be made.
Think of two fairly recent innovations in our lives---the push button telephone and the pocket calculator. Both have a standard key set layout, but not the same layout.
Although either is satisfactory, the ergonomist sees this lack of uniformity in two such similar products as unfortunate, since the user has to learn two different layouts, and the learning from one can
interfere with other, causing inefficiency, increased error and frustration.
Another example of this is the layout of automobile controls. Consider the problems caused by some countries driving on the left and other countries driving on the right. Still another example is the
design of the tipping mechanism of dump trucks. In one instance a major manufacturer had the brake lever in the same position that another manufacturer had the tip mechanism lever. Not surprisingly,
an accident occurred when a man driving an unfamiliar brand of truck activated the tipping mechanism while checking the brake position. In doing so, he tipped he load and caused the truck to
overturn.
We all have expectations as to the operation of the machines around us. Think of how you would rotate a knob to increase the volume on a radio or TV---it is always clockwise.
This is standard throughout the world but the conventional toggle lighting switches in your home are on when the switch is in the up position in the U.S. and vice versa in Europe.
We have expectations about color. Red implies hot and on other occasions danger.
All of these expectations have to be considered when designing products or work environments. A properly designed work station can contribute to an employee's comfort, job satisfaction, motivation,
and sense of well-being and accomplishment. Productivity and quality improvements will often result and will usually justify any extra costs of achieving improved design. Experience also shows a
reduction in absenteeism and accidents.
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