§ Derived from the Greek words ‘Ergon’ meaning work and ‘nomos’ meaning
laws.
§ Thus, ergonomics can be simply defined as the how workplace and
equipment can be best used and designed for comfort, safety, efficiency and
productivity.
§ Simply, ergonomics is the branch of science that deals with the people
and their working environment.
§ It can also be understood as the study of worker in their working
environment.
§ Ergonomics is concerned with designing or arranging workplaces, products
and systems so that they fit the people who use them and the maximum output can
be obtained from them
§ Ergonomics extends beyond the proper posture of the workers.
Types of Ergonomics
·
Physical ergonomics is concerned with the way the body
interacts with the worker’s tools (anything from shovels to chairs to personal
computers) and their effects on the body such as posture, musculoskeletal
disorders, repetitive disorders, workplace layout and workplace health and
safety.
·
Cognitive Ergonomics relates to the way the mind processes
information, memory usage, decision-making and other mental workloads.
·
Organizational Ergonomics is concerned with optimizing the
workplace, teamwork, performance assessment and quality management. It includes
office design, shift (work hours) management, teamwork, virtual organizations,
tele-work, addressing communication, and quality management in the workplace.
Elements of Ergonomics
Anthropometry is the science of measurement of the human
body. It can be applied to ensure that workers have sufficient space to perform
their tasks and they can reach necessary equipment and tools.
Structural anthropometry also referred to as static
anthropometry or static dimensions. These are
measurements with the body in a still or fixed position; for example, stature
or height, weight, head circumference.
Dynamic Anthropometry : The dimensions are taken with the body at work, in motion or in workspace attitudes.
The human body is measured with anthropometric measuring tools. Basic components include the anthropometer, personal scale, spreading caliper, pelvimeter, sliding caliper, soft metric tape and caliper.
Anthropometric measurements are a series of quantitative measurements of the muscle, bone, and adipose tissue used to assess the composition of the body. The core elements of anthropometry are height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body circumferences (waist, hip, and limbs), and skin fold thickness.
1. Age: The first factor is age. In each person’s measurement,
the age of the person must be known. This can happen because basically, every
age has different body dimensions. The dimensions of the human body will grow
and grow with age.
2. Gender: Besides using age as a variation of data, gender also
determines other variations. Basically, the dimensions of the male body size
are generally larger than women. So it is important to group measurements
through gender.
3. Ethnic groups/ Racial: Every ethnic or ethnic group will have physical
characteristics that will differ from one another.
4. Profession
Biomechanics is the science
of movement of a living body, including how muscles, bones, tendons, and
ligaments work together to produce movement.
Engineers and
occupational therapists use biomechanics to design work tasks and equipment to
prevent overuse injuries related to specific jobs.
The applications of biomechanics to human movement can be classified into two main areas: the improvement of performance and the reduction or treatment of injury.
Importance of ergonomics:
a) Increases productivity
§ Best ergonomic solution enhances the productivity
§ Ergonomic reduces the unwanted tension, awkward position of the body.
§ Ergonomic is focused in making the work your easier and comfortable,
this thereby reduces any kind of stress, risk and enhances the satisfaction and
productivity.
b) Reduces the cost
§ Ergonomics can be considered as the one-time investment
§ As ergonomics is focused about marinating the better health of the
worker it can further reduce the cost of compensation that would be made by the
injured or unhealthy staffs.
§ It also reduces the indirect and the opportunity cost that could have
incurred due to injury.
c) Improves the quality of the work
§ Improved ergonomics favors the favorable environment where the workers
can work efficiently.
§ As the ergonomics improves, level of satisfaction in the quality of the
work increases.
d) Others
§ Helps to reduce the absenteeism due to more comfort, safety and healthy
working environment
§ Assurance to the worker as their workplace is safer (acts as the
motivation)
§ More focus on the working environment and worker’s health makes them
feel valued and boost of moral.
Principles of Ergonomics
There are 12 fundamental principles
of ergonomics which are:
1- Keep everything in easy reach
2- Work at proper heights
3- Reduce excessive force
4- Work in good postures
5- Reduce excessive repetition
6- Minimize fatigue
7- Minimize direct pressure
8- Provide adjustability and change posture
9- Provide clearance and access
10- Maintain a comfortable environment
11- Enhance clarity and understanding
12- Improve work organization
Ergonomic Risk Factors:
The major workplace ergonomic risk factors to consider
are:
Awkward Postures
Posture determines which joints and muscles
are used in an activity. It also affects the amount of force required to perform
a job. For example, more stress is placed on spinal discs when lifting,
lowering or handling objects when the back is bent or twisted than when the
back is straight.
Tasks requiring repeated or sustained
twisting of the wrists, knees, hips or shoulders create increased wear and tear
on joints and muscles in those areas.
Forceful Exertions
Work that involves forceful exertions—such as
lifting, pulling, pushing, gripping or pinching—place higher loads on muscles,
tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs. Prolonged or frequent
activities with high amounts of force can cause fatigue. If there is inadequate
time for rest and recovery, these activities can lead to musculoskeletal
problems. Force requirements may increase with:
- Increased
weight and bulkiness of the load being handled or lifted
- Increased
speed or acceleration of movement (e.g., jerkiness)
- Presence
of localized or whole-body vibration
- Use
of the index finger and thumb to forcefully grip an object (i.e., a pinch
grip compared to a power grip)
- Use
of small or narrow tools that limit grip capacity.
Repetitive Motions
If motions are repeated frequently and for long periods of time, like an eight-hour shift, a buildup of fatigue and muscle tendon strain can occur resulting in repetitive strain injuries(RSIs). Repetitive motion is especially dangerous when combined with other risk factors, such as awkward postures or forceful exertions.
Ergonomic Risk Controls
Some
Ways to Reduce Ergonomic Risks Engineering Improvements.
Engineering controls include rearranging, modifying, redesigning,
or replacing tools, equipment, workstations, packaging, parts, or products.
These improvements can be very effective because they may reduce or eliminate
contributing factors. (For example, if your job requires sitting for long
periods of time, having an adjustable seat or foot stool so that your knees are
higher than your hips helps protect your lower back.)
Administrative controls. Administrative improvements include
changing work practices or the way work is organized.
• Providing variety in jobs
• Adjusting work schedules and work pace
• Providing recovery time (i.e., muscle
relaxation time)
• Modifying work practices
• Ensuring regular housekeeping and maintenance
of work spaces, tools, and equipment
• Encouraging exercise
Personal
Protective Equipment. Safety gear, or personal protective
equipment (PPE), includes gloves, knee and elbow pads, footwear, and other
items that employees wear.
ErgonomicInjuries/Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSDs):
§ Ergonomic injuries or MSDs can affect the muscles, nerves, tendons,
ligaments, joints, cartilage and spinal discs.
§ Musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) is also known as the repetitive motion
injury.
§ MSDs are the condition that can affect muscles, joints and bones.
§ MSD are caused due to individual risk factor or ergonomic risk factor.
§ MSDs are the single largest category of workplace injuries and are
responsible for almost 30% of all worker’s compensation costs
§ Individual risk factor include age, nutrition, activity, etc., while
ergonomic risk factors includes:
§ High task repetition
§ Awkward body posture for longer period
§ Sitting in same posture
§ Lifting heavy weights.
MSDs, or musculoskeletal disorders, are injuries and
disorders of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and
cartilage) and nervous system. They can affect nearly all tissues, including
the nerves and tendon sheaths, and most frequently involve the arms and back.
Occupational safety and health professionals
have called these disorders a
variety of names, including cumulative trauma disorders(CTDs), repeated trauma and repetitive stress
injuries(RSIs). These painful and often disabling injuries generally develop
gradually over weeks, months, and years. MSDs usually result from exposure to
multiple risk factors that can cause or aggravate
the disorders, not from a single
event.
MSDs can cause a number of conditions, including pain, numbness, tingling, stiff joints, difficulty moving, muscle loss, and sometimes paralysis. Frequently, workers must lose time from work to recover; some never regain full health. These disorders include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, herniated discs, and low back pain. MSDs do not include injuries resulting from slips, trips, falls, or similar accidents
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