WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?

Ergonomics is the study of human work. It examines the employee's interaction with tasks, work methods, tools, equipment, and the environment. Ergonomics removes barriers to quality, productivity, and human performance.

IEA Council (International Ergonomics Association) adopted definition of ergonomics, as follows:

"Ergonomics (or human factors) 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."

How do I know when I need help in ergonomics?

Many sources of information can indicate that your workplace can benefit from a good ergonomics program. Some 'triggers' that suggest that you have ergonomics related problems include the following:

• Employees in your workplace, or in certain specific work areas, are experiencing soft-tissue injuries (WMSDs) such as tendonitis, back injuries, sore muscles, etc. These are all indicators that the job demands are excessive due to one or a combination of risk factors ( i.e. force levels, work postures, repetitive actions, long durations, and/or psychosocial stressors).
  
• Accidents and injuries may result from inadequate clearances, design of controls and tools, poor design of stairways, lack of appropriate lighting, poor visibility, etc. These are all ergonomics issues and contribute to many types of accidents ( e.g. slips and falls, cuts and bruises, struck by/on, caught on/in injuries, etc.)
  
• High rates of general absenteeism and/or worker turn-over. These can be indicators of high levels of physical or mental demand, poor workplace design, and/or poor organizational design.
• High number of mistakes, or requirement for rework on products due to poor quality. These are often the result of difficult work processes, high workloads and fatigue, inadequate communication/information, poor visibility, etc.
• Poor, or declining, productivity over the course of a shift or over a series of shifts can also mean that the work is not well designed for workers.