Term Ergonomics

Definition of Term — Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). 

Some early work on ergonomics was done by a Polish researcher, Jastizebowski, in the nineteenth century. But even prior to this some of the principles were recognized by Bernardino Ramazzini when he wrote his book On the Diseases of Occupations in 1700. The term ergonomics was coined by Jastizebowski in 1857. It was reintroduced in the UK in 1950, but the study of the person within the system in the United States, known as hirman factors, which has a variation of emphasis, goes back well beyond that. 

In this chapter, the term ergonomics will be used exclusively. As it is used, it will also encompass human factors engineering. 

The term ergonomics is used in Europe rather than human factors. In the United States, ergonomics is often treated as the discipline that focuses on musculoskeletal disorders and the comfort and long-term health of the workers. A common example of the application of ergonomics is the design of computer keyboards so that people do not suffer from wrist problems. 

ISO EN 1EI99 General presentation of the set of standards in terms of principles and application Ergonomics of the thermal environment Principles and application of intcnianonri standards... 

Human factors A term sometimes used synonymously with ergonomics, it may also refer to psychological and sociological aspects of ergonomic issues. 

Garg, A., and Moore, J. S. (1997), Participatory Ergonomics in a Red Meat Packing Plant, Part 1 Evidence of Long Term Effectiveness, American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 127-131. 

The large cost of worker injury, in both social and economic terms, has motivated considerable research in the development of models that predict potentially injurious situations in the workplace. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1999), 4 out of 10 injuries and illnesses resulting in time away from work in 1997 were sprains or strains. In the following sections, the key steps in a human modelings based ergonomic assessment are outlined. 

SF6.1. Possessing ergonomic properties (in terms of weight, shape, etc.) ... 

The measurement of stress-related hormonal changes has been used in various ergonomic studies (see chap 16, this volume). Catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and cortisol are the most fiequentiy used stress hormones. Because blood samples are difScult to obtain during work, analyses of urine fractions are preferred. However, these cannot indicate elTeets of short-term strain. Epinephrine indieates long-lasting mental, and sometimes emotional, strain, whereas norepinephrine acts as an indicator of physical strain. Cortisol can now be recorded, with sufficient reliability, from saliva probes. 

Sandsjo, L. (1997). Long term trapezius EMG monitoring in dijferent occupations. Proceedings from the 13th Triennal Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (pp. 216-218). Tampere, Finland Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki. 

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