The study of how people use and interact with work equipment and workplaces, as well as the application of this knowledge to improve occupational efficiency and safety, is the focus of industrial ergonomics. This field encompasses the layout and design of the workplace as a whole, as well as the design of physical objects such as tools and workstations. Work procedures and organizational structures are examples of less tangible areas. In this context, the term “industrial” is often used in a broader sense to refer to all forms of labor, so industrial ergonomics can apply to any type of work. It isn’t just for manufacturing, despite the name’s implication. It draws on research from a variety of fields, including psychology, human biology, and engineering.
The creation of safer and more effective workplace equipment and procedures, also known as physical ergonomics, is the most visible area of industrial ergonomics. Occupational injury is frequently the result of gradual muscular and skeletal damage caused by factors such as posture, muscle overexertion, and repetitive motion, rather than sudden events such as malfunctioning machinery. Small details in the design and operation of tools can have a big impact.
If a hand tool is too heavy or has an awkward grip, for example, it can injure workers by encouraging them to hold it with their wrist bent, which is more physically demanding than keeping the wrist straight. Vibrations can harm your musculoskeletal system if you are exposed to them frequently. If a tool’s handle or grip puts too much pressure on the user’s fingers or palms, it can be dangerous. Work gloves that are too tight can cause damage to the wearer’s hands, while gloves that are too loose can make holding tools properly more difficult. A workplace that requires employees to stand with their spine bent, bend or twist their bodies frequently, or sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time can cause muscular strain and add to the spine’s stress.
By assisting in the design of tools that are safer to use, a better understanding of industrial ergonomics can greatly alleviate these issues. Simple changes in work procedures, such as how a worker stands when operating a tool, how often he or she changes positions, or how he or she lifts heavy objects, can have a big impact on a worker’s health. Even among workers who do not perform strenuous physical labor, factors like ergonomic chairs and desks can make a difference.
The concept of designing tools and work areas to collaborate more effectively with human users is probably as old as human tool use. Structures and tools from classical Greece and ancient Egypt show a sophisticated understanding of what are now known as ergonomic principles. The first written texts about workplace design date from around the 5th century BC and are in Greek.
Bernardino Ramazzini, a physician, published De Morbis Artificum Diatrib, or Diseases of Workers, in 1700, which discussed workplace health hazards in 52 different occupations. Ramazzini helped lay the groundwork for future ergonomic design development by focusing on injuries caused by factors such as awkward posture and repetitive motion, in addition to studying external health hazards such as toxic materials and smoke. The work of figures like biologist Wojciech Jastrzebowski, who coined the term ergonomics, and engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor, a pioneer in scientific management, advanced the study of ergonomics as a scientific discipline in the nineteenth century.