Workplace Human Factors Flashcards
Ergonomics
The process of fitting the workplace to the person doing the job. Fitting the task to the person and the product to the user.
Human Engineering
Another name for Ergonomics.
An applied science that coordinates the design of devices, systems and physical working conditions with the capacities and requirements of the worker.
Core Sciences for Ergonomics
Psychology Anatomy Physiology Physics Engineering
Different Domains of Ergonomics
Physical Ergonomics Social Ergonomics Environmental Ergonomics Organisational Ergonomics Cognitive Ergonomics
Physical Ergonomics
Human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics.
Includes considering working postures, manual handling, movement and workplace layout.
Social Ergonomics
Considers people’s social needs at work as well as human potentials and limitations. Includes meeting people’s social needs, group work, stress, and hours of work.
Environmental Ergonomics
Considers the environment in which people work and looks at fitting this to the person so they can work safely and productively.
Includes; heat, cold, the design of the physical environment, vision, lighting, noise, vibration.
This includes occupational hygiene
Organisational Ergonomics
the way that work is designed to meet the physical, cognitive and social requirements of people doing the work and the requirements of the organisation for products and/or service outputs.
Includes; work design, job redesign, job tasks & characteristics, job rotation, vertical and horizontal job enlargement, job enrichment, work characteristics, job satisfaction, and management.
Cognitive Ergonomics
How people think and process information.
Includes; learning, memory, attention, problem solving, motivation & perception.
Considered when designing equipment, designing work tasks, allocating work tasks, placing equipment for use by people and when designing signs and printed information.
FJM
Recognises human limitations
- Physiological
- Psychological
- Anthropometric
- Nutritional
Pheasant’s Fallacy No. 1
This design is satisfactory for me - it will, therefore, be satisfactory for everybody else.
Pheasant’s Fallacy No. 2
This design is satisfactory for the average people - it will, therefore, be satisfactory for everybody else.
Pheasant’s Fallacy No. 3
The variability of human beings is so great that it cannot possibly be catered for in any design - but since people are wonderfully adaptable it doesn’t matter anyway.
Pheasant’s Fallacy No. 4
Ergonomics is expensive and since products are actually purchased on appearance and styling, ergonomics considerations may conveniently be ignored.
Pheasant’s Fallacy No. 5
Ergonomics is an excellent idea. I always design things with ergonomics in mind - but i do it intuitively and rely on my common sense so I don’t need tables of data or empirical studies.
