What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the study of the adequacy of technology and the environment of human activities to people
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Ergonomics is defined as “the adequacy of technology, architecture and industrial design for the benefit of workers and their ideal working conditions”.
The first writings on ergonomics appeared in the 1700s, with the Italian physician Bernadino Ramazzini, who wrote about work-related illnesses and injuries in the work “Morbis Artificum” (occupational diseases, in literal translation). However, it was from the Industrial Revolution that ergonomics gained strength. Then, in periods of war, precise weapons and equipment were developed and tailored for soldiers from different countries.
The term is derived from the Greek “ergonomic”, which means “work”, and “names”, which means “laws”, which points to a science of work. Although the definition focuses on the work environment, the results of ergonomic studies are also applied in other environments of human activity.
The main scholars of ergonomics are anatomists, physiologists and psychologists.
old practice
Despite being a modern theme, the first ergonomics tests were already applied in the Stone Age, due to the need for survival. The principles of ergonomics were already present, for example, in the making of clay utensils (for drawing water from wells and cooking) and indigenous weapons (for defending or hunting animals).
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change of focus
Until the 1970s, ergonomics was a field of study focused on human-machine interaction, however, the current focus is on human-computer interaction.
Different fields of study
It is very common to have confusion between ergonomics, ergometry and ergonomics.
Unlike ergonomics, ergometry "is the science that measures the amount of work performed by the body during physical exercise." In turn, ergonomics “is the science that combines the physical characteristics of the human body, physiology and psychological factors, in order to increase the relationship between the environment and its users”.
Ergonomics addresses physical, cognitive, social, organizational, environmental and other relevant factors.
As a holistic field of study, there are specializations with deeper competences in human attributes or specific interactions. Among these fields of specialization in ergonomics are:
physical ergonomics
Physical ergonomics studies the anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics of people who practice physical activity.
In this field of study, relevant topics include working posture, material handling, repetitive movements, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, spatial arrangement of the workplace, safety and health.
cognitive ergonomics
Cognitive ergonomics studies the field of mental processes (which includes perception, memory, reasoning and motor response), as it understands that these factors significantly affect human interactions and other elements of a human activity system.
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In this field of study, relevant topics include mental workload, decision making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress and training.
organizational ergonomics
Organizational ergonomics studies the optimization of socio-technical systems, that is, it is an approach that studies the interaction between people, technology and the workplace, including their organizational, political and procedural structures. Relevant topics in this field of study include communication, management of technical staff resources, forms of work arrangement, working time arrangement, teamwork, participation, community ergonomics, cooperation, new work paradigms, virtual organization, telework ( distance work) and quality management.
Benefits
Many people suffer because their working and living conditions are incompatible with their needs. This situation affects well-being, but also organizations and societies.
Ignoring the risks of harm to mental and physical health can pose serious problems for manufacturers, suppliers and service companies. In this sense, ergonomics has become increasingly important in the post-modern era, since it was introduced in the 19th century.
The lack of ergonomics in human-computer interaction usually causes mainly neck pain, RSI (repetitive strain injury), Dort (work-related osteoarticular diseases) and tingling in the legs, which may also appear as one of the causes of neck syndrome of text.
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Back pain due to poor posture and lack of adequate and adjusted equipment is the main cause of absence from work for more than 15 days.
The second reason that most alienated workers in 2016 was leg and ankle fractures, followed by wrist and hand fractures.On the other hand, the practice of ergonomics brings a series of benefits such as:
- Productivity: there may be an increase in the worker's willingness, efficiency and motivation, reducing absences and absences;
- Professional valuation: the employee feels recognized and valued for receiving support to perform their activity;
- Quality of life: through ergonomic equipment, breaks, labor gymnastics and other methods, it is possible to alleviate tiredness and injuries to the body.
