Downtown Spine, Sports & Orthopedic Rehabilitation P.C.
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What Is Ergonomics? - Read the Below Answer














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What is ergonomics?

The term comes from the Greek words ‘ergon’ which means work and ‘nomos’ which stands for natural laws. In other words, it is a science of designing or projecting environment, workplace, room and or furniture and tools inside these places the way so that they fit users' necessities. A proper design prevents overuse or repetitive strain injuries, medical issues that can develop if left untreated, leading to different disabilities.

In order to fulfill the main goals of ergonomics, one should understand the principles on which are based all the interactions among humans and machines, furniture or other elements of these systems. However, the purpose is not only to understand these laws, but also to be able to apply them and to obtain easy and safe to use environments.

What sciences are brought together by ergonomics?

Before giving an answer, let’s take a closer look to the different types or categories of it. First comes its physical aspect, which studies human anatomy, physiological and bio-mechanical characteristics of the human body, in order to create equipments and tools which fit with these specific properties. Cognitive component is another branch of this science, concerned with mental processes (memory, perception, motor response) that affect the interactions among the human body and all the parts of the environment or system in which the individual lives and works. Last but not the least, organizational element aims to optimize socio-technical systems, by changing their organizational structures, policies and processes. In other words, this type concerns the design of working times, the teamwork and resources management, quality management and communication between employers and employees.

As you can see, there are several aspects that need to be considered when designing an environment. And for this, one needs to have serious knowledge of biomechanics and mechanical engineering, industrial design, anthropometry, kinesiology, physiology and even psychology.

Ergonomics in the workplace

This branch of the science aims to provide the comfort and safety of employees in the workplace. It is used to design better furniture, such as work desks or chairs, and to improve the areas of the room that aren’t used properly. These goals are achieved by equipment and task design, but sometimes they only increase the quality of the environment and not the psychical comfort of the users or employees.

Psychical and physical ergonomics

As mentioned before, this science studies the relationships between people and machines and tries to improve them. This is done not only by redesigning the equipments but also by teaching people how to use the existing tools and machines, how to avoid work habits which can create excessive stress and how to reduce the muscular pain which occurs due to inappropriate postures.

This science looks at the work you do, it evaluates the tools and the environment and finds the best fit between what you’re doing and your job conditions. All the principles and knowledge involved by ergonomics are applied to increase your comfort and safety, to reduce the risk of work related injuries and to transform your workplace into a friendly one.