We explain what ergonomics is and its relationship to anthropometry. We also offer basic ergonomics tips. Please read other MTV articles for more information. If you share it, it will be of little help to us.
What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the discipline that studies the relationship between the human body and work environments, with the aim of obtaining tools and environments that are best adapted to the human body. This is done with the aim of building healthier and more productive work environments that naturally respond to the anatomical, psychological, and physiological proportions of workers.
It is an applied science, close to design and engineering, that deals with work environments in which the human body interacts with a machine for extended periods, which has a significant impact on body posture, mental stability, and overall health. Its name comes from the Greek words ergon (“work”) and nomos (“norm” or “law”).
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The origins of ergonomics date back to classical antiquity. Ancient Greek thinkers and philosophers, such as Hippocrates (c. 460-370 BC), already warned of the need to adapt work tools to the human body, and many Ancient Egyptian work tools demonstrate the intention of being more comfortable for the worker’s hand.
However, the term “ergonomics” did not exist until the mid-19th century, and its widespread application as a work discipline began in the early 20th century, inherited from Taylorist thought, that is, from the methods proposed by the American Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), one of the great promoters of the scientific organization of work.
Since World War II (1939-1945), ergonomics gained increasing prominence as a tool for improving work. This was especially true when it was demonstrated that adapting workspaces to the human body, as well as to the human mind and its instinctive responses, generated higher rates of effectiveness and lower accident and loss rates. This trend was evident, for example, in everyday tasks and in the design of airplane cabins.
Environments, tools, and designs that adhere to the principles of ergonomics are known as ergonomic.
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Objectives and Importance of Ergonomics
The fundamental objective of ergonomics is to design environments that are more friendly to the anatomy and mentality of human beings. That is, spaces and tools that respond more naturally and less tiringly to our way of being, and therefore do not require additional effort beyond the work itself. Therefore, ergonomics is not only important for workers, but also for employers.
Thus, for example, a factory worker who has the right tools and a favorable work environment will not only have to exert less effort to perform their job, which translates into less wear and tear and fewer health consequences, but will also be more productive, more proactive, and have a greater degree of commitment to their work.
In contrast, a worker who works in uncomfortable, tormented conditions, with tools that cause bodily harm, will likely perform at a minimum and will be constantly searching for better job offers.
Basic Ergonomics Tips
Some basic principles of ergonomics in the workplace are as follows:
- It has been proven that people who spend between 8 and 11 hours a day sitting at their workplaces, with few or no breaks, have higher blood pressure, a greater propensity for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and overall increase their mortality by 15% every 3 years. To achieve this, ergonomics recommends frequent 3-minute breaks every 30-45 continuous minutes of work, during which 20-second bursts of light resistance exercises, such as half squats, knee raises, and gluteal contractions, should be performed.
- People who work in front of a computer should have non-reflective screens with appropriate brightness for their environment (not backlit), and the monitor should be at eye level, not continuously tilted, and should be positioned approximately 50 to 60 cm away.
- Similarly, people who work with keyboards daily should keep their wrists straight and their elbows at an angle of 80° to 100°.
- People who sit for long hours during their workday should have their feet firmly planted on the floor, or on a support if necessary, with their hips and knees bent at a 90° angle, and firm support in the lumbar region of the spine (for example, a cushion) so that their back rests fully on the chair.
- People who work standing for long periods of time should have a high stool to sit on and rest their legs, and should be moving frequently, not static. If possible, they should wear compression stockings to protect leg circulation.
- People who lift weights with their hands should wear a harness or belt around their torso to keep their back straight. They should lift weights with their knees bent and not their backs hunched.
- Workers who work in noisy environments should wear noise-isolating headphones and take staggered breaks to avoid noise overexposure.
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Cognitive Ergonomics
Cognitive or cognitive ergonomics is the branch of ergonomics that specializes in the mental processes associated with work, that is, the way the work environment and tools interact with human memory, perception, and reasoning, with the aim of optimizing people’s well-being and the performance of production systems.
To achieve this goal, cognitive ergonomics not only analyzes human-machine and human-computer interaction, but also designs training programs, questions mental workload, and analyzes the environmental variables that impact workers’ emotional and psychological well-being.
In a world of increasing automation and mechanization, in which the role of workers increasingly tends toward mental tasks, cognitive ergonomics is emerging as a fundamental branch of work environment analysis.
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Ergonomics and Anthropometry
Anthropometry is the discipline concerned with measuring the human body, that is, recording its proportions and establishing certain criteria of normality that can be useful when designing tools and spaces.
Therefore, its techniques and approaches are fundamental to ergonomics, as it is impossible to find an ideal work environment for humans without first understanding the proportions of the human body and the effects that a posture sustained for hours a day can have on its constitution. Techniques and tools that measure the human body, or that respond by design to these proportions, are known as anthropometric.
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References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Ergonomics on Wikipedia.
- Cognitive Ergonomics on Wikipedia.
- What is Ergonomics? on Anáhuac University (Mexico).
- What is Ergonomics? on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Spain).
- Ergonomics on The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Ergonomics definition, Concept, Objectives, Tips, and Anthropometry – concepto.de
