23 Sep ERGONOMICS TOOLS, PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS
Chapter 29 of the Encyclopedia of Occupational Health & Safety is a basic essential of ergonomic knowledge.
Wolfgang Laurig and Joachim Vedder are the authors of this chapter on Tools and Approaches to Safety and Health at Work.
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“In the 3rd edition of the ILO’s Encyclopaedia, published in 1983, ergonomics was summarized in one article that was only about four pages long. Since the publication of the 3rd edition, there has been a major change in emphasis and in understanding of interrelationships in safety and health: the world is no longer easily classifiable into medicine, safety and hazard prevention. In the last decade almost every branch in the production and service industries has expended great effort in improving productivity and quality. This restructuring process has yielded practical experience which clearly shows that productivity and quality are directly related to the design of working conditions. One direct economical measure of productivity—the costs of absenteeism through illness—is affected by working conditions. Therefore it should be possible to increase productivity and quality and to avoid absenteeism by paying more attention to the design of working conditions.
In sum, the simple hypothesis of modern ergonomics can be stated thus: Pain and exhaustion cause health hazards, wasted productivity and reduced quality, which are measures of the costs and benefits of human work.”
The chapter includes The Nature and Aims of Ergonomics, Analysis of Activities, Tasks and Work Systems, Ergonomics and Standardization, Checklists, Physical and Physiological Aspects, Psychological Aspects, Organizational Aspects of Work, Work Systems Design, Diversity and Importance of Ergonomics, Examples, Tables…
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