IOP2603-ERGONOMICS REVISION Q&A 2022.

IOP2603-ERGONOMICS REVISION Q&A 2022. ERGONOMICS IOP2603 STUDY UNIT 1/CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS (HFE) LEARNING UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS EXPLORING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES (STUDY GUIDE PAGE 10) 1 ST principle  Primary purpose: (Human factors and ergonomics design): design  Design (study guide page 10) may refer to drawing, creating or inventing tools, machines, appliances or even a workstation. There is often difficulty designing tools, machines, appliances and the workplace. So it is not easy.  In designing a workplace the existing situation must first be analysed, new design solutions must be synthesised, the design solutions must be analysed again” (Helander) .  If you observe that your workplace or tools that you are using are difficult to use then it shows that you have carried out some scrutiny of the existing situation.  Design is a systematic process. See figure 1.2 page 5.  One also needs to know what happens to the redesigned tools or machines.  Is the user satisfied?  This is shown in figure 1.2 by the line that connects implement new system box with user and market requirements box and formulate systems goals box.  The feedback loop also shows that the process will begin again so it is a neverending activity. 2 nd principle  Interdisciplinary approach: Mixed professional backgrounds such as engineering, psychology, and medical professions, psychology etc see figure 1.1 page 13 in study guide  Biological science: (anatomy, biomechanics, medicine, physiology) This considers the structure of the human body and it physical capabilities and limitation e.g weights, carry or push and other physical requirements of the job (physical force that people can endure). If this is not designed properly it will lead to injury, accidents and maybe even death. If physical abilities are not taken into consideration then people will get ill and sick leave will increase. So will medical and legal costs increase. Productivity will also decrease.  Behavioural science: (psychology, sociology) Studies the intellectual and psychological abilities with regards also to the functioning of the brain(how we learn, perceive, remember and control motor process). E.g lighting (switching on lights) how does one turn on a tap. The knob is turned anticlockwise and when you turn it off the action is clockwise. (note when designs are not what we 2 expect e.g. men’s buttons on clothing are on the left and women are on the right) .  Physical and natural sciences: (Engineering, Physics, chemistry) This is about the machines and the environment such as impact of noise, climate, vibration lighting, which uses scientific laws. If we do not understand factors in the working environment and the scientific laws governing them then it will be difficult to design or plan the working environment effectively. This means that we will be unable to control the environmental factors and not be able to improve performance. Definition as per International Ergonomics Association (2000) page 6 of text book  ‘Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.”  “Ergonomics contributes to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people” THE FOCUS OF ERGONOMICS  Focus: On the interaction between human beings and products, equipment, facilities, procedures, physical environment and psychological environment. Used at work and in everyday living. The emphasis is on people and how design and layout of the above influences them. The focus is on the person or operator.(10-11 TB and figure 1.3 page11). (note your own work environment, noise, dirt, lighting, or even fear of being robbed can affect your studying). Helander states that the “operator is the central focus of ergonomics” THE MAJOR SYSTEMS (HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS) GOALS  Goals: (14-16 TB). Main objective of ergonomics (Main aims and objectives are summarised page 16 in study guide). is to change or improve the facilities people use and the environments in which they use them to correspond with their capabilities, limitations and needs. There are three sub-objectives. (i) The goal of safety: The goal of safety: (note the limitations of the operator, why should footballers wear shin pads or why should we wear seat belts) In order to assess the safety status of system there needs to be a comparison between the standards and requirements of the environments the actual performance and hence the identification of the limitations of the operator. An operator, especially if the task demands a great deal of concentration or excessive manual or physical activities may find his or attention drifting at times due to fatigue. It may also happen that there are factors in the environment such as excessive noise or people talking loudly on the 3 telephone that may affect the operator. There is just so much physical exertion that a person can expend for any given period of time because of the energy and physical limitations of the body. Henlander (2006) points out that it is important to understand how the limitations imposed by the operators perception, decision making and control action can be taken into consideration in design, so as create systems with low and stable performance requirements. The advantage to the individual employee would a safer working environment which will allow the individual to live a healthier and better life especially when the design of the work takes into account the impact the task requirements on the mind and body of the employee. (ii) The goal of productivity: (to increase the efficiency and effectiveness with which work and other activities are performed thereby increasing productivity. (Also note how the introduction of technology affects the workplace, dishwashers, tumble dryers etc) ) To be able to enhance system performance Helander points out that systems should be designed in such a way as to improve performance. In other words if systems should be designed in such as way that efficient use is made the skills of the operator so that they can exercise these skills. These skills that can be accommodated in the system design include fast decision making, perceive situations or events quickly as well as being able to exercise efficient control over the work situation. Helander also points out that managers in industry often expect employees to work quickly with few errors. Research however shows that one cannot simultaneously reduce errors and increase speed. This means that the greater the speed the less time the operator can react especially if we take into account the fast speeds of vehicles and machines. Shorter work cycles may increase productivity but at the expense of safety so there has to be a trade off if this path is pursued. On the other hand instead of focusing on speed and quantity it would make more sense to improve the quality of the production with fewer rejects and errors in the long run and then safety will be enhanced. (iii)The goal of operator satisfaction: (examples include reducing fatigue and stress, increased comfort in using tools, greater job satisfaction leads to improved quality of life) Helander (page 15) points out that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction can only be understood if the operator’s needs are clearly understood. As he states that different people and even countries and cultures have different needs and expectations. The example that is given in the text book is the case of Sweden where by law every worker must have a window. This would not be the case in other countries where this is not considered important. Extensive research according to Helander (2006:16) has shown that there is no relationship between satisfaction and productivity, safety or quality.