ERGONOMICS

Ergonomics is the science of adapting the job and/or the equipment and the human to each other for optimal safety and productivity.Ergonomics refer to the application of scientific information and systems for human use, specifically when it comes to job design, work area efficiency and quality. It is very important because it relates to everything that involves people including work systems, sports, leisure, health, safety etc. It gives way to socio technical approach to job design that involves keeping the social needs of people in mind to design jobs and then using technology to fulfill it.

Ergonomics deals with the interaction of technological and work situations with the human being. The basic human sciences involved are anatomy, physiology, and psychology. These sciences are applied by the ergonomist towards two objectives: the most productive use of human capabilities, and the maintenance of human health and well-being. In a phrase, ‘the job must fit the person’ in all respects, and the work situation should not compromise human capabilities and limitations.

An ergonomically designed space will include an ergonomic assessment of the following: • The individual's posture, their routine tasks and what time is spend on particular activities, movements or repetitious actions • The job tools, which includes any devices required to perform your duties, like the mouse, the printer and the scanner The surroundings of your workplace, which includes your work surface, the lightings, the level of noise, the humidity and the temperature
In short ergonomic design covers the needs of the individual to work or live in a harmonious way with their environment. This makes both home and activities in the workplace more pleasant - so that you can be comfortable in your day to day environments. Ergo principles are important when you consider that comfort and a good environment are crucial to our overall health and wellbeing. You can perform your work at your best in an ergonomic office and feel more at home in your daily life through good ergonomic design.
Business Importance of Ergonomics Every organization wants to increase organization-wide efficiency, maintain employee productivity, reduce job-related accidents, and improve customer satisfaction. Utilizing ergonomic principles makes business sense because adjusting jobs to better fit workers supports all of the above goals.
Ergonomics in the workplace Outside of the discipline itself, the term 'ergonomics' is generally used to refer to physical ergonomics as it relates to the workplace (as in for example ergonomic chairs and keyboards). Ergonomics can help reduce costs by improving safety. This would decrease the money paid out in workers’ compensation. For example, over five million workers sustain overextension injuries per year. Through ergonomics, workplaces can be designed so that workers do not have to overextend themselves and the manufacturing industry could save billions in workers’ compensation.
Engineering psychology Engineering psychology is an interdisciplinary part of Ergonomics and studies the relationships of people to machines, with the intent of improving such relationships. This may involve redesigning equipment, changing the way people use machines, or changing the location in which the work takes place. Often, the work of an engineering psychologist is described as making the relationship more "user-friendly."