Ergonomics: Defined
- JD Kennemer
- Dec 4, 2018
- 1 min read
Just as the world of Ergonomics can include innumerable professions, work-site locations, and related tools or equipment, defining the chameleon like word 'Ergonomics' can also take on many forms.
A Dictionary Definition:
Ergonomics: An applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely.
A Philosophical Definition:
Ergonomics: (from the Greek word ergon meaning work, and nomos meaning natural law), is the science of refining the design of products to optimize them for human use. Human characteristics, such as height, weight, and proportions are considered, as well as information about human hearing, sight, temperature preferences, and so on. Ergonomics is sometimes known as human factor engineering.
A Real World Definition:
Ergonomics: Can be defined simply as the study of work. More specifically, ergonomics is the science of designing the job to fit the worker, rather than physically forcing the worker’s body to fit the job. Adapting tasks, work stations, tools, and equipment to fit the worker can help reduce physical stress on a worker’s body and eliminate many potentially serious, disabling work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Ergonomics draws on a number of scientific disciplines, including physiology, biomechanics, psychology, anthropometry, industrial hygiene, and kinesiology.
