Question

Explain in detail an ergonomic approach of workstation design.

Describe in detail Which standing aids could be used to minimize fatigue?

Answer 1

• Ergonomics can be defined as a discipline in its own right, as the theoretical and fundamental understanding of human behavior and performance in purposeful interacting socio-technical systems, and the application of that understanding to design of an industrial workstation.
• In industrial workstation design the primary concern has usually been the improvement of the performance of the equipment alone. Little consideration is given towards matching the abilities of the operator with the task requirements.
• Consequently, many industrial workstations are poorly designed, resulting in lost worker productivity and unnecessary injury at the workplace. An ergonomics approach to the design of an industrial workstation attempts to achieve an appropriate balance between the worker capabilities and work requirements to optimize worker productivity and the total system, as well as provide worker physical and mental well-being, job satisfaction and safety.
• An obstacle in the implementation of the ergonomic recommendations in a real world design situation is the human variability in size and capability. It is a challenge to the designers to come up with solutions which will optimally fit the diverse anthropometry of the users and satisfy their task demands.
• Several methods, such as direct observation, one-toone interviews with experienced operators, videotaping and questionnaires are used for this purpose. Through appropriate job analysis the effects of the existing equipment or system design on employee comfort, health and ease of use can be determined.
• The human operator, the focus of study, may be a skilled professional operating a complex machine in an artificial environment, a customer who has casually purchased a new piece of equipment for personal use, a child sitting in a classroom or a disabled person in a wheelchair. The human being is highly adaptable but not infinitely so.
• There are ranges of optimum conditions for any activity. One of the tasks of ergonomics is to define what these ranges are and to explore the undesirable effects which occur if the limits are transgressed—for example if a person is expected to work in conditions of excessive heat, noise or vibration, or if the physical or mental workload is too high or too low.
• Ergonomics examines not only the passive ambient situation but also the unique advantages of the human operator and the contributions that can be made if a work situation is designed to permit and encourage the person to make the best use of his or her abilities.
• Human abilities may be characterized not only with reference to the generic human operator but also with respect to those more particular abilities that are called upon in specific situations where high performance is essential.
• For example, an automobile manufacturer will consider the range of physical size and strength of the population of drivers who are expected to use a particular model to ensure that the seats are comfortable, that the controls are readily identifiable and within reach, that there is clear visibility to the front and the rear, and that the internal instruments are easy to read.
• Ease of entry and egress will also be taken into account. By contrast, the designer of a racing car will assume that the driver is athletic so that ease of getting in and out, for example, is not important and, in fact, design features as a whole as they relate to the driver may well be tailored to the dimensions and preferences of a particular driver to ensure that he or she can exercise his or her full potential and skill as a driver.
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