Ergonomics
(Human Integrated Systems)
Aim of Lecture
• To introduce the ergonomics approach – its
breadth of coverage
• To understand the guiding principles and theory
of ergonomics.
• To present the systems nature of ergonomics
and the centrality of human beings.
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What is Ergonomics?
• Ergonomics (Human Factors in the United
States) has many definitions – FTTTTH.
• Aims to study the ‘fit’ between people and ‘the
things they do’ in order to improve performance,
well-being, safety and health.
• Prevents bad things (errors, stress etc.), creates
good things (performance, satisfaction)
• Typically applied at work, but can be leisure,
home or in public areas (e.g. sport).
• Can be applied to many aspects of our lives.
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Fit the task to the human
• Did the example affect performance? Would it
lead to fatigue, stress?
• People are adaptable, but have their limits
• Driving and Mobile Phones
• 3 mile island
• Kings Cross Underground Fire
• Fitting the task to the human is ergonomics.
• To do this need knowledge of human
characteristics.
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Scope of Ergonomics
• The scope of ergonomics is immense.
• Consider all the tasks people perform from the mundane
to the critical - Opening a jam jar, internet banking, using
a mobile phone, surgery, flying a plane, office work,
manual work, skilled work.
• Consider where these tasks take place - At home, in the
library, on a train, at work in nuclear power stations, tanks
or hospitals.
• Where it’s hot, cold or noisy, during the day or night.
Alone or in teams.
• The tasks and environments are endless.
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More on Ergonomics
• The only scientific subject that focuses on the interaction
between people and the things they do.
• Takes a human or user-centred approach
• Involves the application of scientific principles, methods
and data drawn from a variety of disciplines.
• It considers physical, psychological, organisational and
environmental factors – knowledge base.
• Applied to practical problems ideally in the early stages of
task design to prevent problems
• Also employed to analyse tasks after problems have
been identified.
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Who employs ergonomists?
• Transport – TRL, Rail, aerospace.
• Government & agencies - Defence industry, HSE
– Nuclear
• Large companies – consumer products (Nokia,
Phillips, BT) and worker health (BP, Shell)
• Universities & research centres
• Consultancies – supporting all the above
• Usually degree in Psychology or Ergonomics
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Previous Work
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console design
workspace layout
HCI design
user trials
hearts and minds
workload measurement
health and safety
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Ergonomics Knowledge Base
• To evaluate interactions between tasks and
people we must understand:
• The human - the anatomical, physiological and
psychological characteristics of people – the
ergonomics knowledge base.
– Psychology is fundamental part of this knowledge –
psychology major factor in physical issues (ie pain)
• The task – ergonomics methods such as task
analysis.
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New Demands - Spitfire Cockpit
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Systems Ergonomics
• People’s activities are not carried out in a
vacuum
• Interaction between the user and their work often
involves equipment or technology.
• This takes place in some form of workspace,
which itself is located in the wider environment
and work organization.
• All of which affect task performance.
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System Types
• A system has parts and a function with inputs and
outputs.
• There is an interaction between the parts of a system.
• Systems can be small with closed boundaries (a person
using a coffee pot)
• Or larger, open systems, with unknown boundaries, for
example a hospital.
• The human is part of a system and interacts with it.
• The human takes information from the system, processes
it and responds and therefore must be fully integrated into
the system.
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Fitting systems to people
• Human requirements define system requirements for:
• Safe and usable equipment.
• Tasks that are compatible with the users mental abilities
and limitations
• An appropriate environment in which the task is
performed.
• Work organization that recognises the users social
needs.
• Compatibility during interactions between the human and
the system.
• Ergonomics can be applied to a coffee pot or hospital
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System Interactions
• Ergonomics aims to improve systems by improving the
interactions between users and other elements in the
system.
• Complexity of systems can be seen if we consider a
simple system with three elements, a human, a piece of
equipment and an environment.
• Human > Equipment - Human control of the equipment Skill, workload etc.
• Equipment > Human - Feedback & display of information
- Display design, info load etc.
• Environment > Human - Environment may affect humans
work - Noise, lighting, temperature etc.
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In your spare time...
• Consider your knowledge of psychology in
relation to every task you do and mistake
you make.
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