Why is Ergonomic is important in a business environment?

Answer 1

Ergonomics is about ensuring a good fit between people and what they interact with. This could include the objects they use or the environments they live in. Ergonomics should be considered in the design of every product, system or environment.

Ergonomics are often not given enough priority early in the design process, because of commercial or time pressures. But this is a false economy. Ignoring ergonomics can lead to designs which are likely to fail commercially - as they don't fit the needs of the user.

Ergonomists are trained in analytical techniques to identify which user characteristics should be taken into account during your design process. This is important when you consider how much individuals vary in terms of:

• body size
• body shape
• strength
• mobility
• sensory sensitivity
• mental ability
• experience
• training
• culture
• emotions

When applied at the earliest stages of the design process, ergonomic methods often identify opportunities for innovation.

Ergonomics can be split into three broad areas:

Physical ergonomics looks at how human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics relate to physical activity. This includes:

• working postures
• manual handling
• repetitive movements
• musculoskeletal disorders
• workplace layout and environment

Psychological ergonomics studies mental processes - eg perception, cognition, memory, reasoning and emotion - and how people interact with products, systems and environments. This includes:

• mental workload
• decision-making
• human-computer interaction
• human reliability
• attitudes
• stress
• motivation
• pleasure
• cultural differences

Organisational ergonomics is about optimising the organisational structures, policies and processes of socio-technical systems. This includes:

• communication
• work design
• staff resource management
• working time patterns
• co-operative work
• quality management
• organisational culture

To ensure your end-users' needs are kept in focus at all times, ergonomists should be an integral part of your design development team. Constantly evaluating the ergonomics of anything your business designs as it develops will help increase the likelihood that your product or service will be a success.