Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Pascale Carayon (right) looks on as Dr. Paul Smith of the Belleville Clinic updates a patient record in the clinic's new electronic media records system, which Carayon helped implement. (Photo by Bob Rashid) (large image) |
Organizational issues such as management approaches, job design, participative problem solving, psychological stress, job satisfaction, performance effectiveness, product/service quality, and quality of work life are addressed by engineers specializing in sociotechnical methods in system design. These engineers may study interaction between people in complex technical and organizational environments, or address appropriate ways of motivating people to work productively and safely. Examining such areas requires diverse knowledge of technology, social systems and organizational behavior as well as synthesis, design and implementation skills. Sociotechnical engineers are trained in psychology, sociology, business, statistics and engineering science in order to address these problems.
Ergonomics is the study of the principles of work. Ergonomists are concerned with the complex physical relationships between people, machines, job demands and work methods. A prime emphasis is on preventing musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace. These injuries create significant cost to industry in the form of medical bills, worker's compensation, reduced productivity and lost time. Prevention of injuries is accomplished by understanding biomechanics and the physiology of work, and through the use of biomechanical models, laboratory simulations, field studies and job analyses.
Ergonomists also consider human reliability, psychomotor capabilities and human characteristics in equipment design, work quality and assessment of skill. An important aspect of equipment design is human-computer interaction.
Industrial engineering graduate student Leah Newman tries out a ComfortTM Keyboard while Professor Michael J. Smith watches. (large image) |
Human factors engineers are also concerned about providing people with physical and mental impairments access to the workplace through technology and rehabilitation engineering. Engineers concerned with human performance often work in diverse areas including space robotics, aviation systems, rescue operations and manufacturing.
Occupational safety and health engineers study accident causation, epidemiology, statistical modeling of injuries, analysis of health records, injury prevention, and legal aspects of occupational safety. They are concerned with environmental factors such as noise, vibration, illumination, radiation and temperature. These engineers work in manufacturing, utilities, chemical processing industries, healthcare industry, construction industry, and government. Occupational and environmental safety and health engineers are trained in public health, epidemiology, statistics and engineering science.
