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The Discipline of Ergonomics
Ergonomics (or
human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of
interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession
that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize
human well-being and overall system performance.
Ergonomists contribute to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products,
environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs,
abilities and limitations of people.
Domains of specialization
Derived from the
Greek ergon (work) and nomos (laws) to denote the science of work, ergonomics is
a systems-oriented discipline which now extends across all aspects of human
activity. Practicing ergonomists must have a broad understanding of the full
scope of the discipline. That is, ergonomics promotes a holistic approach in
which considerations of physical, cognitive, social, organizational,
environmental and other relevant factors are taken into account. Ergonomists
often work in particular economic sectors or application domains. Application
domains are not mutually exclusive and they evolve constantly; new ones are
created and old ones take on new perspectives.
There exist domains of specialization within the
discipline, which represent deeper competencies in specific human attributes or
characteristics of human interaction.
Domains of specialization within the discipline of ergonomics are broadly the
following;
Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric,
physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical
activity. (Relevant topics include working postures, materials handling,
repetitive movements, work related musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout,
safety and health.)
Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with mental processes, such as perception,
memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans
and other elements of a system. (Relevant topics include mental workload,
decision-making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human
reliability, work stress and training as these may relate to human-system
design.)
Organizational ergonomics is concerned with the optimization of sociotechnical
systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes.
(Relevant topics include communication, crew resource management, work design,
design of working times, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics,
cooperative work, new work paradigms, virtual organizations, telework, and
quality management.)
(From
the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of the
United States)
The Society's
mission is to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge concerning the
characteristics of human beings that are applicable to the design of systems and
devices of all kinds.
The Society furthers serious consideration of knowledge about the assignment of
appropriate functions for humans and machines, whether people serve as
operators, maintainers, or users in the system. And, it advocates systematic use
of such knowledge to achieve compatibility in the design of interactive systems
of people, machines, and environments to ensure their effectiveness, safety, and
ease of performance.
The Society encourages education and training for those entering the human
factors and ergonomics profession and for those who conceive, design, develop,
manufacture, test, manage, and participate in systems.
The Society was founded in 1957 as the Human Factors Society of America. Later,
the name was changed to the Human Factors Society, Inc. to reflect its
international influence and membership. In 1992, the name was changed to the
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
Interested in more information about the HFES National Chapter? Go to
http://www.hfes.org/ to find out more
Human
Factors/Ergonomics Links (more here...)
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