ERGONOMICS

P.O. Box 38243

Garsfontein-East
0040

Office: +27 82 442 7961

Fax : +27 86 622 3220
E-mail: [email protected]

Name: ______________________
Course Date: _________________
 INTRODUCTION
DEFINITIONS
(ERGON = Human work and strength / Omics = Law)
• Ergonomics is the study of human characteristics for the appropriate
design of the living and work environment and dealing with the
interactions between humans and their total working environment
(stress, heat, light, sound, tools and equipment).
• Fatigue is a result of physical exertion (heavy work, the degree of
alertness and lack of rest) placing large stresses on the heart and
lungs.
• Stressors Are those agents (hazards) which workers are continuous
exposed to and which have a negative impact ontheir health, safety
and well-being.
 METABOLIC PROCESS OF WORK
Glucose
Energy-rich
phosphate

Without oxygen

Lactic acid Pyruvic acid

ENERGY
OUTPUT
With oxygen
Paying off oxygen
debt

Water and carbon Low-energy

dioxide (wastes) phosphate
Energy flow
Chemical reactions
 MUSCULAR EFFORT
– Static muscular effort is described as a prolonged state of
contraction of the muscles.
– Dynamic muscular effort is described as a rhythmic alteration of
contraction and extension, tension and relaxation.

NB most of the times tasks include both, static and dynamic efforts. The
static is usually more significant as it results in the greatest degree of
stress
EFFECTS OF DYNAMIC AND STATIC MUSCULAR EFFORT

Resting Dynamic effort Static effect

Blood needed Blood flow Blood needed Blood flow Blood needed Blood flow
 EFFECTS OF DYNAMIC AND STATIC MUSCULAR EFFORT

• High static loading on the muscles can lead to:

- Higher rates of energy consumption
- Raised heart rates
- The requirement for longer rest periods
• Optimal use of muscle strength is a process which involves organising the
work in such a fashion as to allow muscles to develop maximum power. Where
possible, work should be performed at extended positions.
• Guidelines:
- Bending sideways is more harmfull than bending forward.
- Avoid arms been stretched forewards or sideways.
- Sitting down doing work as much as possible.
- Working field to be kept at best visual distance.
- Forearms or hands should be supported with raised work
 ANTHROPOMETRY
• Anthropometry is a study of human physical dimensions.
- Natural postures and natural movements are an essential part of
efficient work.
- Fitting the dimensions of the workplace to body sizes of operators
is essential.
- The factors which mostly effect body sizes are sex, age and ethnic
diversity.
FACTORS AFFECTING BODY SIZE AND WORK RATE ABILITY

20 35

22
8 9 10 11
12

23

16 15
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 WORKSTATION DESIGN
Workstation Design (for best performance with least stress)
• Working heights - when work is performed at a high elevation it will
result in neck and shoulder stress and cramps. If work is performed at
a too low level it will result in lower back problem.

20 cm
- 10 cm
0
- 10 cm
- 20 cm
- 30 cm

100-110 90-95 75-90 cm Men

95-105 85-90 70-85 cm Women

Precision work Light work Heavier work

 VISUAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Visual Considerations - Neck and head postures should be such that
the forward inclination of the head should be within 30o arc from the
normal line of site.
 SEATING
• Seating at work - Advantages.
- Weight is taken off legs - Lower demands on the blood
circulatory system
- Energy consumption is Unnatural body postures are avoided
reduced

cm 160

140
Occasional
120 extended
reach
50cm
100 25
35-45 55-65
80
15o
60

100
40
160
20

10 cm squares
0
0 20 40 60 80 100cm
 VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINALS
In designing for visual display terminals (VDT’s), the following factors
should be taken into account:
- The furniture conceived should be as flexible as possible, taking
account of keyboard height, screen height, screen inclination to
horizontal and screen distance from table edge.
- The keyboard height and screen distance must be adjustable with
adjusting controls easily operated.
- Leg room should be 800 mm measured horizontally.
 HEAVY WORK
Energy Consumption:
Heavy work is requiring significant physical exertion and results in large
stresses being placed on the heart and lungs. The body’s metabolism
needs to cope with these stresses.

Working under hot conditons

Static muscular work
Dynamic work involving few muscles
Dynamic work involving many muscles

Energy consumption with

increasing stress
 MEASURING WORK LOAD

Oxygen
Assessment of Lung ventilation Rectal Heart rate
consumption,
work load rate, litres / min temperature oC Pulses / min
litres / min
Very low (resting) 0,25 - 0,3 6-7 37,5 60 - 70
Low 0,5 - 1,0 11 - 20 37,5 75 - 100
Moderate 1,0 - 1,5 20 - 31 37,5 - 38,0 100 - 125
High 1,5 - 2,0 31 - 43 38,0 - 38,5 125 - 150
Very high 2,0 - 2,5 43 - 56 38,5 - 39,0 150 - 175
Extremely high 2,5 - 4,0 60 - 100 >39,0 >175
 HANDLING HEAVY LOADS
The main concern is the potential to harm the back, especially the disks through
compression.
 MAN / MACHINE SYSTEM
Definition - A man / machine system is defined as being a system where
man and machine have a reciprocal relationship.

Machine
Operator
(“Man”) Display instrument

Perception
Interpretation
decision
Production

Control instrument
Handling of
controls
 MAN / MACHINE SYSTEM
• Displays - Figures read in windows where it required to read values
- Circular scale with moving pointer required for process
control
- Fixed marker with a moving scale

• Scale gradation: Factors to be considered

- The light, thickness and distance apart between markings.
- The information shown must reflect the information that is
wanted.
- Scale graduations should be easy to interpret.
- Numbers should be confirmed to major graduation.
- The pointer should be as close to the plane of the scale as
possible
 INFORMATION EXCHANGE
Guidelines for design of controls:
- Account must be taken of the contours of hands and fingers..
- Controls to be easily reachable and clearly visible.
- The correct control type for the task at hand as well as sensitivity.
- Levers to be used for high force control.
- Control to be colour coded.
- Relative speed of movement should match required adjustment
fineness
 MENTAL ACTIVITY
• Mental activity in the narrow sense - requiring specific thought
processes often involving creativity.

• Information processing - relying on perception, interpretation and

processing of incoming information.

• Factors affecting mental load:

- The degree of alertness required.
- The need to take responsible decisions.
- The monotony of the task to hand.
- The degree or lack of human contact.
 DETERMINING MUSCULAR FATIGUE
• The muscle contraction distance decreases

• The contraction / relaxation speed reduces.

• The interval between stimulus and response increases.

 TYPES OF FATIGUE
• Visual Fatigue (Tiredness of the worker’s eyes)

• Bodily Fatigue (Body is overworked)

• Mental Fatigue (Due to excessive alertness and taking of responsible

decisions)

• Nervous Fatigue (Central nervous system)

• Chronic Fatigue (as a consequence of long term accumulation)

• Circadian Fatigue (resulting from lack of sleep)

 MONOTONOUS ACTIVITY
Definition: Boredom is the result of monotonous environment with
little, if any, stimulation. It results in:
• Decreased awareness
• Suppressed state of activation of the higher
nervous centres.

Factors to be considered when designing for boredom:

• Increase the variety of tasks
• Broaden the scope of tasks
• Provide more information
• Provide more responsibility
• Facilitate participation
• Provide a higher degree of control over the work process
• Increase the degree of social contact
• Have more frequent start stops
• Physical activity and more stimulating environment
 FATIGUE
Symptoms of Fatigue
• A subjective feeling of weariness
• Sluggish thinking
• Reduced awareness
• Poor and slow perception
• An unwillingness to work (loss of motivation)
• A general decline in bodily and mental performance

Causes of Fatigue
• High intensity and long duration of physical or mental work
• Environmental stressors e.g. noise and heat
• Physical problem, worries and conflicts
• Pains and illnesses
• Circadian rhythm stress
• Poor or inadequate nutrition
 FATIGUE
Measuring of Fatigue
This is based on:
• The quality and quantity of work delivered
• Subjective impressions (just feel tired)
• Measurement of brain wave
• flickering of the eyes - the more tired you are the more noticeable the
eyes flickering
• Muscle performance test
• Mental performance test
 OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
Occupational Stress
Stress is defined as being the reaction of an organism to a threatening
situation resulting in a hightened state of alertness.

Symptoms of Occupational Stress

– Functional disorders e.g. of the gastro - intestinal tract.
– Cardiovascular system degeneration.
– If exposure is long enough the above become organic illnesses
 OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
Causes of Occupational Stress
• Lack of job control
• Lack of social support
• Job dissatisfaction
• Task and performance demand
• Job security
• Responsibility for others and equipment
• Physical environmental stressors
• Complexities associated with the job
 RESTING PERIODS
 There are 4 types of rest breaks
• Spontaneous breaks determined by the worker himself
• Disguised breaks although he appears to be busy
• Breaks incorporated into the job (break between tasks)
• Prescribed pauses (Lunch Time and Tea Breaks)

 Breaks leads to:

• Prevention of fatigue
• Allowing for opportunity for refreshment
• Social contacts
 AFFECT OF SHIFTWORK
• Eating habits
- Shiftwork show that they tend to have poor eating habits and a
loss of appetite.
• Digestive system disorders
- Shift workers generally have more digestive and nervous system
disorders
• Substance abuse
- Nightshift workers more often misuse drugs.
• Chronic fatigue:
- Night shift workers more often suffer from chronic fatigue
• Occupational Sickness:
- Shift workers more often exibit symptoms of weariness, mental
irratability, depression, loss of vitality and disinclination to work.
 GENERAL
• Age:
Older workers more readily suffer from all these stresses and they
have a lower ability to recuperate.

• Psychosomatic disorders:
Is shown in the form of sleep disturbances, digestive problems and
stomach and duodenal ulcers.

• Nutrition
Nutrients are converted to heat and mechanical energy. Heavy work
requires significant physical exertion and results in large stresses being
placed on the cardiovascular system and the body’s metabolism needs
to cope with these loads
Discussion/
Questions