Ergonomics as a discipline was in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future, an integrating constituent in occupational safety and health (OSH). This statement is based on the self-conception of ergonomics and the level concept of human work. It is further supported by the results of about 120 interviews with German experts involved in research projects of the last 2 decades and th...

This paper describes the development of a studio-based approach for teaching ergonomics and human factors to undergraduate engineering students. Studio-based methods in engineering education draw on the concept of a “design studio” as the basis for learning and applying fundamental skills and knowledge through a series of directed exploration and design projects under the guidance of the course...

As a marked increase in the number of musculoskeletal disorders was noted in many industrialized countries and more specifically in companies that require the use of hand tools, the French National Research and Safety Institute (INRS) launched in 1999 a research project on the topic of integrating ergonomics into hand tool design, and more particularly to a design of a boning knife. After a bri...

Cleaning is a highly physically demanding job with a high frequency of awkward postures and working environments as contributing risk factors. Participatory ergonomics is a method in which end-users take an active role in identifying risk factors and solutions. The aim of this study was to apply the participatory ergonomics method to identify cleaning problems and to evaluate the effect of a lo...

Book with the program. The NES2012 Proceedings has a separate ISBN number stated in a separate ISBN document. The NES conferences have a long tradition of serving as a meeting place for researchers and practitioners. The papers included in the proceedings are peerreviewed scientific and practitioners’ papers, reflecting the variety of ergonomics. The scientific papers from the research context,...

The application of ergonomics in enterprises is gaining in importance. Nowadays ergonomics in enterprises is addressed in a more technical manner. Therefore it is necessary to try to adapt generally applicable ergonomic practices to a technical perception. The result of this is a search for approaches that can be used as a link between technical and ergonomic perspectives of problems in the wor...

A surgeon's work environment and working conditions are often harsher than those of an industrial worker. Accepted principles and regulations of ergonomics in manufacturing are largely ignored or absent in the medical/surgical domain. Examples include poor surgical tool handle design, awkward and stressful surgical postures, and prolonged standing without breaks and without a foot mat. In these...

This paper presents the case for the need for ‘Action Research’ (AR) approaches to gain understanding of how ergonomics considerations can best be integrated into the design of new work systems. The AR researchers work collaboratively with other stakeholders to solve a real-world problem: gaining insight into the problem and factors influencing solution building from an embedded position in the...

Queensland Mining has a strong focus on safety performance, but risk management of health, including Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) continues to have a lower priority. The reliance on individual screening of workers and lower level approaches such as manual handling training is part of the coal mining 'culture'. Initiatives such as the New South Wales and Queensland Mining joint project to de...