history, introduction, health problems and preventive measures

1. Ergonomics

2. Contents
• History
• Introduction
• Definition
• Domains of ergonomics
• Principles of ergonomics
• Branches of ergonomics
• Ergonomic related injury
• Preventive measures

3. History
• Ancient Greece : 5th century BC
• Hippocrates
• Archaeological record

4. • Bernardino Ramazzini: The First Ergonomist

5. History
• 1940
• World war 2
• Ergonomics Research Society (ERS)-1949, first
professional body in the world
• 1977: ERS - Ergonomics Society (ES)
• 1985: Registered Charity and Company limited
by guarantee
• 2009: ES- Institute of Ergonomics and Human
Factors (IEHF)

6. Ergonomics in India
• 1955: Physiology department of the Presidency
College, Kolkata
• Early sixties: Industrial Physiology division of
the Central Labour Institute, Mumbai &
• The Work Physiology and Ergonomics division of
the Central Mining Research Institute, Dhanbad

7. • 1966: National Institute of Occupational Health,
Ahmedabad, MoHFP
• 1971: first teaching in ergonomics, Department of
Physiology, University of Calcutta
• PG science course in Work Physiology and
Ergonomics
• All-India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health
Kolkata: focus being on load carrying and the
occupational stress of pulling a hand-pulled rickshaw

8. • 1979 : IIT, Bombay & IISc., Bangalore;
Ergonomics was introduced as part of the
Industrial Design curriculum at post-graduate
level
• National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
• National Institute of Industrial Engineering,
Mumbai : Centre of Excellence in Ergonomics
and Human Factor Engineering

9. Introduction
• Polish scholar, Wojciech Jastrzebowski, in 1857
• Ergonomis- Greek word, 1949
• Ergon – Work , Nomos- Principles or Laws
• Enables a person to provide safety for a
worker and his environment

10. Definition
The study of the anatomical, physiological and
psychological aspects of man in his working
environment, with a view to the ultimate
optimisation of safety, health, comfort and
efficiency
-ILO

11. • Ergonomics is the study of human abilities and
characteristics which effect the design of
equipment, systems and jobs and it aims to
improve efficiency, safety and well-being
Clark and Corlett
(Oxford)
• “Fitting the job to the worker”

12. • Ergonomics 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”.

13. • Ergonomics helps harmonizing things that
interact with people in terms of people’s
needs, abilities and limitations

15. Domains of ergonomics
• Physical:
• Cognitive
• Organisational

16. Objectives
1. Increased physical well being .
2. Increased work quality, efficiency and
productivity at work..
3. Decreased injuries, illnesses, and workers
compensation costs
4. Decreased absenteeism and turnover

17. Principles
• Work activities should permit worker to adopt
several different healthy and safe postures.
• Muscle forces should be done by the largest
appropriate muscle groups available
• Work activities should be performed with joints
at about mid-point of their ROM (Ex. head,
trunk, UE)
• Improvement of working conditions and
environment.
• Selection, training and placement of the
personnel.
• Maintaining of better health standards

18. Elements at work
• Static work
• Force

19. Branches of Ergonomics
• Engineering Psychology
• Macroergonmics
• Seating Ergonomics

20. Ergonomics standards
• Guidelines, rules, criteria that are followed to
have uniformity
• ISO: International Organisation for
Standardization
• IEC: International Electro- technical
commission
• ITU: International Telecommunications Union

21. Benefits of ergonomics
• Reduction of work-related injuries
• Increased worker productivity
• Increased work quality
• Reduced absenteeism
• Increased morale

22. Ergonomics stress areas

23. Ergonomic related injuries
• CTD’s (Cumulative trauma disorders)- exposure
driven
1. RSI (Repetitive Stress injuries)
2. RMI’s (Repetitive motion injuries)
• Strains/sprains- instantaneous, event driven

24. Musculoskeletal disorders
• MSD’s are injuries caused by sustained
exposure to stressors or repetitive motion.
• Muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones,
circulation, or nerves

25. Common Body Parts Prone To
Workplace MSDs
• Back - Lower
• Neck and Upper Back
• Upper Extremities - Arms and Hands
• Lower Extremities - Legs and Feet

26. • Constrained postures which are often
troublesome are:
1. Forward flexion of the neck
2. Twisting of the neck
3. Elevation of the shoulders
4. Twisting of the trunk
5. Forward reaching of the upper arm
6. Abduction of the upper arm
7. Ulnar deviation of the hand
8. Extension of the wrist.

27. Musculoskeletal Disorders:
Signs and Symptoms
• Decreased ROM
• Decreased grip
• Swelling
• Fatigue
• Loss of function
• Numbness
• Burning sensation
• Tingling
• Pain
• Cramping
• Stiffness

28. Work related musculoskeletal
disorders
Condition
Shoulder Shoulder tendinitis
Rotator cuff tendinitis
Bicipital tendinitis
Shoulder capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
Neck Cervical spondylosis
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Tension neck
Elbow Lateral epicondylitis
Medial epicondylitis
Wrist and forearms Tenosynovitis of the wrist
De Quervain’s disease of the wrist
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Non-specific diffuse forearm pain
(repetitive strain injury, RSI)

29. RISK FACTORS which can lead to MSDs
• Awkward posture
• Static loading or sustained exertion
• Force
• Vibration
• Repetition of same motion for several hours/day
• Length of tasks without breaks
• Insufficient rest time
• Psychosocial stress

30. Non-work related factors for MSDs
• Physical conditioning
• Medical conditions: obesity, diabetes and
arthritis
• Pregnancy
• Psychological or workplace stress

31. Prevention of MSDs
• Reduction of work injuries is a collaborative effort
between employees, mangers and the health care
provider to identify risk factors both personal and
work related by implementing ergonomic changes to
create a safe and productive work environment.
 Administrative control
 Work practice control
 Engineering control
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32. Administrative Control
• Employee rotation/job task expansion
• Physical adjustments to the work place
• Redesign of work methods
• Alternative tasks
• Breaks
Work Practice Control
• Safe & proper work techniques
• Training
• Physical conditioning period
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33. Engineering control
• Work station
• Tools
• Facilities

34. Workstation Set-up

35. Prevention of MSDs by the employer
• Appropriate engineering controls, such as work
station, tool, and equipment design or redesign
• Work practices, such as proper lifting techniques
and keeping work areas clean
• Administrative controls, such as worker rotation,
more task variety, and increased rest breaks, and
if necessary
• Personal protective equipment, such as knee
pads, vibration gloves, and similar devices

36. Ergonomic assessment
Objectives
• To do an analysis of organization injury report to
identify areas/jobs with high rates & severity of injury.
• To describe symptoms of M S D and identify the risk
factor for these health problems as perceived by the
employees.
• To identify specific solutions to reduce the ergonomic
stressors, implement them and re-evaluate if needed.

37. Conducting Ergonomic Assesment

38. Guidelines by NIOSH guidelines in jobs
requiring manual handling
• Minimize the distance between the load and
the body
• Lift loads from knuckle height
• Keep the travel distance for the lift to less
than 10 feet
• Minimize twisting
• Provide good handles for grasping loads

39. Some important ergonomic requirements
(From ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
1. Materials storage and handling
• Clear and mark transport routes
• Provide ramps of 5-8% inclination instead of
small stairs
• Use mechanical devices for lifting, lowering and
moving heavy material
• Instead of carrying heavy weights divide them
into smaller lightweights e.g. 2x10 kg instead of
20 kg.
• Combine heavy lifting with physically lighter
tasks

40. Some important ergonomic requirements (From
ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
2. Hand Tools
• Use hanging tools for operations repeated in
the same place
• Provide hand support when using precision
tools
• Provide hand tools with a grip of the proper
thickness (hand diameter 30-40 mm, handle
length 125 mm and size to fit male hands)
• Provide a home for each tool (Enables good
housekeeping)

41. Some important ergonomic requirements
(From ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
3. Production machine safety
• Locate controls in sequence of operations
• Make displays and signals easy to distinguish
and easy to read
• Use properly fixed guards and interlock
devices

42. Some important ergonomic requirements
(From ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
4. Improving workstation design
• Adjust the working height around elbow
level
–Light work: at elbow level
–Precision work: above elbow level
–Hard work: below elbow level

43. Some important ergonomic requirements
(From ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
5. Lighting
• Increased use of daylight
• Light up the work area evenly
• Sufficient lighting for working
• Local lighting for precision work
• Removing shiny surfaces
• Avoid glare

44. Some important ergonomic requirements
(From ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
6. Premises
• Prevent the exposure to excessive heat
• Install effective local exhaust systems
• Increase the use of natural ventilation

45. Some important ergonomic requirements
(From ILO Ergonomic Checkpoints)
7. Welfare facilities
• Provide effective and acceptable personal
protective devices

46. References
• International ergonomics association.
http://www.iea.cc/whats/
• http://www.ergonomics.org.uk/iehf/a-brief-
history/

47. Thank You