Ergonomics

  • Ergonomics- Study of relationship between people and their work environments, process of designing or arranging workplaves.
  • Good Ergonomics can prevent injuries, aches and repetitive strain injuries (RSI).
  • RSI can or be caused by the following effects-
    • The number of movements made in performing a task.
    • The load of force required.
    • The amount of static muscle required to perform the task.
    • Stress on body or various joints.
    • The physical capacity of the individual
    • The time needed to perform the task
  • 2 common types of RSI are carpal tunnel syndrome & tenosynovitis.
    • CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) is produced by repeating the same small movements many times. Typical Symptoms are numbness or burning in fingers.
    • Tenosynovitis is an inflammation of the tendon sheath. It occurs when the repetitive actions exceeds the limit.

Lighting

  •  Incorrect lighting can cause eyestrain, resulting in a burning of the eye
  • The light should be bright enough for all text to be read easily on the screen, keyboard and paper.
  • The brightness of the room should be the same brightness of the screen.


Indoor Climate

  • Room temp should be between 20-23 degrees Celsius.

 Noise

  • Noise levels should not exceed 55 decibels. Levels above make communication with others hard.
  •  Protections from Noise can be obtained by:
  •  Planning the subdivision of the building (The noise levels decrease with increasing distance from the source; hence offices be sited as far away from noisy areas as possible).
  • Enclosing with sound absorbing materials.
  • Using headphones, ear plugs and soft music.

Work Routine

  • The way the job is done

 Job Design

  • What is the extent of the job?
  • Does the Job involve a variety of tasks?
  • What opportunities exist for social contacts?
  • What satisfaction can be gained from the job?
  • How can boredom be reduced?

 Workload

·        The body needs a balance between work and rest.

Desk

·        The height of the desk should be about 200mm above the seat.

·        The depth of the desk should be 900 mm to allow the keyboard to be repositioned and allow room for other components.

·        Legroom should be sufficient at both knees and foot level

·        An adjustable section for the keyboard is considered essential.