What does 'ergonomic' mean?
We hear the term 'ergonomic' a lot, especially as it relates to office equipment: ergonomic chairs, ergonomic keyboards, ergonomic workstation assessments - but what does it actually mean?
Well for starters - a lot more than just sit stand desks and fancy keyboards.
‘Ergonomic’ refers to the design and organisation of work in a way that optimises human wellbeing, comfort, safety and performance. It's an entire scientific discipline and is critical to ensure the safe performance of work such as flying a plane, working on powerlines, or performing surgery on a patient. With this type of work, the tiniest of errors can lead to catastrophic outcomes.
Ergonomics (also known as human factors), considers the physical, cognitive and emotional capabilities and limitations of individuals performing different work tasks in different environments. Derived from the greek words 'ergos' (work) and 'nomos' (laws), ergonomic design aims to minimise physical strain, reduce the risk of injuries and enhance performance by considering factors such as posture, movement, anthropometrics (how big or small we are), visibility, mental workload, information processing and decision-making. It's used to create products, workspaces and work processes that promote safety, productivity, comfort and end-user engagement and requires adapting the end design to fit the user, rather than forcing the user to conform to the design. (It's also imperative that the workers who perform the jobs being ergonomically reviewed be fully involved in the process. After all, they are the ones who are expert in what they do).
Ergonomics is important for all of us. It's important to ensure office workers remain comfortable performing computer based tasks; hospital staff don't sustain musculoskeletal injuries when mobilising patients; and crane operators can safely operate on overcast days where visibility may be reduced. Even working from home benefits from the application of ergonomics - from the set up of our workstation to the flow of work so we can sneak in an extra load of laundry - we all instinctively try to design work to work best for us. And when we do - safety, performance, engagement they're all improved. After all, no one can work well (or safely) with mess, confusion or in an environment that just isn't set up for them.