Ergonomics - Research Paper Example

Ergonomics therefore transcends the process of designing equipment and furniture that is safe and easy to use by humans. Ergonometric designs are normally necessary for the prevention of strain injuries that are always a problem in people who operate machines and equipment for long periods of time. This research therefore seeks to find out the extent to which ergonomics is applied in the conventional workplace. Ergonomics is basically concerned with the interaction between the users of the equipment, the environment and the equipment used (Rosskam, 2009).

In the process, it takes into account the aspects of capabilities of people coupled with their various limitations in the process of using machines to operate in the environments. In order to determine the interaction between the human beings and a particular technology, ergonomists will consider the particular work to be undertaken, the needs of the user, the machines to be used and how the particular machine fits the job to be done. As a discipline, ergonomics therefore draws much from other disciplines including engineering, biomechanics, psychology, industrial design, information design and physiology.

The discipline of ergonomics is normally segmented into three different divisions. Physical ergonomics mostly deals with human anatomy and how aspects like physiology, anthropometric and bio mechanical characteristics affect the process of physical activity of the people (Murrell, 2008). Cognitive ergonomics on the other hand, deals with the interaction between the various mental processes of memory perception and motor response and the various functioning of the body in a system. In this regard, such aspects like skilled performance, decision making, human-computer interaction and human reliability come in handy as factors to be considered in the design of human interaction systems.

Finally, organizational ergonomics deals with