Isn Ergonomics just applicable to the computer user?
No, ergonomics needs to be considered in the design of virtually any product, system or environment. Failure to do so may lead to designs or procedures which are either inefficient or unsafe. For example, The Ergonomics Society (UK) reported that researchers compared the relative positions of the controls on a lathe with the size of an average male worker. It was found that the lathe operator had to stoop and move from side to side to operate the lathe controls. An “ideal” sized person to fit the lathe would be just 4.5 feet tall, 2 feet across at the shoulders and have an arm span of 8 feet. One of the goals of ergonomics is to design jobs to fit people. For many years now, we have expected our employees to accommodate themselves to their equipment, a probable cause of the majority of cumulative trauma injuries.
