Human and ergonomic factors (commonly referred to as Human Factors ), are the application of psychological and physiological principles to (design and) the design of products, processes, and systems. The purpose of the human factor is to reduce human error, improve productivity, and improve security and comfort with a special focus on human interaction and interesting things.
This field is a combination of various disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, engineering, biomechanics, industrial design, physiology, anthropometry, interaction design, visual design, user experience, and user interface design. In research, human factors use scientific methods to study human behavior so that the resulting data can be applied to four main purposes. In essence, this is the study of designing equipment, devices and processes that fit the human body and its cognitive abilities. Both the terms "human factor" and "ergonomics" are essentially the same.
The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics or human factors as follows:
Ergonomics (or human factors) is a scientific discipline that deals with understanding interactions between humans and other elements of a system, and a profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design to optimize human wellbeing and overall system performance.
Human factors are used to meet health and safety goals and productivity. This is relevant in the design of things like safe furniture and an easy-to-use interface for machines and equipment.
Appropriate ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders, which may develop over time and may cause long-term disability.
Human factors and ergonomics are related to "conformity" between users, tools, and the environment. This explains the capabilities and limitations of users in an effort to ensure that the task, function, information, and environment correspond to that user.
To assess a match between a person and the technology used, a human or ergonomic factor specialist considers the work (activities) that is being performed and the demands on the user; the equipment used (size, shape, and how appropriate for the task), and the information used (how the information is presented, accessed and changed). Ergonomics refers to many disciplines in human studies and their environment, including anthropometry, biomechanics, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, industrial design, information design, kinesiology, physiology, cognitive psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and space psychology.
Video Human factors and ergonomics
Etimologi
The term ergonomic (from Greek ?????, meaning "to work", and "Meaning, which means" natural law ") first enters the modern lexicon when Polish scientist Wojciech Jastrz? Bowski uses the word in his article 1857 Rys ergonomji czyli nauki o pracy, opartej na prawdach poczerpni? tych z Nauki Przyrody (Outline of Ergonomics: Science, Based on Truth Taken from Natural Science). The introduction of the term to English lexicon was widely associated with British psychologist Hywel Murrell, at the 1949 meeting at the British Admiralty, which led to the founding of The Ergonomics Society. He used it to include studies in which he was involved during and after World War II.
The expression human factor is a North American-dominated term that has been adopted to emphasize the application of the same method to situations not related to work. "Human factor" is the physical or cognitive property of an individual or social behavior specific to humans that may affect the functioning of a technological system. The terms "human factor" and "ergonomics" are essentially the same.
Maps Human factors and ergonomics
Domain of specialization
Ergonomics consists of three main areas of research: Physical, cognitive and organizational ergonomics.
There are many specializations in this broad category. Specializations in the field of physical ergonomics may include visual ergonomics. Specializations in the field of cognitive ergonomics may include usability, human-computer interaction, and user experience engineering.
Some specializations can bypass this domain: The ergonomic environment relates to human interaction with an environment characterized by climate, temperature, pressure, vibration, light. The emerging field of human factors in road safety uses the human factor principle to understand the actions and capabilities of road users - drivers of cars and trucks, pedestrians, cyclists, etc. - and uses this knowledge to design roads and roads to reduce traffic collisions. Driver errors are listed as contributing factors in 44% of fatal collisions in the United States, so an interesting topic is how road users collect and process information about their roads and neighborhoods, and how to help them make informed decisions..
New terms are being created at any time. For example, "user experiment engineer" may refer to a human factor professional who specializes in user trials. Although names change, human factor professionals apply an understanding of human factors to the design of equipment, systems and working methods to improve comfort, health, safety, and productivity.
According to the International Ergonomics Association, in the ergonomics discipline there is a domain of specializations:
Physical ergonomics
Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomy, and some anthropometric, physiological and bio mechanical characteristics associated with physical activity. The principle of physical ergonomics has been widely used in the design of consumer and industrial products. Physical ergonomics are important in the medical field, especially for those diagnosed with physiological diseases or disorders such as arthritis (either chronic or transient) or carpal tunnel syndrome. Pressures that are not important or invisible to those unaffected by the disorder may be very painful, or make the device unusable, for those who are. Many ergonomically designed products are also used or recommended to treat or prevent such disorders, and to treat chronic pain associated with stress.
One of the most common types of work-related injuries is musculoskeletal disorders. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) cause persistent pain, loss of functional capacity and occupational disability, but their initial diagnosis is difficult because they are primarily based on complaints of pain and other symptoms. Every year, 1.8 million US workers experience WRMD and nearly 600,000 are seriously injured resulting in workers losing their jobs. Certain occupations or working conditions lead to higher levels of employee complaints against undue tension, localized fatigue, discomfort, or pain that does not go away after an overnight break. This type of work often involves activities such as recurring and coercive exertion; frequent lift, weight, or overhead; awkward working position; or the use of vibrating equipment. Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) has found substantial evidence that ergonomics programs can cut labor compensation costs, increase productivity and lower employee turnover. It is therefore important to collect data to identify the most problematic work or working conditions, using sources such as injury and disease records, medical records, and job analysis.
Cognitive ergonomy
Cognitive ergonomics deals with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor responsiveness, as they affect the interaction between humans and other elements of a system. (Relevant topics include mental workload, decision making, skilled performance, human reliability, job stress and training as these may be related to human-system design and Human-Computer Interaction.)
Ergonomic organization
Ergonomic organizations are concerned with the optimization of socio-technical systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes. (Relevant topics include communication, crew resource management, work design, work systems, work time design, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative work, new work programs, virtual organizations, telework, and quality management.)
Field history
In ancient society
The foundations of ergonomics seem to have been laid in the context of Ancient Greek culture. Much evidence suggests that Greek civilization in the 5th century BC used ergonomic principles in the design of their tools, work, and workplaces. An outstanding example of this can be found in the description given by Hippocrates about how a surgeon's workplace should be designed and how the tools he uses should be governed. The archaeological record also shows that early Egyptian dynasties made tools and appliances depicting ergonomic principles.
In industrial society
In the 19th century, Frederick Winslow Taylor pioneered the "scientific management" method, which proposed a way to find the optimal method of carrying out a given task. Taylor found that he could, for example, triple the amount of coal absorbed by the workers by gradually reducing the size and weight of the coal shovel until the fastest shoveling level was achieved. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth expanded Taylor's methods in the early 1900s to develop "time and motion studies". They aim to improve efficiency by eliminating unnecessary steps and actions. By applying this approach, Gilbreths reduced the number of movements in brick making from 18 to 4.5, enabling masons to increase their productivity from 120 to 350 bricks per hour.
However, this approach was rejected by Russian researchers who focused on workers' welfare. At the First Conference on Scientific Employment Organization (1921), Vladimir Bekhterev and Vladimir Nikolayevich Myasishchev criticized Taylorism. Bekhterev argues that "The ultimate ideals of labor issues are not in it [Taylorism], but in organizations such as labor processes that will result in maximum efficiency coupled with minimal health hazards, absence of fatigue and sound health insurance and personal development of all people workers. "Myasishchev rejected Frederick Taylor's proposal to turn humans into machines. Boring monotonous work is a temporary requirement until an appropriate machine can be developed. He also went on to advise the new discipline "ergology" to study work as an integral part of the reorganization of work. This concept was taken by Myasishchev's mentor, Bekhterev, in his final report at the conference, merely changing his name to "ergonology"
In flight
Before World War I, the focus of aviation psychology was on the aviator itself, but the war shifted its focus to the aircraft, in particular, the control and display design, and the effects of elevation and environmental factors on the pilot. The war sees the emergence of aeromedical research and the need for testing and measurement methods. The study of driver behavior began to gain momentum during this period, when Henry Ford began providing millions of Americans with cars. Another major development during this period was the performance of aeromedical research. At the end of World War I, two aeronautical labs were established, one at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas and the other at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio. Many tests were conducted to determine which characteristics differentiate successful pilots from those that did not work. During the early 1930s, Edwin Link developed the first flight simulator. Continuous trends and more sophisticated simulators and test equipment were developed. Another important development is in the civil sector, where the effects of illumination on labor productivity are examined. This led to the identification of the Hawthorne Effect, which suggests that motivational factors can significantly affect human performance.
World War II marked the development of new and complex machines and weapons, and this made new demands on operator cognition. It is no longer possible to adopt Tayloristic principles to match individuals with pre-existing jobs. Now the design of the equipment must consider human limitations and utilize human capabilities. Decision-making, attention, situational awareness and hand-eye coordination from machine operators are key to the success or failure of the task. There is a great research done to determine the abilities and limitations of humans to be solved. Much of this research begins aeromedical research between the remaining battles. An example of this is a study conducted by Fitts and Jones (1947), who studied the most effective configuration of the control knobs for use in the aircraft's cockpit.
Much of this research is transcended to other equipment in order to make control and display easier for operators to use. The inclusion of the terms "human factor" and "ergonomics" into the date of modern lexicon of this period. It was observed that a fully functional aircraft flown by the best-trained pilot, still falls. In 1943 Alphonse Chapanis, a lieutenant in the US Army, pointed out that the so-called "pilot error" could be greatly reduced when more logical and differentiated controls replaced the confusing designs in the cockpit of the aircraft. After the war, the Air Force Air Force published 19 volumes that summarize what has been determined from research during the war.
In the decade since World War II, Human Factor continues to grow and diversify. The work by Elias Porter and others in the RAND Corporation after World War II extends the conception of the Human Factor. "When thinking develops, new concepts evolve - that it is possible to see an organization like air defense systems, human-machinery as a single organism and that it is possible to study the behavior of such organisms is a climate for breakthrough." In the first 20 years after World War II, most of the activities carried out by "ancestors": Alphonse Chapanis, Paul Fitts, and Small.
During the Cold War
The beginning of the Cold War led to a major expansion of Defense in favor of research laboratories. Also, many laboratories established during World War II began to flourish. Much of the post-war research was military-sponsored. A large sum of money was given to the university to conduct research. The scope of the study is also extended from small equipment to all workstations and systems. At the same time, many opportunities began to open in the civil industry. The focus shifts from research to participation through advice to engineers in equipment design. After 1965, the period saw discipline maturity. This field has been expanded with the development of computer and computer applications.
The Space Age creates new human factor problems such as without gravity and extreme g-force. Tolerance of harsh environmental environments and their impact on mind and body are widely studied
Information age
The Dawn of the Information Age has produced a field of human-computer interaction (HCI). Similarly, increased demand and competition among consumer goods and electronics has resulted in more companies and industries including human factors in the design of their products. Using advanced technology in human kinetics, body mapping, movement patterns and hot zones, the company can produce special purpose clothing, including full body suits, jerseys, shorts, shoes, and even underwear.
Organization of Human Factors
Formed in 1946 in the UK, the oldest professional body for human and ergonomic factor specialists is The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, formally known as the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors and before that, The Ergonomics Society .
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) was founded in 1957. The Society's mission is to promote the discovery and exchange of knowledge about human characteristics applicable to the design of systems and devices of all kinds.
The Canadian Ergonomists Association - l'Association canadienne d'ergonomie (ACE) was founded in 1968. Originally named the Canadian Association of Human Factors (HFAC), the ACE (in French) was added in 1984, and consistently, bilingual titles adopted in the year 1999. According to a 2017 mission statement, ACE brings together and advances the knowledge and skills of Ergonomics and Human Factors practitioners to optimize human and organizational well-being.
The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) is an ergonomic federation and human-factor society from around the world. The mission of the IEA is to elaborate and advance the science and practice of ergonomics, and to improve the quality of life by extending the scope of application and contribution to society. In September 2008, the International Ergonomics Association has 46 federated and two affiliated societies.
Related organizations
The Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) was founded by the coal industry in 1969. From the very beginning IOM employs ergonomic staff to apply ergonomic principles to the design of mining machinery and the environment. To this day, IOM continues its ergonomic activities, particularly in the areas of musculoskeletal disorders; heat pressure and ergonomics of personal protective equipment (PPE). As with many work ergonomics, the demands and requirements of an aging British workforce are growing concerns and interests for IOM's ergonomics.
The Association of International Automotive Engineers (SAE) is a professional organization for mobility professionals in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries. The Society is a standard development organization for powered vehicle engineering of all kinds, including cars, trucks, ships, planes, and more. The Society of Automotive Engineers has established a number of standards used in the automotive industry and elsewhere. This encourages vehicle design in accordance with established Human Factor principles. It is one of the most influential organizations in connection with the work of Ergonomics in Automotive design. The Society regularly organizes conferences on topics covering all aspects of the Human/Ergonomic Factor.
Practitioner
Human factor practitioners come from diverse backgrounds, although most of them are psychologists (from various sub-fields of industrial and organizational psychology, engineering psychology, cognitive psychology, perceptual psychology, applied psychology, and experimental psychology) and physiologists. Designers (industry, interaction, and graphics), anthropologists, technical communication experts, and computer scientists also contribute. Typically, an ergonomist will have a bachelor's degree in psychology, engineering, design or health sciences, and usually a master's degree or a doctorate in a related discipline. Although some practitioners enter the field of human factors from other disciplines, both M.S. and a PhD degree in Human Factor Engineering is available from several universities around the world.
Method
Problems related to usability measures include the fact that the size of the learning and retention of how to use the interface is rarely used and some research treats the size of how users interact with the interface as synonymous with the quality used, although there is an unclear relationship.
Although the field method can be very useful as it is done in the user's natural environment, they have some major limitations to consider. Limitations include:
- Usually takes more time and resources than other methods
- Extremely high effort in planning, hiring, and execution compared to other methods
- A longer learning period and therefore requires a lot of goodwill among the participants â â¬
- The study is elongated, therefore, attrition can be a problem.
See also
References
Further reading
Journals in peer (numbers between parentheses are ISI impact factors, followed by dates)
- Behavior & amp; Information Technology (0.915, 2008)
- Ergonomics j0.747, 2001-2003)
- Ergonomics in Design (-)
- Applied Ergonomics (1.713, 2015)
- Human Factors (1.37, 2015)
- International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics (0.395, 2001-2003)
- Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing (0.311, 2001-2003)
- Travail Humain (0.260, 2001-2003)
- Theoretical Problems in Ergonomics (-)
- International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics (-)
- International Journal of Safety and Ergonomics (-)
External links
- Directory Support Design Method Directory Design Support Method
- Data Summary of Human Perception and Performance Techniques
- The Non-Governmental Standards Index on Human Engineering...
- The Government Standard Index on Human Engineering...
- Human Resources Engineering Resources
- Human Factors in flight
- NIOSH Page Topics on Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Office Ergonomics Information from the European Agency for Occupational Safety and Health
- The Human & amp; Guidebooks from the University of Maryland Department of Mechanical Engineering.
- Human Resources and Ergonomic Resources
Source of the article : Wikipedia