LIBACAO COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

LIBACAO AKLAN

BSHM-3
ERGONOMICS

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 ERGONOMICS & FACILITIES PLANNING FOR HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY
What is Ergonomics?
 Derived from the Greek
words ‘Ergon’ meaning
work and ‘nomos’
meaning laws.
 Thus, ergonomics can
be simply defined as
the how workplace and
equipment can be best
used and designed for
comfort, safety,
efficiency and
productivity.
 “Ergonomics (or human
factors) is the scientific
discipline concerned
with the understanding
of the interactions
among human and other elements of a system, and the profession that

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 applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to
optimize human well-being and overall system performance.”-
International Ergonomics Association Executive Council, August 2000
 Simply, ergonomics is the branch of science that deals with the people
and their working environment.
 Ergonomics is for worker safety and health and maintaining the healthy
working environment.
 It can also be understood as the study of worker in their working
environment.
 Ergonomics is concerned with designing or arranging workplaces,
products and systems so that they fit the people who use them and the
maximum output can be obtained from them
 Ergonomics extends beyond the proper posture of the workers.

Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces,

products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.
Most people have heard of ergonomics and think it is something to do
with seating or with the design of car controls and instruments – and it is…
but it is so much more. Ergonomics applies to the design of anything that
involves people – workspaces, sports and leisure, health and safety.
Ergonomics (or ‘human factors’ as it is referred to in North America) is
a branch of science that aims to learn about human abilities and limitations,
and then apply this learning to improve people’s interaction with products,
systems and environments.
Ergonomics aims to improve workspaces and environments to
minimize risk of injury or harm. So as technologies change, so too does the
need to ensure that the tools we access for work, rest and play are
designed for our body’s requirements.

Importance of ergonomics:
a) Increases productivity
 Best ergonomic solution enhances the productivity
 Ergonomic reduces the unwanted tension, awkward position of the
body.
 Ergonomic is focused in making the work your easier and comfortable,
this thereby reduces any kind of stress, risk and enhances the
satisfaction and productivity.
b) Reduces the cost
 Ergonomics can be considered as the one-time investment
 As ergonomics is focused about marinating the better health of the
worker it can further reduce the cost of compensation that would be
made by the injured or unhealthy staffs.
 It also reduces the indirect and the opportunity cost that could have
incurred due to injury.

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c) Improves the quality of the work
 Improved ergonomics favors the favorable environment where the
workers can work efficiently.
 As the ergonomics improves, level of satisfaction in the quality of the
work increases.
d) Others
 Helps to reduce the absenteeism due to more comfort, safety and
healthy working environment
 Assurance to the worker as their workplace is safer (acts as the
motivation)
 More focus on the working environment and worker’s health makes
them feel valued and boost of moral.

Ergonomics is a relatively new branch of science which celebrated its 50th

anniversary in 1999, but relies on research carried out in many other older,
established scientific areas, such as engineering, physiology and
psychology.
To achieve best practice design, Ergonomists use the data and
techniques of several disciplines:
 Anthropometry: body sizes, shapes; populations and variations
 Biomechanics: muscles, levers, forces, strength
 Environmental physics: noise, light, heat, cold, radiation, vibration body
systems: hearing, vision, sensations
 Applied psychology: skill, learning, errors, differences
 Social psychology: groups, communication, learning, behaviours.

Principles of Ergonomics
There are 10 fundamental principles of ergonomics which are:
1. Work in neutral postures
 Proper posture maintenance is necessary
 Working too long with “C” curve can cause strain
 Keeping the proper alignment of neck hands wrist are also necessary
2. Reduce excessive force
 Excessive pressure or force at the joints can cause injury
 Better to minimize the work that requires more physical labor
3. Keep everything in reach
 Keeping everything in reach would help in avoiding unneeded
stretching and strain
 More or less this principle is related with maintaining good posture.
4. Work at proper height
 Working at right makes things way easier
 Sometimes height can be maintained by adding extensions or avoiding
extensions on the chair or tables
5. Reduce excessive motions
 Repetitive motion needs to be avoided

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  This can cause disorder and numbness in long run
 Motion scan be reduced by the use of power tools
6. Minimize fatigue and static load
 Fatigue is common in strenuous work
 Having to hold things for longer period is example of static load
 Fatigue can be reduced by the intervals and the breaks between the
works.
7. Minimize pressure points
 One needs to be aware of pressure points
 Almost everyone of has to sit on chairs that had cushioning, one of the
pressure point is behind knees, which happens if air is too high or
when you dangle your legs. Pressure point is also created in between
your thigh and the bottom of a table when you sit.
 Anti-fatigue mats or insole can be used
8. Provide clearance
 Work area should have enough clearance
 Let the worker not worry about the bumps that they have to encounter
on daily basis.
9. Move, exercise and stretch
 Move and stretch when you can
 It better to take intervals between the works and stretch and move
along
 Stretching technique may differ and depend on the work one does
10. Maintain a comfortable environment
 This principle is focused on the other component of the working
environment.
 It is concerned about the lightening, space, cool air and many more.

Ergonomic Injuries/Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSDs):

 Ergonomic injuries or MSDs can affect the muscles, nerves, tendons,
ligaments, joints, cartilage and spinal discs.
 Musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) is also known as the repetitive
motion injury.
 MSDs are the condition that can affect muscles, joints and bones.
 MSD are caused due to individual risk factor or ergonomic risk factor.
 MSDs are the single largest category of workplace injuries and are
responsible for almost 30% of all worker’s compensation costs
 Individual risk factor include age, nutrition, activity, etc., while
ergonomic risk factors includes:
o High task repetition
o Awkward body posture for longer period
o Sitting in same posture
o Lifting heavy weights.
However, MSDs can be simply prevented as:
 Avoiding repetitive action.
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  Use of machines for strenuous action.
 Maintaining the body posture.
 Use of cushion pads, lumbar support whiling sitting for the longer time.

Ergonomics: Risk Factors

Learn to control ergonomic risk factors associated with your work.
Understanding risk factors and practicing basic ergonomic principles
are the first defense against possible injury and lost productivity.
Job activities involving any of the ergonomic risk factors below may
contribute to or result in an increased risk of strain and injury.
 Awkward  Insufficient rest  Repetitive
postures breaks motions
 Bending  Lifting  Static or
 Compression or  Lighting sustained
contact stress  Noise postures
 Forceful  Pushing, pulling  Temperature
exertions  Reaching extremes
 Vibration
The good news is there's a lot you can do to prevent injuries from occurring.

Ergonomics: Scope and Fields of Application of Ergonomics

Ergonomics, in practice, is found to be applied over the field of working
environment and deals with various aspects such as:
Anatomical factors in workplace layout, including the placement of
machines/equipment and components to suit human body measurements
and design of seats etc. In order to help accurate perception of various
display panels and presentation of all types of instrument dials to deal with
layout of the work place.
The design of wheels and control levers in order to suit human mental
and physical characteristics. Climatic conditions such as lighting and noise
at the workplace. Adaptation of the designs of machines/equipment, tools
and work place layout to suit human beings was under taken by work study
engineers. But these engineers relied mostly on their intuition and practical
knowledge in that field.
The other sources of information were human experience of fatigue
plus stress felt by his subjects. All this was a generalistic approach which
has been discarded in current ergonomic practice. Current ergonomic
practice is emphasis on a systematic research into all human aspects of the
system under investigation.
Studies were conducted in the areas of air craft, military space vehicle
systems and electronics initially. Presently the design of various systems
such as, automobile, production equipment, transportation systems,
consumer products, architectural design, computers, housing, town and
country planning public Utilities and agriculture equipment etc. are being
studied to determine their ergonomic suitability. Likewise service system
have also been investigated.
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Ergonomics is profitably applied in following three areas:
1. Design of Man-Machine Systems:
A man-machine system is a system where one or more workmen/
human beings work in relation with one or more machines, devices or
equipment. Thus a worker drilling a hole in a job or a person using a
hammer to drive a nail in a wooden job (an article being manufactured is an
example of a man- machine system as far as ergonomics is concerned.
Such systems could be productive systems as well as service systems such
as a post office or fire fighting system or a dispensary etc. Ergonomics is
applied to adapt such systems so as to provide maximum job satisfaction
and comfort and minimum physiological and mental load to the operator of
the system.

2. Design of Consumer Goods and Service Systems:

Ergonomics is applicable in the design of consumer goods starting
from design of tooth brush and other items such as dinning set; sofa set;
kitchen ware, house hold fittings table and shoes etc. Similarly protective
equipment such as safety goggles, adverse weather and space clothing,
gloves, crash helmets, fire fighting and industrial hazard protection and
appliances etc. should also be economically sound.

3. Design of Working Environment:

While designing a proper working environment for work force/workers
at work, the various factors related with ergonomics such as human
endurance of illumination, pollution, noise heating and ventilation should be
taken into consideration. This aspect should be taken into consideration at
each stage right design up to real utilization or actual service.
The field of this applicable unlimited. All factors concerned with
environments such as design of work benches, public transport, road
systems, town and country planning, personnel, neighbourhood, as well as
airports etc. should be subjected to ergonomic analysis.
The users of ergonomics information such as engineers (may be civil,
electrical, mechanical, production, industrial, space and biomedical) can
utilize behavioral scientists (i.e. anthropologists, psychologists and
sociologists) as sources of information. Likewise other users have relevant
sources of information.

GLOSSARY OF ERGONOMIC TERMS

The field of ergonomics is full of various terms, such as "carpal tunnel
syndrome" and "cumulative trauma disorder." Here's a short guide to
everything from "accommodation" to "work reach envelope."
Accommodation: any modification or adjustment to a work
environment that enables an operator to perform essential job functions.

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 Administrative controls: procedures and methods, set up by the
employer, that significantly reduce exposure to risk factors by altering the
way in which work is performed. Examples include job rotation and
adjustment of work pace.
Anthropometry: the science of studying human body dimensions. It is
used to design ergonomic standards, assembly procedures and
workstations. The goal of anthropometry is to minimize design
incompatibility and maximize human performance.
Awkward posture: deviation from the ideal working posture of elbows
at the side of the torso, with the wrists neutral. It is associated with an
increased risk for injury. Awkward postures typically include reaching
behind, twisting, forward or backward bending, pinching and squatting.
Biomechanics: a field of study that uses the laws of physics and
engineering concepts to describe the motions of body parts and the forces
acting upon them during normal daily activities.
Boundary values: a guideline used to design for the 5th to 95th
percentile, which means designing for about 90 percent of a given
population. The range of sizes dictates the range of flexibility necessary for
new workstations, material handling equipment or assembly tools in order to
accommodate the full range of employees. Usually, boundary values are
obtained from large existing databases.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: a wrist disorder often associated with
repetitive hand work. Symptoms include burning, itching, prickling or tingling
feelings in the wrist or first three fingers and thumb. Carpal tunnel syndrome
is more prevalent in women than in men. It is one example of a cumulative
trauma disorder.
Chronobiology: the science of investigating and objectively
quantifying phenomena and mechanisms of the biologic time structure, such
as circadian rhythms. It is a new and rapidly developing specialty.
Cumulative trauma disorder (CTD): premature wear and tear
damage to specific body structures. CTD injuries are mostly caused by low
intensity forces applied over a long period of time, with motions repeated
over and over concentrated on specific muscles and joints. Common
examples of CTD include carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. Cumulative
trauma disorder is also called “repetitive motion injury.”
DeQuervain’s disease: an inflammation of the tendon sheath of the
thumb attributed to excessive friction between two thumb tendons and their
common sheath. It is usually caused by twisting and forceful gripping
motions with the hands. The disorder is named after a French doctor who
first described it.
Duration: the length of exposure to a risk factor. It can be measured
as the minutes or hours per day that an operator is exposed to a risk.
Typically, the greater the duration of exposure to a risk factor, the greater
the degree of risk.

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 Engineering controls: physical changes to a job that reduce
musculoskeletal disorders. Examples of engineering controls include
changing or redesigning workstations, tools, equipment or processes.

Ergonomics: the scientific study of human work. It is derived from the

Greek words ergon (work) and nomos (laws). Ergonomics considers the
physical and mental capabilities and limits of the worker as he or she
interacts with tools, equipment, work methods, tasks and the working
environment.
Ergonomist: an individual who analyzes work environments and
recommends administrative, engineering and work practice controls.
Ergonomists attempt to remove barriers to quality, productivity and safe
human performance by fitting products, tasks and environments to people.
Exposure: a concept used to describe the particular risk factor
experienced by a worker, with a profile of modifying factors, such as
intensity, time characteristics and duration.
Fatigue: a condition that results when the human body cannot provide
enough energy for the muscles to perform a task. There is a reduction in the
ability to exert force in response to voluntary effort.
Force: the amount of muscular effort required to perform a task.
Generally, the greater the force, the greater the degree of risk. High force
has been associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders at the
shoulder, neck, forearm, wrist, hand and lower back.

Frequency: the number of cycles occurring per time unit.

Global boundaries: the working population used to generate
boundary values. If global boundaries are not considered, data can easily
be misrepresented. For instance, a 95th percentile male at an auto parts
assembly plant in Michigan will be different in height and arm length from
individuals working at similar plants in China and Mexico.
Human factors: a branch of ergonomics that focuses on cognitive
performance of humans.
Job rotation: a practice in which operators are rotated through several
different assembly tasks during a shift. While two or more tasks may require
repetitive motion, a different group of muscles or tendons will be worked.
Job rotation is a common type of work practice control. But, it is often
misused--workers get rotated into similar jobs, and so rotation has no effect.
Kinesiology: a field of study that focuses on the principles of
mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement.
Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD): an injury or illness of soft tissues of
the upper extremity (fingers through upper arm), shoulders and neck, low
back and lower extremity (hips through toes). It is primarily caused or
exacerbated by workplace risk factors, such as sustained and repeated
exertions or awkward postures and manipulations. Included are disorders of
the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage and spinal disks.
Medical conditions generally develop gradually over a period of time and do

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not typically result from a single instantaneous event. Injuries arising from
slips, trips, falls and similar accidents are not considered to be a MSD.
Neutral posture: a comfortable working posture that reduces the risk
of musculoskeletal disorders. The joints are naturally aligned with elbows at
the side of the body and wrists straight. The more a joint deviates from
neutral posture, the greater the risk of injury.
95th percentile: a term commonly used to determine ergonomic
boundary values. It means that the dimensions of an individual are greater
than 95 percent of the male population, and 100 percent of the female
population, since women are smaller than men as a population. At the 95th
percentile, five out of every 100 individuals exceed the target value. Special
accommodations may be required for these particularly short or tall
individuals.
Optimal work zone: an area in front of the body defined by keeping the
back straight, the shoulders neutral and the hands between hand rest and
elbow height.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): special devices that operators
wear to provide a protective barrier between the employee and a MSD
hazard. Examples include vibration-reduction gloves, wrist braces and back
support belts.
Raynaud’s syndrome: a medical condition where blood vessels of the
hand are damaged from repeated exposure to vibration over a long period
of time. The skin and muscles do not get the necessary oxygen from the
blood and eventually die. Symptoms include intermittent numbness and
tingling in the fingers; pale, ashen and cold skin; and eventual loss of
sensation and control in the hands and fingers. Raynaud’s syndrome is also
called “white finger.”
Reaction torque: the force created when a threaded fastener forms a
solid joint during the run-down phase.
Recovery time: the length of rest between exertions. Inadequate rest
periods between exertions can decrease performance. As the duration of
the uninterrupted work increases, so does the amount of recovery time
needed. Short work pauses can reduce discomfort.
Repetition: the number of similar exertions performed during a task.
Repetition is only one risk factor and must be evaluated in terms of other
factors such as force, posture, cold and vibration.
Repetitive motion injury: see “cumulative trauma disorder.”
Repetitiveness: performing the same motions repeatedly. The
severity of risk depends on the frequency of repetition, speed of the
movement or action, the number of muscle groups involved and the
required force.
Risk factors: an aspect of a job that increases an operator’s chance of
getting a work-related musculoskeletal disorder. There are several basic risk
factors, including force, posture, repetition and vibration.
Segmental vibration: vibration applied to the hands and arms through
a tool or piece of equipment. This can cause a reduction in blood flow to the

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hands and fingers. It can also interfere with sensory receptor feedback,
leading to increased handgrip force to hold the tool. A strong association
has been reported between carpal tunnel syndrome and segmental
vibration.
Strain: an injury to a muscle or tendon.

Tendinitis: a painful inflammation or swelling that occurs when a

muscle or tendon is repeatedly tensed from overuse or unaccustomed use.
The elbow, shoulder and wrist are common locations for this injury.
Tendinitis is one example of a cumulative trauma disorder.
Threshold limit value (TLV): an occupational exposure value to which
nearly all workers can be exposed day after day for a working lifetime
without ill effect.
Trigger finger: a tendon disorder that occurs when there is a groove
in the flexing tendon of the finger. If the tendon becomes locked in the
sheath, attempts to move the finger cause snapping and jerking
movements. Trigger finger is usually associated with tools that have handles
with hard or sharp edges.
Vibration: oscillation or periodic motion of a rigid or elastic body from
equilibrium. Electric and pneumatic tools, such as screwdrivers, generate
vibration that can cause injury over time.
White finger: see “Raynaud’s syndrome.”
Work practice controls: procedures for safe work that are used to
reduce the duration, frequency or severity of exposure to a hazard. They
include work methods training, job rotation and gradual introduction to work.
Working reach envelope: the space about a person created by the
reach capabilities to grasp an object with the back straight and minimal
deviation of the elbow and shoulder from a neutral position.

Ergonomics Domains of Specialization

According to the International Ergonomics Association, there are three
broad domains of ergonomics: physical, cognitive, and organizational.
Physical Ergonomics
Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical,
anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they
relate to physical activity.
This is the ergonomics domain we are most concerned with in the
workplace, and most of the content on this site is very much focused on
workplace ergonomics.
Workplace Ergonomics
The science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the
capabilities of the working population. Ergonomics is an approach or
solution to deal with a number of problems—among them are work-related
musculoskeletal disorders.
At its core, workplace ergonomics is really about building a better
workplace. When jobs are designed to match the capabilities of people, it

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results in better work being produced and a better experience for the person
doing it.
Through that lens, ergonomics creates value on several fronts. It’s
good for your people and good for your business.

Benefits of Ergonomics
-Lower costs -Higher productivity -Better product quality
-Improved employee engagement -Better safety culture

The ergonomics improvement process systematically identifies

ergonomic hazards and puts in place engineering and administrative control
measures to quantifiably reduce risk factors.

Ergonomics Process
Step 1: Involve Employees - Your employees are the experts in their work.
Often they are the best at spotting problems. They probably already have
good ideas and solutions.
Training your employees on ergonomics gives them additional skills for
finding hazards and solutions.

Step 2: Find Hazards -There are a number of ways to look for potential
hazards.
•Start with a walk-through of your workplace. Ask your supervisors and
workers about:
o Manual lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or other physically demanding
work.
o Work done in awkward postures, like bending, reaching, or twisting.
o Hand intensive work, such as using tools, assembling parts, or packing
boxes.
o Processes with bottlenecks or quality problems.
•Investigate injuries, and review injury records (like OSHA 300 Logs) and
workers’ compensation claims to find tasks and trends related to sprains
and strains.
•Think about ergonomics when making changes to your facilities,
equipment, and processes or purchasing new tools.

Step 3: Assess Hazards -Go for easy fixes first. Sometimes hazards are
obvious, and solutions can be quickly put in place with little or no evaluation.
Look at your jobs using these simple solutions to identify problems with
easy fixes.
When a more careful analysis is needed to identify hazards start with a
job that seems to have the most problems or the job that is easiest to fix.
There are a number of ergonomics evaluation tools you can use to analyze
a job in more detail.

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Step 4: Fix Hazards -Work with your employees and safety committee to fix
hazards.
Here are some ideas to help create solutions:
 Use these simple solutions to quickly find easy fixes.
 Search the Ergonomics Ideas Bank to find effective solutions.
 Use industry specific injury prevention guidelines, created by
associations, labor groups and governmental agencies.
 Ask vendors to let you test tools and equipment on a trial basis.
 A cost-benefit analysis can justify more costly solutions like changes to
facilities or purchasing new tools and equipment.
Follow these tips to help you develop effective solutions.

Step 5: Check For Success - After using a solution for a few weeks, look
at the job again and talk with the employees to see if the fix is working as
planned. You can use the same ergonomics principles and evaluation tools
used on Step 3 to determine if the solution reduced the risk of injury.
Also, make sure the solution didn’t create any new hazards or other
problems.
If a solution does not reduce the risk of injury or is not being used as
intended, you can repeat Steps 4 and 5 to find a more effective fix.
Lastly, remember to celebrate your successes – recognize your
company’s accomplishments in meetings, in company newsletters and on
safety bulletin boards.

REFERENCES:
 https://www.publichealthnotes.com/ergonomics-and-its-10-principles/
 https://www.assemblymag.com/articles/86178-glossary-of-ergonomic-
terms
 https://www.relauncher.com.au/blog/5-important-benefits-of-ergonomics-
in-the-workplace

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 NAME: ________________________________________________
DATE OF SUBMISSION: ___________________

 Strictly No Erasures. Use black ballpen only. Not following

instructions consider wrong.

TEST I. IDENTIFICATION: Identify what is being asked in the following

sentences. Write your answer on the space provided before each
number.
____________________________1.

III. Enumeration. Direction: Enumerate the Following.

A. Examples of Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace
1. 4.

2. 5.

3.

B. Best Ergonomic Tips for the Office

1. 4.

2. 5.

3.

IV. Research the following:

1. Common Areas Where Ergonomics is used

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 2. Types of Ergonomics Hazard

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