Etrgonomics is important for human comfort , also known as human factors how important it is in furniture design is the first part of this lecture. Intended for anyone interested in the subject.

1. Ergonomics :
an introduction
PART I
Ar. Surashmie Kaalmegh
Associate Professor
BID ,LAD College , Nagpur

2. Performing tasks requires use of parts &
joints of our body.
Kneeling

3. Performing tasks requires use of parts &
Joints of our body.
Standing

4. Performing
tasks requires
use of parts &
joints of our
body. Standing

5. Performing tasks requires use of parts &
joints of our body.
Standing

6. Performing tasks requires use of parts &
joints of our body.
Sitting

7. Performing tasks requires use of parts &
joints of our body.
Sitting

8. To perform tasks / activities we take different postures
& to take postures body movement is required & for movement to take place
Space is required , in other words clearances:

9. What is Ergonomics ???
 The term "ergonomics" is derived from two Greek words:
"ergon," meaning work, and
"nomoi," meaning natural laws.
 Ergonomist’s study human capabilities in relationship to work
demands.
 Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline
concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans
and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies
theory, principles, data and methods to design
in order to :

10. Optimize human well-being & overall system
performance.

11. Anthropometrics & Ergonomics
 ANTHROPOMETRICS ?
 The study of the human body and
its movement, often involving
research into measurements
relating to people.
 It also involves collecting
statistics or measurements
relevant to the human body,
called Anthropometric Data.
 The data is usually displayed as a
table of results, diagram or graph.
Anthropometric data is used by
designers and architects.
 ERGONOMICS ?
 The study of people and their
relationship with the environment
around them.
 Measurements, also known as
‘anthropometric data’, are collected
and applied to designs / products, to
make them more comfortable to
use.
 The application of measurements to
products, in order to improve their
human use, is called Ergonomics.

13. The Vitruvian man
 Proportions & scale of
 Spaces
 Furniture
 Vehicles
 Products
 Appliances
 Gadgets
 Accessories

14. Use of Ergonomics: different environments and activities

16. Fingers and grips

17. Fitting the job to the worker

18. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the
job to the worker.
 When there is a mismatch
between the physical
requirements of the job and
the physical capacity of the
worker, Work-related
Musculoskeletal
Disorders (WMSDs) can
result.
 Workers who must repeat
the same motion
throughout their workday,
 who do their work in an
awkward position, who
use a great deal of force
to perform their jobs,
 who must repeatedly lift
heavy objects or
 who face a combination
of these risk factors are
most likely to develop
WMSDs.

19.  Ergonomics is a scientific
discipline that has been around
for many years.
 Traditionally concerned with
factory workers and keeping
their work environments safe
and efficient, ergonomic
professionals have expanded
their work to include all types of
workers from laborers to office
workers, students to seniors.
 Ergonomics is
concerned with how our
environment interacts
with our work.
It also looks for
ways to adjust our
environment to decrease
the risks of injury and
illness, enhance
productivity, and improve
the quality of our work life.

20. What is workspace?
 Workspace is the space
within which you perform
the tasks that add up to
your job.
If you were cooking
dinner , your workspace
would be the area in the
kitchen around the fridge,
cooker and sink.
or
A workspace includes 
desk and chair + the area
immediately around when
studying .

21. Physical design of a workspace
includes :
 Working out how much
space needed, &
 Positioning of furniture,
tools,
 Equipment & any other
items needed to
perform the tasks,
w.r.t. posture, access,
clearance, reach and
vision of the user.

22. Other workplaces :

24. A poorly designed workspace, or a bad arrangement of furniture
or equipment, may result in injuries and strains due to:
 adoption of uncomfortable
working postures,
 less 'spare' capacity to deal
with unexpected events or
emergencies,
 the increased possibility of
errors or accidents,
 and inefficiency
 (the dinner takes longer to
cook if the kitchen is badly
organised!)

27. Agencies doing research on ergonomics /
human factors
 OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health
Administration (Department of Labor)
OSHA is the authority when it comes to
Workplace Safety, Health & Ergonomics.
 OSHA has devoted an entire area to
Computer Workstation & Keyboard Safety &
Ergonomics.

29. (a) Arm rest does not move
when user moves / reclines
(b) Arm rest moves
(a)
(b)
Some studies :

30. Neck roll & back rests
No back support
With back support

31. The heart gets
Constricted due to
the stoop
The heart
gets a lot of
room

34. Salient features of Ergonomics :There are three key principles:
1. You are trying to get away from assumptions. Assumptions are fast, but often wrong.
 Ergonomics is objective, and uses data. It involves research, measurement
and testing.
2. The user is always right - there is no such thing as "human error" in the fault sense.
It's up to the design to take account of the way people are, and the situation they will
be in.
 Obviously to some extent this is impossible to achieve, but this is the
mindset that ergonomics gives you. Human fallibility must be allowed for.
3. The average is no use to you, thinking about it will lead to low standards. Your
concern is with the worse-case few percent.

35.  Who will be using the design? It's
unlikely to be 'everyone', or people
like you.
Ideally,  data such as market
research demographics to identify
age, sex, and social aspects.
Then among the characteristics 
defined could be :
 Physical size
 Strength
 Flexibility
 Skills like eyesight and
coordination
 Also cognitive capabilities like:
 Familiarity with similar designs
 Ease of learning
 Vocabulary
 Familiarity with concepts and
metaphors used in the design
All these factors will influence basic aspects of the design,
including its scope, complexity, display size etc.
If the users are not well known as a group, it may
be a good idea to involve some representatives very early
in the process, to make sure that the design does not set
off in an unsuitable direction at the outset.

36.  What do its users want to achieve
with it?  This is something to think about
because it may not be quite
obvious.
For example the act of using the
design may not form any part of
the user's objectives, or it may be
secondary.
 This might guide as to what
users are thinking about as they
start using the design, and thus
how to best guide their attention.
 For many designs it can be helpful
to set a testable criterion for
design success, such as a
percentage of users who can
achieve their objective within a
certain time.
 Then it follows that you consider
what happens to those people who
cannot achieve their objectives, and
how serious that is.

37.  Where will it be used?
Putting the design in its context can
reveal key factors such as: -
 How much time people have to
learn, read labels ?
 What are they expecting ?
 If they will be distracted or under
stress (which can decimate the
ability to learn) …………
 Whether reading instructions are
required …….
 What the users will be wearing ?
 Things users may be carrying or
holding………….
 What happens to it while it is not
being used……………..
 Temperature, humidity, wind,
light…………….
 Test.
The Golden Rule :

41. If furniture designed is not comfortable
then…………

42. Hence the design should be user friendly
& supportive as in fig . 3

43. PART II
Photo and text credit to all the talented unnamed photographers and authors whose works have been used in this presentation