Aspects Of Ergonomics

Housing And Space Management 3(2+1)

Lesson 11 : Ergonomics In The Home

Aspects Of Ergonomics

There are five aspects of ergonomics: safety, comfort, ease of use, productivity/performance, and aesthetics. Based on these aspects of ergonomics, examples are given of how products or systems could benefit from redesign based on ergonomic principles.

  1. Safety – Today, everything is ergonomically oriented. However, buying just a single chair which provides good posture, balance and less stress on the body is not the adequate. To prevent musculoskeletal injuries, one must buy additional furniture components which are also responsible in decreasing stress and work related injury. Similarly, the overhead cabinets over kitchen counters in a kitchen may be lesser in depth and optimal in height so that the person working may get adequate head room and will not get hurt while bending over the counter. Ergonomic principles can help one to avoid injuries at home as well as at work.

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    Reach and access dimensions in cooking area

  3. Comfort - It is extremely important that products like chairs are designed with ergonomics in mind. The chair should be comfortable for the child, supporting his back and allowing his feet to touch the floor. In the case of task lighting for study table, some task lights are extremely bright as compared to their surroundings and may cause glare and discomfort to the user. Ergonomic principles could re-design this based on contrast principles.

  1. Ease of use - Seated on an ergonomically designed chair and work with a computer, the height of the chair must be adjusted accordingly. It is important to place the computer monitor at a level where it does not produce stress on the eyes or the hands. The top of the screen should be ideally set just below eye level. When sitting upright, this positioning will not produce any neck, shoulder or eye stress. Similarly, microwave ovens when placed them at a height that is much below the eye level makes it difficult to check while cooking. This could be addressed with the principles of working heights in ergonomics and aptly placing it to ease the process.

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  3. Productivity/performance - Ergonomics can potentially be used to improve productivity as well. The kitchen is typically the most used room in any house. And an efficient kitchen is typically a key point in having a happy life. There is an ergonomically correct working height for each type of work the work counters can be designed to maximize performance and reduce work stress by considering both ergonomics and productivity together.

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  5. Aesthetics - Aesthetics concerns our senses and our responses to an object. If something is aesthetically pleasing to you, it is 'pleasurable' and you like it. It is integration of function, usability, and aesthetics in design e.g. Switchboards may be placed at an appropriate height with the help of ergonomics principle so that they are consistent in height, therefore easy to locate and also do not become splotches in the interior elevations. Thus, letting the interior look pleasant while not being unduly emphatic on the walls

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Last modified: Tuesday, 12 June 2012, 10:45 AM