Ergonomics stands as a scientific discipline with the primary goal of comprehending the interplay between humans and various system components to enhance employee well-being and overall system performance. While it constitutes an advanced field in its own right, ergonomics draws insights from a spectrum of other disciplines, including engineering, psychology, anthropometry, kinesiology, and industrial design, among others. This collaborative amalgamation of diverse areas culminates in three distinct sub-domains within ergonomics: cognitive, physical, and organizational. To offer insight into these facets and their application in optimizing work environments, here’s an exploration of each area:

Cognitive Ergonomics: From a cognitive perspective, ergonomics delves into the mental processes necessary for effective role performance, encompassing reasoning, motor response, and perception. The focus of cognitive ergonomics revolves around the adept design of tasks to consider cognitive and psychological factors, thereby preventing undue strain on human operators/employees. A worker’s cognitive prowess influences various performance aspects, spanning mental workload capacity, reliability, stress management, and human-computer interaction. Enhancing ergonomics in this context entails pragmatic solutions tailored to enhance cognitive processing, understanding, and overall performance.

Physical Ergonomics: Physical ergonomics centers on the direct impact of work on the body and the body’s responses to physical and physiological demands within a given role. This domain encompasses concerns such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). We evaluate multiple factors in relation to the physical aspects of a position:

  1. Physical postures (neutral, awkward, sustained)
  2. Material handling (lifting, pushing/pulling, carrying)
  3. Tool integration (stress impact)
  4. Repetitive motions and movements
  5. Workplace layout (reachability of shelves, adjustability of work surfaces, etc.)
  6. Environmental factors (temperature, humidity, etc.)

Comprehending the physical demands inherent in a role or set of tasks is pivotal to implementing effective solutions aimed at enhancing ergonomics.

Organizational Ergonomics: While cognitive ergonomics focuses on the mind and physical ergonomics on the body, organizational ergonomics pertains to the establishment of official policies and procedures to mitigate bodily stress and injury risks. Aspects influencing ergonomics within a role or workplace encompass:

  1. Best practices
  2. Job rotation
  3. Scheduling
  4. Resource management
  5. Breaks and stretching policies
  6. And more

Ensuring workers are primed not only mentally and physically but also equipped with organizational resources forms a core tenet of organizational ergonomics.

Leveraging a Multidisciplinary Approach –  To enact meaningful and sustainable enhancements that optimize the entire system, bolster employee well-being, and elevate performance, ergonomics experts must possess a deep understanding of the job at hand.

How ASI Can Help With Proper Ergonomics 

Auspice Inc. is an approved supplier of ergonomic assessments for offices/workplaces – both virtual and in-person. An ergonomic assessment will help evaluate your workspace from an ergonomics perspective to find opportunities to improve office setup, work positions, and postures.

Whether it’s to improve your comfort with working from home or enhancing the ergonomics of office space, ASI can help. Schedule an ergonomic assessment today!

Contact us for more information call us at  613-558-5385 or   info@auspicesafety.com