The Study of Ergonomics Through the Lens of Anthropometry Essay

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Ergonomics: discuss the contribution that anthropometry makes to our understanding of ergonomic interventions in the workplace?

Ergonomics discusses the science of designing how users interact within their work place as well as the many equipment they utilize in order to guarantee that they fit to the user. An effective ergonomic design plays the critical role of prevention of recurring strain injuries that may develop increasingly over a period and have a probability of leading to long-term disability (Rosskam, 1996). Therefore, an organization must strive to attain proper health as well as productivity through place of work interactions. Ergonomics enables doing just so. Intervention and prevention strategies can be used within the workplace to diminish the incidences and effects of diseases, syndromes, and musculoskeletal injuries. Anthropometry remains one of the disciplines greatly helping people understand use and application of ergonomic interventions (Hrdlic-ka, 1972). Henceforth, this paper commences the exploration of contribution anthropometry makes in understanding workplace ergonomic interventions.

Intervention

There are two options for intervention, primary or secondary. When it comes to primary intervention action is taken prior to the circumstances of injury have been acquired by members of an at-risk population. An occupational safety and health management standard should be "designed to ensure a planned and coordinated approach to managing health and safety risks in the workplace. It should include procedures for preventing injuries and illness, and for managing the quick return to work of injured police employees" (Achim, 2014, p. 20). This may include, for instance, such things as instructive programs to curtail new occurrences of muscle pains, low back, and so on. Secondary intervention takes place when people take preemptive actions after at-risk members have experienced the health conditions the group is concerned about spreading. A good example of what it may include is introduction of job restructuring for workers that may have shown initial symptoms of musculoskeletal ailments. Looking at intervention from another perspective, it can also be tertiary, meaning interventions are being commenced for members who have established serious and crippling conditions.

Ergonomics Principles

Application of ergonomic principles sets up the foundation for the bigger degree of intervention texts. It progresses workplace interventions that aid in creating a fit amid the worker, the job, the environment, as well as the work equipment. Professionals within ergonomics, such as researchers and practitioners, reflect numerous factors that affect productivity and safety in work environments. Scientific approaches are followed in the application of something like ergonomics. This may include collecting data and examining it such as through job and surveillance analysis, expansion of hypotheses in addressing explicit factors or conditions, proposals for organization controls to address numerous organizational physiognomies, testing of hypotheses, as well as refining and maintenance of the hypotheses. A study from 2012 assessed the practical application of ergonomics in surgery. "This study supports hypotheses that surgeons are experiencing body part discomfort and indicators of fatigue that may be associated with performing laparoscopy. Results suggest that awareness, knowledge, and utilization of ergonomic principles could protect surgeons against symptoms that lead to occupational injury" (Miller et al., 2012, p. 1087). Essentially ergonomics asks that people maintain neutral positions when standing, in terms of hand positioning, and avoiding moving or twisting the waist and other areas. This promotes less strain on the musculoskeletal system and allows for effective use of body positioning, especially long-term.

Anthropometry and its role in understanding ergonomic interventions

One chief characteristic of ergonomics is its highly interdisciplinary aspect because of its foundation constructed on varied areas of information. Anthropometry, nevertheless, has a distinctive importance owed to the advent composite work systems. The composite work systems display accurate and adequate knowledge of human's physical dimensions making it important in implementation of ergonomic principles. Application of anthropometric measurements enable development of a suitable working space design and the development of commercial products such as car, tools, furnishings, and so forth. With continuous technological improvements, there will be an upsurge in the precision and automation of measurement methods. This will augment the workspaces mechanics, equipment and clothing and the human size definition.

Anthropometry refers to a scientific approach to studying the measurement and the proportions of the human body. When it comes to human variation, it is an intricate issue to study. The methods used have been a matter of debate for numerous years as shown in this 2012 study.

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Several basic and clinical disciplines are interested in the quantitative assessment of the dimensions of human facial soft-tissue structures (eyes, nose, mouth and lips, chin, ears), and of their reciprocal spatial positions and relative proportions. Anatomical and anthropometric descriptions, medical evaluations (genetics; maxillo-facial, plastic and esthetic surgery; dentistry), forensic medicine, they all need reference three-dimensional data collected on healthy, normal individuals selected for sex, age, ethnic group, to be compared to those obtained on the single patient (Sforza et al., 2012, p. 611).

Notwithstanding its practicality within ergonomic studies, it is complex and must be addressed with caution. Biological anthropology history indicates that pursuing a one-dimensional approach can have disadvantageous outcomes. Ergonomists need to be cautious lest they duplicate the same errors. By carefully learning variations of workspace design, it can be designed in a way that suits members using it as well as this can assist in reducing the possibilities of physical injuries to workers and supporting better productivity from the members. A well-developed tool will have a superior performance in a worker's hand, granting ability to produce more and avoid injuries to the body's structures. On the other hand, anthropometric information can only be useful if the workers' activities are evaluated and examined.

Researchers recognize musculoskeletal disorders as being the most widespread workplace occupational complaints in a substantial diversity of jobs. Correspondingly, considerable evidence exists pointing towards awkward posture, force and contact stress, repetition, as the main influences leading to such cases. If an individual frequently sits in an awkward position on a chair, he/she puts strain on his/her back. The repetitive contact stress may subsequently lead to pains as well as possibly deformation of body structures within the long-term. Additionally, researchers note work-related musculoskeletal disorders to be top causes of work absenteeism and disability (Achim, 2014).

Today, office work entails the extensive use of computers with people stuck at the desk for 8-12 hours each day. There is a dull use of computers, including its accessories, midst office workers. This equipment use becomes a source of varied ergonomic risk factors. The most common of which being that of awkward postures (Rosskam, 1996). Consequently, complaints due to musculoskeletal problems in various body parts, especially, hand, shoulder, wrist, neck, are common in various occupational groups. Use of anthropometric statistics can offer significant solutions to WSMDs that are due to contact stress as well as awkward posture. Through developing workstations that are designed through the knowledge of scientific body measurements of users, it can greatly aid in relieving the existing cases, possible preventing future incidences.

The emphasis of ergonomics is on guaranteeing that the workplace is efficient, safe, and relaxed, as much as possible. Efficient and effective use of ergonomics within a work system may accomplish balance amid the task demands as well as worker characteristics. The use of anthropometric methods can assist in realization of this. Therefore, it may help in augmenting worker safety, physical and mental well-being of the users, productivity of workers, and overall job satisfaction. The main concerns connected to work systems is typically achieving enhancement of tools and machines. Additionally, organizations and businesses give work system designs little or no deliberation at all meaning that below par designed systems are common within the industry. An ergonomically deficient workplace can physical and emotional stress, low productivity, poor work quality, and job dissatisfaction (Hrdlic-ka, 1972). A workstation should be designed in such a way that the functioning area is lessened so that the worker may apply shorter motions, reduce fatigue while operating, and use less energy. Workspace design may also be improved using anthropometric data that keeps in mind the physical measurements of the sizes of potential users of the situation.

Conclusion

Ergonomics assists in guaranteeing that a work environment is comfortable and safe for workers to reduce numerous conditions such as WMSDs. It is also serves the purpose of guaranteeing that workers possess better quality productivity and work. Ergonomics is interdisciplinary whereas anthropometry is one of several disciplines in which one can find a lot of application. Through use of anthropometric statistics, organizations can develop work settings that suit the users as well as curtail such things as awkward posture and contact stress. Anthropometry, so considerably helps in understanding ergonomic kinds of intervention within the workplace......

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