Introduction to Human Factors/Ergonomics (HFE)

Hardianto Iridiastadi, Ph.D.

Introduction• Consider these

– *&%#)…. My back hurts– Hey you!!! Move over!!!– No shower in 2 days….– Shhh… I’m trying to concentrate– “Smoking can cause what…”– Oh my gosh…!– Oops, I just paid him ….– Yours…

Introduction• Daily activities

• In the kitchen

• At the theaters

• Lifting drinking water

• Painting the house

• Using cell phones (or other electronic devices)

Introduction – Human Related Issues

• Office

• Plants

• Transportation sectors

• Oil, gas, mining

• Banks

• Hospitals

Introduction – Indicators

• Undesirable aspects of a system

• Inefficiency

• Fatigue

• Accidents, injuries, and errors

• User difficulties, training

• Low morale, absenteeism, and apathy

• Poor quality, rework

Introduction

– Ergonomic issues are serious, when you consider

• Three-mile island, Bhopal, dll.

• Iranian Airlines (Persian Gulf, 1987, USS Vincennes vs.

ascending aircraft)

• Railway train accidents

• Industrial accidents

• Others?

Historical Development• Early history – “fit the man to the job”• F.W. Taylor

– Scientific management

• Occupational psychology– Considers social context

• Hawthorne experiments– Experiments by Elton Mayo– At Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Co., US– ‘Hawthorne effect’

Historical Development• United States

– End of war in 1945– Engineering psychology lab (USAF)– Known as human factors (engineering)– military applications

• Europe– Around 1949– Scientists interested in human work– Known as ergonomics– industrial and agricultural applications

• Sociotechnical system – macro ergonomics

Definitions• Ergonomics

– Ergon – work/effort

– Nomos – laws

– Ergonomics = The Science of WorkErgonomics = The Science of Work• In the literature:

– in 1857 by Wojciech Jastrzebowski (a Polish educator and scientist)

– In 1949 by K.F.H. Murrel (a British scientist)

Definitions• a discipline that studies human abilities,

limitations, and functions; and applies this information in designing consumer products, tools, and equipment

• the study of human characteristics for the appropriate design of the living and work environment

Definitions

“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 applies theory, principles, data, and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance”

- From the International Ergonomics Association, 2000

Definitions• The study of human

– behavior, characteristics, capabilities, and limitations

• By which we design– Systems, “work”, products/tools, and work

environment

• With the goals of achieving– Improved performance, productivity, and safety

Humans in a system Potential HFE issues !

Contributing Disciplines

• Mathematics

• Statistics

• Physics

• Physiology & Anatomy

• Psychology

• Engineering

Potential Benefits

• Improved performance (productivity, quality, & cost)

• Reduced costs

• Improved safety

• Better quality of work life

• Higher (user/employee) satisfaction level

Objectives Obtained Via• Appropriate design of

– Machines

– Equipment/tools

– Work methods

– Work environment

– Worker selection*

– Training*

*Least preferred

Improving Systems• Design better user interface

– More compatible with the task and user

– Interface easier to use; more resistant to common errors

• Changing work environment

– Safer and more appropriate for the task

• Design the task

– More compatible with user characteristics

• Design the way work is organized

– Accomodate psychological and social needs

Work Demand

Human Capabilities?

Costs of Ignoring Ergonomics

• Nothing

• Inconvenience

• Impaired performance

• Poor productivity, quality, and increased costs

• Disorders and injuries

• Loss of life

Standards Related to Ergonomics

• United States– OSHA, ADA– Washington State, California

• International– ISO (www.iso.org) - ISO 18000

• European Union Mandatory Directives• Canada• Japan

Institutions/Organizations

• United States– Human Factors and Ergonomics Society– National Institut for Occupational Safety and

Health (NIOSH)

• United Kingdom– Ergonomics Society

• SEANES• PEI

HFE Fields

• Biomechanics– External load vs. internal (mechanical)

response– Musculoskeletal problems– Modeling– Manual handling– Hand-tool design– E.g.

HFE Fields

• Occupational Physiology– Work capacity– Energy generating mechanisms– Workload assessments– Fatigue– Work schedules

HFE Fields

• Engineering Anthropometry– Data– Workspace design– Biomechanical modeling

HFE Fields

• Stress & Workload– Environmental stressors– Psychological stressors– Overload– Fatigue and sleep disruption

HFE Fields

• Cognition & Decision Making– HIP– Attention– Perception– Memory– Situation awareness– Models– Improving decision making

HFE Fields

• Displays & Controls– Principles and design– Types of displays and controls– Labels– Monitoring– Inputs– Control and tracking

HFE Fields

• Safety & Human Error– Legislation– Models– Assessments & evaluation– Warning design– Safety management

HFE Fields

• Automation– Problems

• Reliability

• Trust

• Workload

• Job satisfaction

– Function allocation– Supervisory control

HFE Fields

• Human-Computer Interaction– Problems– Principles and design– Models– Information technology

HFE Fields

• Transportation

• Training

• Simulation & Virtual environment

• Consumer products

• Macro-ergonomics

• Aging, etc.

Class Activities and Assignments

• Ergo success stories– See e.g., Bridger (Ch.1)– Class assignments – find this out

• Class discussion– Determine various work systems– Identify potential HF/E issues– Propose what should be investigated