Man working at his desk with the ceiling pressing on him. [Credit]
When it comes to ergonomics, most people picture a middle-aged office worker hunched over their desk, trapped in a posture that will inevitably lead to aches no amount of yoga can fix.
Given the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of today’s society, however, it seems like our definition will have to expand. According to the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), ergonomics is defined as…
“…the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other system elements.”
Hmm… Doesn’t this sound vaguely familiar? 🤨
A quick consultation of the IEA website reveals that the HFE (Human Factors/Ergonomics) and HCI community share a lot of similar values and methodologies:
A diagram of the intersection that defines Human Factors/Ergonomics (HFE) [Credits]
These are all values that can (and should) be applied to a broad range of environments, not just the office space or a desk setup. Yet, much of the dialogue surrounding ergonomics is about how it can increase productivity, lower risk for work-injuries, or other motivations driven by commercial gains. In a world where ergonomics is associated with gaming chairs, vertical mice and sit-stand desks, what are some other areas that are benefiting from ergonomics?
Hospital workers—especially nurses—are prone to getting musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and other injuries due to the physical workload and stressed environment their work involves. A whole day of walking, bending, standing, and moving patients often leads to overexertion and burnout. To minimize these risks, caregiving facilities should provide assistive equipments such as lateral transfer devices and height-adjustable beds that make it easier for nurses to focus on patient care.
