MODULE: INTRODUCTION TO ERGONOMICS

THE PROCESS OF ERGONOMIC WORKPLACE RISK ASSESSMENT (Continued):

STEP 7: Proactive ergonomics

Initially ergonomic changes will be reactive responses to problems as they occur; however the ultimate goal should be a proactive approach that seeks to prevent problems, enabling early detection and more timely interventions in potential ergonomic problems. Ergonomic issues should be identified and resolved in the planning stage of the process. Design strategies should emphasize fitting the job demands to the capabilities of the employees.

See the document Ergonomic (MSI) Risk Factor Identification and Assessment Tool for example of assessment, and
Job Hazard Analysis Tools for evaluating job risk factors.

Examples of design criteria:

Recommended Work Surface Heights:
Recommended work surface heights for sedentary workers (in cm)*
Task requirements Male Female
Fine work 99-105 89-95
Precision work 89-94 82-87
Writing 74-78 70-75
Coarse or medium work 69-72 66-70
*From Ayoub (1973)

Recommended work surface height for standing workers (in cm)*
Task requirements Male Female
Precision work 109-119 103-113
Light assembly work 99-109 87-98
Heavy work 85-101 78-94
*From Ayoub (1973)




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General Introduction to Occupational Health: Occupational Hygiene, Epidemiology & Biostatistics by Prof Jonny Myers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 South Africa License
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