What are Ergonomics? Ergonomics is the science of redesigning objects so that they are more comfortable and efficient. The term ergonomics was officially coined in 1950, but had been used as early as 1857. The word is derived from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomos meaning natural law. People who study ergonomics study the relationship between the object and the person that uses that object. The main goal of an ergonomist, or someone who studies ergonomics, is to achieve maximum performance of an object while maintaining comfort and safety and minimizing hazards to the user. They can do this by either altering the object or the environment that the object and person interact in.
How Are Ergonomics Used In Everyday Life? Ergonomics are used in many different ways in everyday life. When you pick up a pen, or brush your teeth, or sit down in a chair, you may notice that certain variations of these objects might be more comfortable and/or work better. This is because these variations of these objects have been ergonomically improved. In order to do this, an ergonomist must first study the places where the object places stress and strain on the body. Let's use the pen as our example. When you use the pen for long periods of time, the plastic begins to rub against your fingers. This is why there are now pads on most pens where they lean on your fingers; to reduce discomfort when you use them. Stretching your fingers every once in a while also helps relieve pressure. The second thing an ergonomist must study is how to improve the performance of the object. Going back to the pen example, before the 1950's, the most common type of writing implement was the fountain pen. These were invented in 1884 and quickly replaced the quill. However, there were multiple problems with this type of pen. The only type of ink that could be used with this pen was dark India ink, the type of ink used in quills. It was much more watery than the ink we use today, so it would flow unevenly, would dry in the pen and clog it, and would even occasionally flood out of it. In June 1943, a Hungarian journalist named Laszlo Biro became interested in creating a better pen when he visited a newspaper company. He noticed that the ink used by the company was a quick drying ink that left the paper dry and smudge-free. It wasn't long before he came up with the idea of a rotating metal ball instead of the point on a fountain pen. This ball would act as a cap to keep the ink from drying and would let ink flow out of the pen at a controlled rate. This prototype pen would eventually give rise to the common ballpoint pen. For more examples, click here! Ergonomics Home PageErgonomics ExamplesErgonomics Practice TestErgonomics AnswersBibliography
What are Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the science of redesigning objects so that they are more comfortable and efficient. The term ergonomics was officially coined in 1950, but had been used as early as 1857. The word is derived from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomos meaning natural law. People who study ergonomics study the relationship between the object and the person that uses that object. The main goal of an ergonomist, or someone who studies ergonomics, is to achieve maximum performance of an object while maintaining comfort and safety and minimizing hazards to the user. They can do this by either altering the object or the environment that the object and person interact in.
How Are Ergonomics Used In Everyday Life?
Ergonomics are used in many different ways in everyday life. When you pick up a pen, or brush your teeth, or sit down in a chair, you may notice that certain variations of these objects might be more comfortable and/or work better. This is because these variations of these objects have been ergonomically improved. In order to do this, an ergonomist must first study the places where the object places stress and strain on the body. Let's use the pen as our example. When you use the pen for long periods of time, the plastic begins to rub against your fingers. This is why there are now pads on most pens where they lean on your fingers; to reduce discomfort when you use them. Stretching your fingers every once in a while also helps relieve pressure. The second thing an ergonomist must study is how to improve the performance of the object. Going back to the pen example, before the 1950's, the most common type of writing implement was the fountain pen. These were invented in 1884 and quickly replaced the quill. However, there were multiple problems with this type of pen. The only type of ink that could be used with this pen was dark India ink, the type of ink used in quills. It was much more watery than the ink we use today, so it would flow unevenly, would dry in the pen and clog it, and would even occasionally flood out of it. In June 1943, a Hungarian journalist named Laszlo Biro became interested in creating a better pen when he visited a newspaper company. He noticed that the ink used by the company was a quick drying ink that left the paper dry and smudge-free. It wasn't long before he came up with the idea of a rotating metal ball instead of the point on a fountain pen. This ball would act as a cap to keep the ink from drying and would let ink flow out of the pen at a controlled rate. This prototype pen would eventually give rise to the common ballpoint pen.
For more examples, click here!
Ergonomics Home Page Ergonomics Examples Ergonomics Practice Test Ergonomics Answers Bibliography