What is Ergonomics? - Knowledge Base

Given the broad scope of ergonomics – that the living conditions should not compromise human capabilities and limitations – a number of disciplines contribute to the scientific knowledge base. The basic domains are broadly the physical and the psychological characteristics of people, and their variations across populations.

Achieving good physical fit between people and the things they do and use requires considering the human body characteristics – especially size and shape, mobility, strength and energy production – and their interaction with the environmental conditions. In this domain, the basic sciences are

• Antropometry: deals with the physical dimensions, proportions, and composition of the human body. Related data is used by ergonomists to ensure that items they are designing physically fit the users, ranging from hand tools to vehicle cockpits.
• Biomechanics: considers the operation of the muscles and limbs, ensuring that body postures are comfortable and excessive forces are avoided.
• Work physiology: addresses the energy expenditures of the body and sets standards for acceptable physical workload and work rate as well as nutrition requirements.
• Environmental physiology: analyses the impact of environmental conditions – e.g., climate, noise, and vibration – and sets the optimum requirements for these.

Psychology is concerned with human information processing, aiding the cognitive fit between people and the things they do and use. From an individual perspective, relevant topics are perception, memory, decision making and action. With technical equipment and products now penetrating virtually every sector of human life, this field is especially relevant for the design of human-machine interfaces.

The aspect of people interacting with each other, e.g., in the context of work groups and other forms of cooperation, is covered by social and communication psychology. This knowledge is applied, i.a., in the relatively new field of organisational ergonomics, which is concerned with the design and optimisation of structures, policies, and processes in organisations.