Berkeley, CA - Ergonomics Evaluations by Best Local Ergonomic Specialist Trainer
SYNOPSIS: This article covers the ergonomic principles behind an ideal user experience maximizing comfort and safety. It involves understanding the user, testing the outcomes, and applying ergo principles.
Ergonomic design principles that prevent design flaws
BY: Allen Yagjian, Ergobility LLC
First thing involved is to understand the criteria to which fits your users best. That is why it would be best to involve the end users in ergonomic design. They are the individuals that are front and center when it comes to feeling the pressures of work, the job demands, and stressors that come with it. Any industry, from medical to production workers offer invaluable guidance at all stages of the user-interface and job demands. that is why early in the design process, these workers are able to critique existing tools and job protocols to best elaborate on the factors that must be accommodated in the final job task and equipment designs.
Test designs throughout the design process with the end users. Progressive manufacturers often extend testing beyond primary tasks. In a typical test session, users perform typical tasks in a work environment, whatever type of workplace it is. The level of test fidelity usually increased as the process makes it's way towards completion until implementation.
User characteristics that are considered include physical attributes such as ergonomic considerations like height, distance, force, etc. More than one group of employees should be part of the testing process as well. Especially those that do not train off of one another.
It is always a good idea to err on the side of design simplicity. In the basics of design, it is always best to keep the mechanics and usability simple to allow the user to understand the mechanics at initial glance. Adding too many "bells and whistles" can interfere with the initial ease of use and "plug and play." It is easy for an ergonomic professional to understand for example the adjustments of a chair. However, a worker does not have the patience to usually figure it out every time. We know that a highly adjustable task chair is only as good as it's user.
Ensure that the idea of innate understandability is employed when designing and adjusting a workstation for employees. This is something that Ergobility takes very seriously. The idea is to employ changes to a workstation that stick and do not require a high level of notes, or complexity. The design takes care of the difficulties of worrying about whether training and human behavior is required. People who work in the safety field understand that those controls which do not rely on human behavior such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) or training are best. Especially if it eliminates all risk.
