ergonomics

Two of the questions I get asked over and over depending on my audience and their familiarity with the “what, why and how” I do what I do are:  “Just what exactly is ergonomics?” and/or “Just what is this lean thing about?”  To answer those two questions I decided to define them by using the words themselves.  Below are the meaning of ergonomics and lean:

Easy

Respect for people (user & misuser)

Great fit, function and looks

Optimize human and system performance

Neutral postures and positions

In part two of this blog series I gave an overview of Lean. Now we’re moving onto the second component of L.E.S.S.™ which is Ergonomics.

Ergonomics (synonymous with Human Factors) Defined

In part one of this blog series I went over the case for integrating two common and two not as common methodologies for business systems improvement: Lean, Ergonomics, Six Sigma and Systems Thinking. Although most are probably familiar with all four of them I think it’s worthwhile to spend a blog on each one in order to highlight their definition and purpose, common tools and uses.

In my last blog I wrote about my recent experience at the Applied Ergonomics Conference where there were sessions devoted to stretching programs.  In it I stated how ergonomics is not stretching.  This time I’m going to focus on time, i.e. money, spent stretching and the ergonomics that could be accomplished if that time, i.e. money, was given to ergonomics.

I was in Orlando, FL last week for the Applied Ergonomics Conference.  I had the privilege to present as well as attend other sessions and the exhibit hall.  To my disappointment there were sessions that promoted stretching programs in the workplace as a form of applied ergonomics.  Am I the only one who found this to be the antithesis of ergonomics?  The purpose and focus of ergonomics is to design the work and work environment to fit the people and the machines they use and systems wherein they function.  An oft used cliché of ergonomics is to “fit the work to the person”.  If this is the

The economy is great.

Recently an employer asked for manual lifting guidelines for pregnant workers.  The reason for their question was because a female employee who was in her first trimester of what appeared to be a healthy, normal pregnancy came to them with a note from her physician stating she should not exceed lifting 20 lbs for the remainder of her pregnancy.  They’ve had several pregnant workers in the past who never brought such a note to them so they wondered if there were new weight limit guidelines or if was a physician that was being very cautious.  Since this company had a number of positions that