Ergonomics
...d move from side to side to operate the lathe controls. An ‘ideal’ sized person to fit the lathe would be just 4.5 feet tall, 2 feet across the shoulders and have an arm span of 8 feet.This example epitomises the shortcoming in design when no account has been taken of the user. People come in all shapes and sizes, and the ergonomist takes this variability into account when influencing the design process. The branch of ergonomics that deals with human variability in size, shape and strength is called anthropometry. Tables of anthropometric data are used by ergonomists to ensure that places and items that they are designing fit the users. Ergonomics is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use. The chief difference between Scientific Management and Ergonomics is the greater emphasis on workers abilities, limitations and needs rather than solely efficiency. Some years ago, researchers compared the relative positions of the controls on a lathe with the size of an average male worker. It was found that the lath...