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The document discusses ergonomics and provides examples of its applications. It defines ergonomics as designing for human use, focusing on understanding variability in people and designing to minimize limitations. It provides examples of ergonomic research and practice in industry, citing increased efficiency, safety and comfort. Five applications in industry are outlined, such as reducing injuries and costs at manufacturing plants. Finally, five leading ergonomics experts in the Philippines are profiled, including their expertise in areas like product design, safety and current positions.

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Romalyn Galingan
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470 views

Assign#1

The document discusses ergonomics and provides examples of its applications. It defines ergonomics as designing for human use, focusing on understanding variability in people and designing to minimize limitations. It provides examples of ergonomic research and practice in industry, citing increased efficiency, safety and comfort. Five applications in industry are outlined, such as reducing injuries and costs at manufacturing plants. Finally, five leading ergonomics experts in the Philippines are profiled, including their expertise in areas like product design, safety and current positions.

Uploaded by

Romalyn Galingan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Romalyn Galingan

IE41FB1
Assignment#1
1. What is Ergonomics
Ergonomics is about designing for people, wherever they interact with products, systems or processes.
We usually dont notice good design (unless perhaps, its exceptional) because it gives us no cause to, but
we do notice poor design. The emphasis within ergonomics is to ensure that designs complement the
strengths and abilities of people and minimise the effects of their limitations, rather than forcing them to
adapt. In achieving this aim, it becomes necessary to understand and design for the variability represented
in the population, spanning such attributes as age, size, strength, cognitive ability, prior experience,
cultural expectations and goals. Qualified ergonomists are the only recognised professionals to have
competency in optimising performance, safety and comfort. The IEHF is the only body in the UK
managing and representing this competency.
Researchers study the biomechanical, physiological and cognitive effects of work on people, or users
understanding of processes, or the efficiency of systems. See the lists oflatest research papers in leading
journals to appreciate the scope and depth of some of this research.
Practitioners study how people interact with products, processes and environments day to day in order to
improve them, to make them easier to use, safer, more comfortable, more efficient. They take into account
and apply relevant research to help with this and to suggest recommendations. But none of this can
happen without a thorough knowledge and understanding of the users and their experiences. A look at
some of the articles, events, careers information and jobs posted on this site will show you the variety of
work thats carried out.
Applying good ergonomics will make a product easy to use, it will help make a manufacturing process
efficient, it will make furniture comfortable, it will contribute to safety, it will add many of the
dimensions a product, system or environment needs to make it fit for purpose.
See examples and more explanation in our information about careers in ergonomics and human factors.
We have posts on this site in a section called Design Challenge, a light hearted look at some of the more
intriguing designs of products and places that we find around us.

2. Cite at least five applications of Ergonomics in the industry


In military acquisition, ergonomic principles are usually included in system specifications. In the civilian
sector, companies adopt ergonomic principles to reduce the incidence of costly accidents in their
facilities, or to make their products more marketable as user-friendly. In some cases, government or
industry guidelines or voluntary, consensus-based standards may be appropriate.

a. Ergonomics is a cost-effective means of product enhancement. Ergonomics applications-based


on solid research findings-not only improve the workplace, but make products and processes
more competitive in the world market. The result is an improved bottom line for business,
whether by decreased worker compensation and health care costs, or by increased marketability
of products. Here are a few examples from the workplace:
b. Incorporating Ergonomics Into the Manufacturing Process. Beginning in 1979, John Deere and
Company, the largest manufacturer of agricultural equipment in North America, began using
ergonomics principles to redesign and reduce physical stresses on the job. Employees were
extensively involved. Since 1979, Deere has seen an 83% reduction in employee back injuries
and within five years, worker compensation costs were cut by 32%.
c. Preventing Injuries Reduces Costs. AT&T Global Information Solutions in San Diego,
California, a manufacturer of mainframe computers, analyzed its injury logs and identified its
three most frequent types of injuries: lifting, fastening, and keyboarding. By making workstation
improvements and providing proper lift training for all employees, the company s worker
compensation costs dropped by 75% in the first year.
In a second round of changes, the company moved from conveyor systems to individual scissorlift platforms and shifted from an assembly line process to allowing each worker to build an
entire computer cabinet. These changes allowed workers to readily shift from a standing to sitting
position. All told, the company s ergonomic changes enabled it to go from 298 work days lost
from injury in 1990, to zero days lost to injury in l993 and 1994. This translates into worker
compensation cost savings of $1.48 million over the period.
d. Faster Directory Assistance. The computer displays used by directory assistants at Ameritech, a
regional telephone company, were ergonomically redesigned for easier viewing. The new displays

enabled operators to answer calls more easily and reduced the time of each call. This change
saved the company nearly $3 million a year across its five-state region.
e. Redesigning Equipment. Use of butcher knives for de-boning at a poultry processing plant was
proving both inefficient and leading to extensive worker compensation premium increases. By
introducing an ergonomically-designed poultry de-boning knife, not only were worker injuries
greatly reduced at the processing plant--saving $500,000 in worker compensation premiums--but
profits increased from more efficient de-boning.
3. Cite at least five people who are known to be ergonomics experts in the Philippines who are
Industrial Engineers. What is their expertise in ergonomics and what are their current
standings in the industry.
1. Rosemary R. Seva, PhD
Rosemary Seva is an associate professor at De La Salle University-Manila's Industrial Engineering
Department.

She

is

the

President

of

the

Southeast

Asian

Network

of

Ergonomics

Societies and the Vice-President of the Philippine Ergonomics Society. She is a seasoned trainer in the
area of human factors and industrial engineering and has been in the area of teaching and training for 18
years and a consultant of several multinational companies. She obtained her doctorate degree at the
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) where she wrote her dissertation on affective design of
mobile phones. She has a master's degree in Ergonomics from the University of New South Wales
(Australia) and another master's degree in Industrial Engineering from De La Salle University. She has
written a number of papers that dealt on usability, product design, cognitive task analysis, and physical
ergonomics in local and international journals. She is a Professional Industrial Engineer and the
Managing Editor of the Journal of the Philippine Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Employment History

Director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Center, De


La Salle University

Dean of the College of Engineering, De La Salle University

Full Professor At the Industrial Engineering Department, De


La Salle University

Board Memberships and Affiliations

SecretarySEANES

Education

doctorate degree, Nanyang Technological University

Master's degrees one , Ergonomics; University of New South Wales

2. Alma Maria Jennifer A. Gutierrez, MSc


Jennifer Gutierrez is an assistant professor of the Industrial Engineering Department of De La Salle
University. She has a master's degree in Industrial Engineering and took an advanced course in HumanComputer Interaction from the University of New South Wales in Australia. She has 14 years of teaching
experience in human factors and had been a consultant and trainer of various companies including Intel,
Coca Cola and Texas Instruments. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Industrial Engineering from
DLSU.
Teaches Industrial Engineering subjects such as Ergonomics, Product Design, Occupational Safety &
Health, Methods Engineering, Engineering Economy, Managerial accounting, and acts as adviser to thesis
group.

Current

De La Salle University-Manila, Human Factors and Ergonomics Center


Associate Director Occupational Safety and Health at Human Factors and Ergonomics
Center

Previous

International Ergonomics Society, Philergo, De La Salle University

Educatio

De La Salle University

3. Jazmin Chong, MEng

Jazmin Chong Tangsoc is an Assistant Professor of the Industrial Engineering Department of De La Salle
University. She obtained her master's degree in Human Factors Engineering from Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore. Her masteral dissertation is on usability and affective evaluation of WAP
interfaces. She has four years of teaching experience in the area of human factors and industrial

engineering. She has written several papers in the area of usability. She is currently pursuing her PhD in
engineering at DLSU. She is currently an Associate Director Usability Testing and Evaluation at Human
Factors and Ergonomics Center

4. Ronald Aaron Po, MSIE


Current:

Assistant

Professor,

Department

of

Industrial

Engineering

and

Operations Research, UP Diliman


Assistant to the University Registrar, Office of the University Registrar,
UP Diliman
Areas of Specialization:

Human Factors and Ergonomics


Healthcare Systems
Process Improvement

Education:

M.S. Industrial Engineering, UP Diliman, 2008


B.S. Industrial Engineering, UP Diliman, 2003

5. Rex Aurelius Robielos

Current:

Dean, School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management


Mapua
Secretary, Philippine Ergonomics Society

Gutierrez, A. (2013), Researchers Profile. Retrieved from De La Salle University, Human Factors
Engineering Center website: http://xsite.dlsu.edu.ph/centers/hfec/researchers.asp
Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. (2007), What is Ergonomics?. Retrieved June 11, 2014 from
http://www.ergonomics.org.uk/learning/what-ergonomics/
American Psychological Association. (2009), Ergonomics: The Science for Better Living and Working.
Retrieved June 11, 2014 from https://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/workforce/ergonomics.aspx

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