Introduction to Ergonomics

Leather Engineering
5 -Year
th
Department
 Part one objectives
Principles of Ergonomics
1. Understand the concepts, Importance and
Principles of Ergonomics.

Outlines : 2. Identify common work-related musculoskeletal

 Introduction disorders (MSDs) and its risk factors.
 Arrangement of Work 3. Identify ergonomic control methods for
Station
eliminating/reducing work-related MSDs.
 Role of Ergonomics
4. Understand safety management
 Safety management
 Introduction:
What is Ergonomics?
 The word ergonomics was formed by a Greek words
‘Ergo’ which means work, and ‘nomos’ which means
natural laws. So, it’s essentially the “natural laws
of work” or “science of work”.
 Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging
workplaces, tools and equipment, systems & environments
to minimise risk of injury or harm.

 Ergonomics aims to improve workspaces including:

– Work stations
– The working time and process
fitting the job
– Tools to the worker
– The environment
– Equipment
 Cont. …
 Ergonomics is “the scientific discipline concerned with understanding of interactions
among humans and other elements of a system (manmade objects), and the
profession that applies theory, principles, methods and data to design in order to
optimize human well-being and overall system performance”.
 For example, an ergonomic chair may help support your lower back and prevent you
from drooping. An ergonomic desk may adjust to the appropriate height, so you can
sit up straight and view your monitor at the right level.
Why is ergonomics important?

■ Ergonomics will provide you with valuable benefits in the form of higher productivity, increased
efficiency, and a decisive edge over the competition.

Ensures the comfort and health of their employees

by adopting an ergonomic approach to the design of
workspaces.
Reduces the risk of workplace injuries and their
severity.
Control physical and mental stress, besides worker’s
fatigue.

Generally, it ensures the continuous development

and productivity of companies.
Results of Poor Ergonomic Design
 Discomfort and fatigue (energy loss)
 Injuries and accidents
 Decreased efficiency
 Decreased productivity
 Work errors
 Musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs)
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

 Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are conditions that

affect your body’s bones, tissues, muscles, joints,
ligaments, and nerves. MSDs can develop over time or
can occur immediately due to overload.
 Most commonly affected areas:
Necks and Backs
Arms, Elbows, and Shoulders
Hands, Wrists, and Fingers
Knees, Ankles, and Feet

 The above picture shows the distribution of

injuries and illnesses on different body parts
(MSDs) due to poor ergonomic design and
operation in the working area.
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) Risk factors/ Causes of symptoms
 Affect the muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels,
ligaments, and tendons. Repetition

Symptoms Force Posture

Risk Factors

Personal Environment

■ Other risk factors of MSD depend upon:

 Work positions and postures

 Duration of task (how often task is

performed)

 Level of required effort and duration of

task
 Cont. …

Some examples of risk factors include:

Exerting excessive force
 Lifting heavy objects/people
 Pushing or pulling heavy loads
 Manual pouring (hammering) materials

Performing same/similar tasks repetitively

Cold temperatures : (in combination with other risk factors)
Vibration : Whole body & Hand-arm
  Focused on ergonomic principles that help to identify
Ergonomic Control Methods different ergonomic risk factors and maintain safety
record.
 Ergonomic control methods focused on the workers, work station and
environment. Because if there is effective workplace, it helps to;
 Reduce the risk of workplace injuries.
 Control physical and mental stress, besides worker’s fatigue.

 Some control methods are:

a) Establish ergonomics training program.
b) Engineering controls
a) Work station design and setup
b) Ergonomically designed tools & equipment
c) Load weight reduction
c) proper work practices:
a) Proper lifting techniques c. Stretch
b) Team lift for heavy/bulky loads d. Work rotation
d). Apply Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
Gripping gloves
Knee pads
Vibration gloves
Thermal gloves
Lifting straps
Shoulder harness

e). Optimum repetitive motions

 Arrange work to avoid unnecessary
motions.
 Let power tools and machinery do the
work (use swing arms)
 Rotate task with co-workers if possible
 Change hands or motions frequently
f). Localized pressure on body part ■ solutions
■ hazards • Use tools with padded grips
 Pressing part of the body against hard or • Use tools with longer handles
sharp edges • Use tables/desktops with rounded edges
 Using tools with hard handle surfaces or • Use wrist rests, anti-fatigue mats, knee pads,
short handles shoe inserts or other items that reduce stress
 Using hands/knees as a hammer more on body parts.
than 10 times in 1 hour or more than 2
times per day (long-term).
g). Lifting objects ■ solutions
■ hazards  Managing for safer lifting
– Lifting more than ■ Plan lifts
■ 75 lbs. once/day ■ Minimize lifting distances
■ 55 lbs. ten times/day ■ Avoid manually lifting/lowering loads
■ 10 lbs. more than twice/minute or for to/from floor
more than 2 hours/day ■ Reduce frequency of lifting and
■ 25 lbs. above shoulders, below knees, or duration of lifting tasks.
at arms length more than 25 times/day
– Heavy, frequent, and awkward lifting
Ergonomic principles in designing of work station and
environment

Always workstation is located within the work environment.

 Body height and working height
 Work area and transportation line
 Reach zone and distance
Ergonomic in
 Adjustment of work equipment designing
workstation
 Planning and design tools

o Lighting
o Range of vision
o Temperature Ergonomic in
o Noise and vibration designing work
o Music environment
o hygienic condition
 Ergonomic in designing work station

 Workstation needs to be designed to fit the worker.

 A well-arranged workstation can enhance your
productivity and comfort.
 Good posture and arm positioning will help you perform
tasks.
 Generally there should have full adjustable equipment
features, because discomfort may occur if these
adjustments do not meet your needs.
Example, the common equipment that can be used at your
sewing workstation are:
1. chair,
2. work surface,
3. sewing machine and
4. accessory items (scissor, bobbin, needle etc. ).
 Their use, placement or correct adjustment will affect
your workday.
Your Chair:

■ In garment workstation your chair should provide the

greatest degree of adjustability of all your workstation
equipment.
■ Common chair adjustments include seat height, backrest
angle, seat pan angle, backrest height and armrest height.
Adjust your chair to meet the following criteria:
Your feet should be flat (level) on the floor with your knees
near 90°.
Your seat should support your legs without excessive
pressure on the back of your thighs.
The distance from the front edge of your chair to the hollow
of your knee should be 2-4 inches.
With your upper arm close to your side, your forearm should
be parallel to the floor and your wrist in a neutral position.
work surface:
■ The amount of leg room and the height of your work
surface are important in making you comfortable.
■ Allow yourself a clear space underneath your work
surface for leg movement. Plugs, wires and
connectors should be away from your feet.
■ Footrests can be provided for smaller people in
combination with properly adjusted chair height to
make the workstation more comfortable to perform
the tasks properly.

Sewing machine:
 The different components located in the machine
should generally be adjusted for comfort &
productivity.
 Lateral position of the pedal;
 Front/back position of footrest ;
 Height of table or level of machine in case of
free-standing machine ;
Ergonomic in designing work environment: Cont.
Light- the intensity, distribution, and type of illumination should prevent
…
any strain on eyes. Individual sources of light should be provided for
sewing dark material and intricate topstitch.
Temperature- Workroom temperature should be adjusted such that it does
not cause fatigue to the employees and also higher temperature differences
will result in discomfort ultimately resulting in lower productivity.
Noise and vibrations- should also be taken care of as prolonged exposure
to such can cause unrest among the worker and can result in fatigue,
insomnia, ear damage, increased blood pressure and many other problems.
Colours- Brighter colours have a pleasant effect on the workers increasing
their concentration, mood, and speed of work whereas cold and dark
colours create a feeling of apathy (laziness), bad mood, and sleepiness of
workers.
Washrooms- There should be proper hygienic conditions around the
workplace provided with an adequate number of washrooms.
Music- Various studies have shown that music removes fatigue among
workers, reduces monotony and anxiety at work.
Safety management
■ It concerning on managing of safety
by applying a set of principles, framework,
processes and measures to prevent accidents,
injuries and other adverse consequences that
may be caused by using a service or a product.
■ How do you ensure safety management?
• Set safety goals and hold everyone
accountable.
• Discipline employees who behave in ways
that could harm themselves or other.
• Establish a clear system for reporting
hazards, injuries, illnesses etc.
 Cont. …
Elements of Safety Management:

 Mainly there are four key elements/ components of safety

management.

1. Safety Policy

2. Risk Management

3. Safety Assurance

4. Safety Promotion

 To be effective, safety management needs the above key elements.

 Cot. …
■ Safety policy:
 An organization's safety policy is a recognized, written statement of its
commitment to protect the health and safety of the employees, as well as the
surrounding community.
 The safety policy also details the measures the company takes and will take
to protect the life, limb, and health of their employees, often surpassing the
requirements set out by the laws or by the standard practices of the industry.

■ Risk management
 It is the process of identifying, assessing and controlling financial, legal,
strategic and security risks to an organization’s capital and earnings.
 These threats, or risks, could stem from a wide variety of sources, including
financial uncertainty, legal liabilities, strategic management errors,
accidents and natural disasters.
 Cont. ..
 Safety promotion
 it is the process used to communicate, develop and sustain safety in your business. It
helps your business improve safety performance by communicating lessons learned,
broader safety information, and the distribution of Safety Management System (SMS)
principles and associated procedures.
 What are the elements of safety promotion? safety promotion is divided into two
elements:
i. safety training
ii. safety communication
 Safety assurance
 All planned and systematic actions necessary to afford adequate confidence that an
organisation or a functional system achieves acceptable or tolerable safety.
 Some examples of Safety Assurance Activities: Safety audits and inspections, Employee
safety performance monitoring, Documentation review (of policies and procedures), Goals
and objectives monitoring etc.
 Assignment One

 By considering Ergonomic principles, Discuss about the

condition (Existing status) of:
i. Shoe designing room
ii. Cutting and stitching room
iii. Shoe inspection room
iv. Your dorm (living room)