INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY 262:
HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS
______________________________________________
THEME 1: Difference between Ergonomics and Human factors
WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?
The international Ergonomics Society defines ergonomics as the scientific discipline
concerned with the understanding of the interactions among humans and other elements
of a system and the profession that applies theory, principles, data, and methods to design
in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.
WHAT ARE HUMAN FACTORS?
According to The Health and Safety Executive: UK industrial Safety Regulator the term
human factors refer to environmental, organisational and job factors, and human and
individual characteristics which influence behaviour at work in a way which can affect
health and safety.
Although this definition refers to the word human, its actually an aggregation of all factors
that potentially can affect the health and safety of employees (the first 3 factors) even
situational factors.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO?
It is generally accepted that Ergonomics and Human Factors are synonymous and…the
historical difference was that ergonomics emphasised work physiology and
anthropometry, while human factors emphasised experimental psychology and systems
engineering.
The two terms are usually used together as HFE to emphasize the broadest of the
discipline.
Sometimes referred to as engineering psychology.
Problems come from human related side of the entire system.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE DEFINITIONS?
The primary purpose of human factors and Ergonomics is design.
But the design of what? In HFE, a systematic interdisciplinary approach is
necessary for design and analysis systems and products.
, Products and systems are interlinked
THE HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS FIELD IS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY
Health, Flights, Ships, Mining (There’s a lot of challenge in the mining sector with this
current Covid 19 health and safety system between employers and employees),
Manufacturing, Tourism industry, Restaurants
Examples of discipline domains:
A. MEDICINE
Cardiology
Neuroscience
Physical Medicine
B. PSYCHOLOGY
Organisational Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Health Psychology
HFE: A SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION
HFE problems requires scientific systems approach.
In HFE terms an organisation is technically referred to as a Human-Machine-
Environment (HME) System. (Book page 8-11)
The HME System has to achieve three fundamental goals:
Safety – It has become an outcome, especially in high risk industries like mining
Productivity
Satisfaction – e.g. health and safety, good social environment (Book of 4-5)
The HME goals are aligned with the ultimate goal of organizations- sustainability.
Profit has to be made in a sustainable way. They cannot be separated.
The HME goals are achieved through fitting the job to the person (FJP) – essentially
the objective of HFE (book of 5-6). The person needs to have the right qualifications
to fit the job. You cannot fit a person into a job (scientific management).
Cannot fit a person to a job because jobs have become highly skilled, so highly skilled
individuals must be found.
Also need to be able to hire people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds. (Moral and legal
requirements)
Labour relations act.
,Historical scientific management approach – someone gets hurt in the workplace, they
have to be removed because you can't change the whole workplace to accommodate
them. People can be replaced the same way an equipment can be replaced. Fitting the
job to the person is trying to move away from this e.g. if someone is injured at work, we
dismiss them and have to find a way to accommodate them from a moral point of view.
Can we create another job for them?
THE BASIC HUMAN-MACHINE-ENVIRONMENT SYSTEM
Human produces actions by using controls on a machine, the Machine Processing the
input information. Machine displays, Human Senses it and processes the information and
the process is repeated. So, it's an input output (e.g. work accomplished) process. This is
the system at a very basic level.
THE HME SYSTEM CLASSIFICATIONS
1. MANUAL: involves a person using some effector tool (Hands, voice) or other non-
powered implement to perform an activity. Example Someone who is digging a
trench. Less Sophisticated. In terms of unit of analysis, we talking about 1 person 1
equipment based.
2. MECHANICAL SYSTEM: Refers to one or more humans using powered equipment
to achieve one or more system outcomes. The role of the human is “simply" to control
for manage the equipment. Example If you are operating a forklift, land movers or a
loan mower.
3. AUTOMATED SYSTEM: Involves a system performing (processing) and achieving
one or more system goals with minimum human (H) attention. The system is almost
working on its own, it’s also powered. Minimal human interaction (Programming the
system, reloading the system, rebooting the system, the system needs to be installed
and if it fails, it needs human attention). Example Tesla was banned for including “full
potential autonomous driving" and “Autopilot inclusive" in its advertising materials.
THE HUMAN COMPONENTS
a. Human Senses: Basic gives human senses
b. Human Brain: As viewed/considered as a data and information processing unit
(analogous to the CPU of a computer)
c. Human effectors: A body part such as a muscle or group of muscles that actuated
in response to a stimulus.
THE MACHINE COMPONENTS
a. The Process: The function or the operation performed by the HME system e.g.
digging a hole.
b. Displays: Ranges from observing the process being performed to artificial displays
in mechanized and/or automated processes.
c. Controls: Humans interacts with the equipment using machine controls that can
be operated by human effectors. The complexity of the machine determines the
, relationship, including distance, between the controls and the HME process –
HOW?
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS
Physical Environment: Includes the immediate area of the HME System, e.g. lighting,
noise, vibrations, air toxins. These environmental factors can affect the performance of
the human-machine system and are of interest to the ergonomist. For example, the
workspace of a fighter aircraft is its cockpit, which imposes severe limitations on the
freedom of movement of the pilot. The many controls of the aircraft must be located within
easy reach of the pilot.
Social Environment: Primary Human to Human work interactions in a HME system are
job related but social interactions also occur. The social environment at work is overall
shaped by co-workers, superiors, organisational culture, the work (design) etc
During the scientific management era it was almost accepted that the more human
interaction that must happen in the work place must be for formal reasons, but now it has
been accepted that people are human beings first before they become employees so
elements of social interactions at informal levels must also be equally accepted in the
organisation.
THE BROAD HUMAN-MACHINE-ENVIRONMENT (HME) SYSTEM
A. HUMAN CHRACTERISTICS
Psychological Aspects
Physiological and anatomical
Group factors
Individual Differences
Psychophysiological state variables
Task-related factors
B. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Illumination
Noise
Vibrations
Climate
Altitude, depth and Space
Other environmental issues
C. WORK DESIGN AND ORGANISATION
Total system design
Hours of work
Job attitudes and satisfaction
Job design
HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS
______________________________________________
THEME 1: Difference between Ergonomics and Human factors
WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?
The international Ergonomics Society defines ergonomics as the scientific discipline
concerned with the understanding of the interactions among humans and other elements
of a system and the profession that applies theory, principles, data, and methods to design
in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.
WHAT ARE HUMAN FACTORS?
According to The Health and Safety Executive: UK industrial Safety Regulator the term
human factors refer to environmental, organisational and job factors, and human and
individual characteristics which influence behaviour at work in a way which can affect
health and safety.
Although this definition refers to the word human, its actually an aggregation of all factors
that potentially can affect the health and safety of employees (the first 3 factors) even
situational factors.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO?
It is generally accepted that Ergonomics and Human Factors are synonymous and…the
historical difference was that ergonomics emphasised work physiology and
anthropometry, while human factors emphasised experimental psychology and systems
engineering.
The two terms are usually used together as HFE to emphasize the broadest of the
discipline.
Sometimes referred to as engineering psychology.
Problems come from human related side of the entire system.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE DEFINITIONS?
The primary purpose of human factors and Ergonomics is design.
But the design of what? In HFE, a systematic interdisciplinary approach is
necessary for design and analysis systems and products.
, Products and systems are interlinked
THE HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS FIELD IS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY
Health, Flights, Ships, Mining (There’s a lot of challenge in the mining sector with this
current Covid 19 health and safety system between employers and employees),
Manufacturing, Tourism industry, Restaurants
Examples of discipline domains:
A. MEDICINE
Cardiology
Neuroscience
Physical Medicine
B. PSYCHOLOGY
Organisational Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Health Psychology
HFE: A SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION
HFE problems requires scientific systems approach.
In HFE terms an organisation is technically referred to as a Human-Machine-
Environment (HME) System. (Book page 8-11)
The HME System has to achieve three fundamental goals:
Safety – It has become an outcome, especially in high risk industries like mining
Productivity
Satisfaction – e.g. health and safety, good social environment (Book of 4-5)
The HME goals are aligned with the ultimate goal of organizations- sustainability.
Profit has to be made in a sustainable way. They cannot be separated.
The HME goals are achieved through fitting the job to the person (FJP) – essentially
the objective of HFE (book of 5-6). The person needs to have the right qualifications
to fit the job. You cannot fit a person into a job (scientific management).
Cannot fit a person to a job because jobs have become highly skilled, so highly skilled
individuals must be found.
Also need to be able to hire people from all sorts of diverse backgrounds. (Moral and legal
requirements)
Labour relations act.
,Historical scientific management approach – someone gets hurt in the workplace, they
have to be removed because you can't change the whole workplace to accommodate
them. People can be replaced the same way an equipment can be replaced. Fitting the
job to the person is trying to move away from this e.g. if someone is injured at work, we
dismiss them and have to find a way to accommodate them from a moral point of view.
Can we create another job for them?
THE BASIC HUMAN-MACHINE-ENVIRONMENT SYSTEM
Human produces actions by using controls on a machine, the Machine Processing the
input information. Machine displays, Human Senses it and processes the information and
the process is repeated. So, it's an input output (e.g. work accomplished) process. This is
the system at a very basic level.
THE HME SYSTEM CLASSIFICATIONS
1. MANUAL: involves a person using some effector tool (Hands, voice) or other non-
powered implement to perform an activity. Example Someone who is digging a
trench. Less Sophisticated. In terms of unit of analysis, we talking about 1 person 1
equipment based.
2. MECHANICAL SYSTEM: Refers to one or more humans using powered equipment
to achieve one or more system outcomes. The role of the human is “simply" to control
for manage the equipment. Example If you are operating a forklift, land movers or a
loan mower.
3. AUTOMATED SYSTEM: Involves a system performing (processing) and achieving
one or more system goals with minimum human (H) attention. The system is almost
working on its own, it’s also powered. Minimal human interaction (Programming the
system, reloading the system, rebooting the system, the system needs to be installed
and if it fails, it needs human attention). Example Tesla was banned for including “full
potential autonomous driving" and “Autopilot inclusive" in its advertising materials.
THE HUMAN COMPONENTS
a. Human Senses: Basic gives human senses
b. Human Brain: As viewed/considered as a data and information processing unit
(analogous to the CPU of a computer)
c. Human effectors: A body part such as a muscle or group of muscles that actuated
in response to a stimulus.
THE MACHINE COMPONENTS
a. The Process: The function or the operation performed by the HME system e.g.
digging a hole.
b. Displays: Ranges from observing the process being performed to artificial displays
in mechanized and/or automated processes.
c. Controls: Humans interacts with the equipment using machine controls that can
be operated by human effectors. The complexity of the machine determines the
, relationship, including distance, between the controls and the HME process –
HOW?
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS
Physical Environment: Includes the immediate area of the HME System, e.g. lighting,
noise, vibrations, air toxins. These environmental factors can affect the performance of
the human-machine system and are of interest to the ergonomist. For example, the
workspace of a fighter aircraft is its cockpit, which imposes severe limitations on the
freedom of movement of the pilot. The many controls of the aircraft must be located within
easy reach of the pilot.
Social Environment: Primary Human to Human work interactions in a HME system are
job related but social interactions also occur. The social environment at work is overall
shaped by co-workers, superiors, organisational culture, the work (design) etc
During the scientific management era it was almost accepted that the more human
interaction that must happen in the work place must be for formal reasons, but now it has
been accepted that people are human beings first before they become employees so
elements of social interactions at informal levels must also be equally accepted in the
organisation.
THE BROAD HUMAN-MACHINE-ENVIRONMENT (HME) SYSTEM
A. HUMAN CHRACTERISTICS
Psychological Aspects
Physiological and anatomical
Group factors
Individual Differences
Psychophysiological state variables
Task-related factors
B. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Illumination
Noise
Vibrations
Climate
Altitude, depth and Space
Other environmental issues
C. WORK DESIGN AND ORGANISATION
Total system design
Hours of work
Job attitudes and satisfaction
Job design
