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Ergonomics for Beginners

What they said about the first edition:

‘This small book is a gem . . . Without doubt this book should be on

the bookshelf of all who are concerned with the subject’ Talk Back
‘. . . a very good buy at the price . . .’ Applied Ergonomics
‘. . . a unique approach in making ergonomics accessible’
International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

This revised and updated edition of Ergonomics for Beginners pro-

vides an excellent practical primer for anyone approaching the
subject for the first time, with the aim of bringing benefits to the
performance of tasks in work and domestic environments. Embrac-
ing the concepts of designing tasks and the environment for human
comfort and satisfaction as well as for optimum performance, the
book shows, in an accessible and easily understandable fashion, the
steps by which managers, workers and users can achieve an appro-
priate balance.
To bring the book more up to date, new material is included, with
a focus on information technology and work organization.

Jan Dul is Director of the Erasmus University Centre for Contract

Research and Business Support, Rotterdam. He is an experienced
researcher and consultant in physical ergonomics. Bernard Weerd-
meester works as a software ergonomics consultant at Usable, a
private consultancy bureau in The Hague.
Ergonomics for Beginners
A quick reference guide
Second edition

Jan Dul and Bernard Weerdmeester

London and New York

First published 1993 by Taylor & Francis
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Second edition 2001
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Taylor & Francis Inc,
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Taylor & Francis is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
© 2001 Jan Dul and Bernard Weerdmeester
This English language edition published by kind permission of
Kluwer Bedrijfswetenschappen. Based on a translation by R.E. Vande
Putte from Vademecum Ergonomie, originally published in Dutch in
1963. © 1991 Kluwer Bedrijfswetenschappen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or

reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the advice and information
in this book is true and accurate at the time of going to press.
However, neither the publisher nor the authors can accept any legal
responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be
made. In the case of drug administration, any medical procedure or
the use of technical equipment mentioned within this book, you are
strongly advised to consult the manufacturer’s guidelines.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Dul, Jan, 1954-
Ergonomics for beginners : a quick reference guide / Jan Dul and
Bernard Weerdmeester.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Human engineering. I. Weerdmeester, B.A. (Bernard A.) 1955-
II. Title.

TA 166 .D78 2001

620.8’2–dc21 00-053265

ISBN 0-203-21209-6 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-26952-7 (Adobe eReader Format)

ISBN 0-7484-0825-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Contents

Preface ix
Foreword xi

1 Introduction 1
What is ergonomics? 1
What is an ergonomist? 2
Social significance of ergonomics 3
General and individual ergonomics 4

2 Posture and movement 5

Biomechanical, physiological and anthropometric
background 5
Biomechanical background 6
Physiological background 9
Anthropometric background 11
Posture 12
Sitting 13
Standing 20
Change of posture 22
Hand and arm postures 24
Movement 28
Lifting 29
Carrying 36
Pulling and pushing 38
Summary checklist 41
vi Contents
3 Information and operation 44
The user 45
Information 46
Visual information 46
Characters 46
Diagrams 50
Perception of visual information 51
Hearing 52
Other senses 53
Controls 54
Distinguishing between controls 55
Types of controls 57
Relationship between information and operation 61
Expectation 62
User-friendliness 64
Different forms of dialogue 68
Help 71
Summary checklist 72

4 Environmental factors 74
Noise 74
Guidelines on noise 75
Noise reduction at source 76
Noise reduction through workplace design, and
work organization 77
Hearing conservation 79
Vibration 80
Guidelines on vibration 81
Preventing vibration 82
Illumination 83
Guidelines on light intensity 84
Guidelines on brightness differences 85
Improved lighting 85
Climate 88
Guidelines on thermal comfort 88
Guidelines on heat and cold 90
Climate control 90
Chemical substances 91
Guidelines on chemical substances 92
Measures taken at source 93
Ventilation 95
 Contents vii
Measures at the individual level 97
Summary checklist 99

5 Work organization, jobs and tasks 102

Tasks 102
Jobs 103
Work organization 106
Flexible forms of organizations 106
Autonomous groups 107
Coaching management styles 108
Summary checklist 110

6 The ergonomic approach 111

Project management 112
Initiative phase 114
Problem identification phase 116
Selection of solutions phase 118
Implementation phase 120
Evaluation phase 122
Checklist 123
Summary checklist 124

7 Sources of additional information 133

Bibliography 133
General references 133
References on posture and movement 134
References on information and operation 134
References on environmental factors 135
References on work organization 135
References on the ergonomic approach 136
Scientific and professional journals 136
Useful websites 137

Index 139
Preface

As generations succeed each other, people’s expectations change,

building on historical experiences so that what was accepted by one
generation becomes unacceptable to those which follow. What was
at one time a relatively local phenomenon, with modern communica-
tion has become world-wide; living and working conditions are
subject to common demands. The European Community is a clear
example of this trend, both for reasons of social justice and of
economy this common market requires that working conditions
across its member states shall be broadly equivalent.
In pursuit of this equivalence, basic regulatory measures are
passed, and many of these now call, overtly, for ergonomic solutions
to work problems. By introducing ergonomics, the clear intent is that
the old style of work design, where the operator was viewed as a
‘pair of hands’ is not acceptable. People are, in the terms of ergonom-
ics, to be seen in the round, as complete people making a contribu-
tion to their work on a more human level than as ‘hewers of wood
and drawers of water’.
It is thus very appropriate that this new and revised edition of an
early Dutch classic, the Vademecum ergonomie should be published
at this time. Its increased breadth of coverage and updated content
provide a comprehensive summary of what is important in the appli-
cation of ergonomics to the world of work. Both as an aid to the
implementation of ergonomics and as a ready source of reference it
will contribute to the improvement of the workplace, not just in the
West, but in any industrial enterprise.
Of course there is no pretence by the authors to imply that this is
a sufficient manual for all ergonomics problems. But the wider
understanding of ergonomics and how to apply it that this book can
bring about will increase the recognition of what the subject can do.
The benefits which workpeople, union representatives, industrial
x Preface
engineers and management can themselves achieve by this book will
deepen their understanding and make it more possible to ease the
path of ergonomics specialists who deal with the more intractable
problems.
This is a book to be welcomed for the 21st century, embracing as
it does the concept of designing work for human satisfaction as well
as human feasibility. Advanced industrial societies have shown the
gains to be made from companies which run as a partnership rather
than as a battleground. This little book shows the steps by which
management and workforce can advance towards that better state.

E.N. Corlett
Foreword

The original Vademecum ergonomie by Kellermann, Klinkhamer,

Van Wely and Willems was first published in Dutch in 1963. Its
success was such that within five years it had been translated into
eleven languages. The pace of developments in ergonomics over the
past few years has created an increasing need for a fundamental revi-
sion of this guide. In 1991 we presented the first English edition of
the book which was a complete revision of the earlier editions, but
nevertheless retains the basic approach of the original guide. We are
glad that the revised edition was also so well received that it has
become a best seller.
This is not a book to be read once only, but rather it is meant to
be a reference text which covers the subject through easily under-
stood practical guidelines and advice. Each recommendation is
summarized in one line printed in sans serif bold in the centre of the
page, followed by a short explanation. This means that the user can
either rapidly become acquainted with ergonomics, or can quickly
refresh his or her knowledge in certain areas, or can broaden such
knowledge.
The text of Ergonomics for Beginners is pitched at the introduc-
tory level, covering the subject in six chapters. The first chapter is an
introduction describing ergonomics and explaining its social signific-
ance. Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 provide basic ergonomics knowledge
about posture and movement, information and operation, environ-
mental factors as well as work organization. In Chapter 6 we present
an ergonomic approach which can be used in the design or acquisi-
tion of production systems, machines, accessories, consumer prod-
ucts and suchlike. In this approach, basic ergonomic knowledge is
applied as a whole. The guide concludes with a chapter which pro-
vides information to those who wish to learn more about the subject.
In this second edition of Ergonomics for Beginners we have
xii Foreword
updated several chapters. Due to the rapid developments in informa-
tion and communication technologies and thinking on management
and organization, Chapter 3 on ‘Information and Operation’ and
Chapter 5 on ‘Work Organization’ were completely revised. Chapter
7 on ‘Sources of Additional Information’ now contains also a list of
ergonomics websites.

Jan Dul
([email protected])
Bernard Weerdmeester
([email protected])
1 Introduction

Ergonomics developed into a recognized field during the Second

World War, when for the first time, technology and the human sci-
ences were systematically applied in a co-ordinated manner. Physiol-
ogists, psychologists, anthropologists, medical doctors, work
scientists and engineers together addressed the problems arising from
the operation of complex military equipment. The results of this
inter-disciplinary approach appeared so promising that the co-
operation was pursued after the war, in industry. Interest in the
approach grew rapidly, especially in Europe and the United States,
leading to the foundation in England of the first ever national
ergonomics society in 1949, which is when the term ‘ergonomics’
was adopted. This was followed in 1961 by the creation of the Inter-
national Ergonomics Association (IEA), which at present represents
ergonomics societies which are active in 40 countries or regions, with
a total membership of some 15 000 people.

What is ergonomics?
The word ‘ergonomics’ is derived from the Greek words ‘ergon’ (work)
and ‘nomos’ (law). In the United States, the term ‘human factors’ is
often used. A succinct definition would be that ergonomics aims to
design appliances, technical systems and tasks in such a way as to
improve human safety, health, comfort and performance. The formal
definition of ergonomics, approved by the IEA, reads as follows:

Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline con-

cerned with 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 opti-
mize human well-being and overall system performance.
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