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Ergonomics aims to find ways in which to improve and maintain safety, health, comfort, efficiency and productivity in the workplace and beyond by trying to ensure that tasks are made to suit the worker.

• To achieve these goals, ergonomists analyse a number of working environment aspects including:
• The job being done and the demands that it makes on the worker;
• The equipment used (size, shape and suitability for the job);
• The information used (how it is presented, accessed and interpreted);
• The physical environment (heat, light, noise, humidity); and
• The social environment (teamwork, management approach).

Furthermore, ergonomists assess a worker’s physical characteristics, such as body size and shape, fitness levels, the senses (especially vision and hearing) and the stresses placed on the bones, joints, muscles and nerves.

Using this information, ergonomists can then design (or redesign) the work set-up to ensure safe, healthy, effective, efficient and comfortable work. Although it may be possible to find solutions to a problem after it has developed, ergonomics aim to deal with the potential problem before it materialises.

This is done by way of ergonomics assessment, using tools that range from basic broad risk assessment worksheets to specialised equipment for specific situations.

NSSA employs a qualified ergonomist in the Occupational Safety and Health Division to provide expert ergonomics assessments and consultancy services for any organisation, regardless of size and complexity.

It also offers in-house basic training on the identification and control of ergonomic risks and customised organisational solutions.
There are three major areas of specialisation in ergonomics; namely physical ergonomics, organisational ergonomics and cognitive ergonomics.

The best known domain of ergonomics is physical ergonomics, which deals with the stresses placed on the human body by the job and its environment, taking into account human characteristics such as body shape, size and condition. In a developing economy, a significant proportion of work is in the mining, manufacturing, service and agricultural sectors, in which a great deal of physical work is carried out.

This does not mean that office work, if not well designed, does not pose a risk of musculoskeletal disorders. In fact, there are fairly high numbers of MSDs resulting from office work. MSDs are injuries to or ailments of various parts of the muscular, neural and skeletal systems of the body. Such injuries and ailments are disabling, painful and gradually develop over weeks, months or years.

When ergonomics principles are not followed, workers are likely to develop MSDs over time. Factors that can contribute to the development of MSDs include, but are not limited to, repetition, awkward postures, excessive force, vibration, heat, cold, noise, poor lighting and duration of the work.
The most common MSDs include low back pain, carpal (hand bone) tunnel syndrome, neck disorders and oedema (swelling).
If a worker becomes temporarily or permanently incapacitated by MSDs, this adversely affects both him or her and the organisation.
The affected individual experiences pain, stress (from both the MSD and its socio-economic consequences) and a drop in quality of life. The organisation may experience disruption of work, resulting in decreased productivity, output and profits, as well as high medical bills for the rehabilitation of the incapacitated worker.

The effective application and practice of ergonomics can increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and improve efficiency, employee morale and the quality of products.

Organisational ergonomics or macro- ergonomics focuses on the organisation’s socio-technical systems, such as structure, policies and processes.
Ergonomists look at aspects such as teamwork, job design, communication, shift work, safety and health culture, organisational culture, job satisfaction and motivation of employees. The goal is to ensure job satisfaction, worker commitment and productivity, for the benefit of both the employee and employer.

Cognitive ergonomics deals with the mental aspects of the worker and the job interaction. It focuses on how a person relates to his job, task, tools, machinery, instructions and environment. Mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning and motor response are assessed and necessary changes to the job recommended. This approach is commonly applied in jobs that require more mental work than anything else.

Air traffic monitoring and control, control room operations and driving, for instance, demand high mental effort.
The aim of ergonomics here is to minimise the human effort needed by adjusting the mental workload required by the equipment to fit human mental capabilities.

Imagine the possible consequences of an air traffic controller being overwhelmed by flashing lights and beeps in the control room!
NSSA offers high quality ergonomics assessment and advisory service, which includes in-house training to promote the safety and health of workers, as well as the maximisation of the product quality, output and profitability of organisations.

Talking Social Security is published weekly by the National Social Security Authority as a public service. There is also a weekly radio programme, PaMhepo neNssa/Emoyeni le NSSA, discussing social security issues at 6.50pm every Thursday on Radio Zimbabwe and every Friday on National FM. Readers can e-mail issues they would like dealt with in this column to [email protected] or text them to 0772 307 913. Those with individual queries should contact their local NSSA office or telephone NSSA on (04) 706517-8 or 706523-5.