It is commonly thought that ergonomics is a new concept. If the truth be known, however, ergonomics has been around for a very long time. The word “ergonomics” may be fairly new, but the basic idea of ergonomics and the concepts that surround it are far from new.Man has searched for new ways to do things since the beginning of time – methods to do things quicker, more efficiently and at the same time, reduce as much physical and emotional stress as possible. It is a fact that man has become more knowledgeable through the centuries and he has been able to use this to help make life easier and less stressful, while accomplishing more than ever.Based on findings, scientists believe that early man made tools from pebbles and scoops from antelope bones in an attempt to accomplish their tasks quicker and more efficiently. Tools, machines, and various work processes were created and fine-tuned through the centuries, improving the effectiveness of their tasks. The Industrial Revolution brought even more creative ways of doing things with the invention of the spinning jenny and rolling mills. The concepts behind developing these products are the same ideas behind much of ergonomics today.Work-related injuries are documented back into the sixteenth century, as Bernardino Ramazinni wrote in his medical journal about complaints from his patients. In his publication “De Morbis Artificum (Diseases of Workers)”, he wrote an entire section about the relationship between various injuries and occupations. In 1857, Wojciech Jastrzebowski created the word “ergonomics” in a narrative he wrote about the science of nature. “Ergon” means work and “nomos” means natural law. In other words, it literally means “how to work according to nature” – as opposed to fighting against what is naturally best for us.In the early 1900′s, Scientific Management became popular. This was a method whereby a worker could have greater efficiency by improving the process of the task. Production of industry was still mostly run by manpower and motion at this time. Basic ergonomic concepts were used, but not completely understood or taken to their full potential.Frederick W. Taylor was most interested in ergonomics and enjoyed evaluating various tasks to find the “one best way” to perform them. He developed tools in factories that would make the work less repetitive and stressful for the workers. Of course, along with this idea, the number of work injuries decreased while production levels increased. Taylor wanted to try to get the greatest output in the least amount of time.Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were interested in Taylor’s theory, but had a different approach. Instead, they wanted to reduce the movements required to get a job finished. This concept truly takes us to the heart of ergonomics, which embraces the concept of maintaining a healthy body while performing necessary jobs. The Gilbreth’s used time motion analysis and also made standards for tools and materials. Gilbreth completely changed the way bricklayers work, increasing their number of laid bricks from 120 to 350 bricks per hour. This, of course, included an increase in production and also a decrease in strain on the worker’s backs, legs and arms. Lillian Gilbreth was an industrial engineer for General Electric and she interviewed over 4,000 women to learn the design that women preferred while working at their stoves, sinks and other appliances in their homes.The ideas of ergonomics continued to develop. In 1943, Alphonse Chapanis, an army officer of World War II, discovered that pilots made fewer errors if the layouts of the plane’s controls were simplified. In other words, these pioneers of ergonomics learned that if we do things in a different way, we can often be more productive and safer.It was after World War II that ergonomics began to include not only productivity, but also the safety of the workers. Research began to take place in various areas including: the heart’s response to heavy labor; the maximum loads that should be pulled, pushed or carried; the amount of muscle force that should be required to perform manual tasks; and the force on the back when lifting heavy objects. Many sciences such as physicians, engineers and psychologists work together on ergonomic ideas to develop new ideas on how people can avoid injuring their bodies and work more efficiently.For many centuries, the concept of ergonomics has been around. Although it was not perfected as today, people have been looking for new ideas of productivity and health for centuries. When we do not strain our bodies, we are better able to do our jobs and accomplish more. Ergonomic products are becoming more popular, as people everywhere are beginning to realize that with these devices and designs, they feel better and are able to get as much work, or even more work, accomplished in the same amount of time.
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