CHAPTER 3ERGONOMICS: ACHIEVING SYSTEM BALANCE THROUGH ERGONOMIC ANALYSIS AND CONTROL
GRACIELA M. PEREZ
Department of Work Environment, College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Healthy work systems require a balance between the task, the technology, the organization, the environment, and the individual (Figure 3.1). When any one of these basic connections is not functioning optimally, the work system is impaired (Hosey 1973). For example, such a system would recognize where humans excel and where machines excel, and the work system would then be balanced accordingly (Table 3.1). When humans work in environments that are not compatible with their strengths, the workers may become injured or ill. Thus a healthy work system is designed to optimize the human–machine interface and keep workers safe and healthy.
TABLE 3.1 Basic Strengths of Humans and Machines
Human strengths over machines
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Machine strength over humans
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