Ergonomics

The term "ergonomics" is derived from the Greek words "ergon" (work) and "nomos" (science, law). Ergonomics is the science of human work and is concerned with adapting work processes closely to the physical and mental characteristics and abilities of working people.

The goals of ergonomics are

• Humanity
  (Involves designing workplaces to suit human needs, the deployment of working people in accordance with their physical and mental suitability, and the proper training of working people)
• Efficiency
  (Involves optimizing work processes and precisely adapting the means to the tasks)
• Occupational health & safety.

The following projects and cooperative ventures are currently being pursued by the IFA in the ergonomic field:

The CUELA measuring system

The CUELA measuring system (computer-assisted recording and long-term analysis of musculoskeletal loading) was developed at the institute to measure the loading of the musculoskeletal system that...

ErgoKita: Ergonomic design of workplaces in nursery schools

In the daily work situation, nursery school teachers are often exposed to high musculoskeletal workload from forced postures owing to low working heights. Ergonomic design in nursery schools has...

Ergonomic requirements for computer input devices

Intense work on computers and the associated use of various input devices may lead to disorders in the musculoskeletal system of the hand, arm, shoulder and/or neck, particularly in individuals...

Ergonomic study of special office chairs

Frequent and sustained work in a static seated posture may lead to muscle tension and spinal disorders at VDU and office workplaces. This can cause both excessive stress upon the muscular system,...

Stress upon the lumbar spine during shovelling tasks

In the course of their investigations of formally recognized occupational disease (BK) 2108 (discogenic disorders of the lumbar spine), the accident insurance institutions assess the stress upon the...

Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities and occupational activity

Statistics show that disorders of the musculoskeletal system and of the connective tissue have for many years been the largest single cause (regularly between approximately 25% and 30%) of working...

Lifting and carrying, activities performed in a kneeling position and with constrained posture in the interior decoration trade

Interior decorators are exposed to work-related health hazards to the musculoskeletal system during the laying of carpets and other floor coverings, sewing and dressing of curtains, the upholstering...

Register of measured values for knee-straining activities (GonKatast)

At the end of 2005, a scientific justification for a new occupational disease, "osteoarthritis of the knee (OA)", was published by the medical expert board to the German Federal Minister of Labour...

Pushing and pulling of trolleys on board aircraft (follow-on project)

During short-haul flights, service tasks are increasingly performed during the climb and descent phases of the aircraft. These tasks generally involve the use of catering trolleys. In addition to the...

OMEGA database: Strains on the spinal column

On the principle of the already widespread OMEGA system, a database on spinal column loading is being built up at the IFA in cooperation with various statutory accident insurance and prevention...

Ergonomics at sewing workplaces

An elevated sickness rate with corresponding absences from work has been observed for many years among employees in the German sewing industry. The diseases which primarily occur are musculoskeletal...

The German Spine Study (DWS)

Together with a number of other scientific institutions, the institute under its former name BGIA participated in an epidemiological study launched by the DGUV into the relationships between...