Ergonomics standards

Ergonomics (Greek: Ergon = work + Nomos = custom, law) is an interdisciplinary scientific approach to problems of adjusting work to humans, aiming to increase productivity, i.e. working efficiency, work safety and humanization of human labour.

Name of ergonomics is used in most European countries, the name of human factors or human factors engineering in the US, and the name of the engineering psychology in the former Soviet Union. The goal of ergonomics is to be studied and adapted to conditions of work, means of work, work process and the product as a result of human work from the psychological, physiological and anatomical aspect, instead of adjusting a worker to the needs of a job.

The first ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) standard based on ergonomic design of work systems ISO 6385 (1981), i.e. ergonomic principles of work system design, was developed on the basis of the German standard DIN 33 400 (1975), designing systems according to the ergonomic guidelines.

International Ergonomics Association (IEA) established a standard ISO/TC 159 in 1975. The organizational structure of ISO/TC 159, ergonomics (January 2000):

ISO/TC 159/SC 1 General ergonomic principles:

TC 159/SC 1/WG 1 Principles of ergonomics and ergonomic design;

TC 159/SC 1/WG 2 Ergonomic principles related to mental work;

ISO/TC 159/SC 3, Anthropometry and biomechanics:

TC 159/SC 3/WG 1 Anthropometry;

TC 159/SC 3/WG 4 Human physical strength: manual handling and force limits;

ISO/TC 159/SC 4, Ergonomics of human-system interaction:

TC 159/SC 4/WG 1 Fundamentals of controls and signalling methods;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 2 Visual display requirements;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 3 Controls, workplace and environmental requirements;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 5 Software ergonomics of human-computer interaction;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 6 Human-centred design processes for interactive systems;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 8 Ergonomic design of control centres;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 9 Tactile and haptic interaction;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 10 Accessible Design for Consumer Products;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 11 Ease of operation of everyday products;

TC 159/SC 4/WG 12 Image safety;

ISO/TC 159/SC 5, Ergonomics of the physical environment:

TC 159/SC 5/WG 1 Thermal environments;

TC 159/SC 5/WG 4 Integrated environments;

TC 159/SC 5/WG 5 Physical environments for people with special requirements;

TC 159/SC 5/WG 6 Perceived air quality;