Ergonomics plays an important role towards the contribution of better efficiency at the workplace and even in everyday life. May products are ergonomically safe and contribute towards better efficiency; however, some products may cause hindrance towards attaining efficiency because of their poor design. Most of the times, people are unable to identify the cause of decreased efficiency; therefore, ergonomics is a science that is employed commonly at the workplace. A very basic example of an ergonomic product would be a desk chair. It is important to recognize that one chair may not be the ideal chair for every person. Each person has varying specifications according to their physique; thus, a chair that is considered comfortable for one person may not provide the same benefit to another person.
In order to ensure workplace efficiency, the worker should have a comfortable workstation. It includes the basic of things such as; chair, stationery, computer screen, etc to name a few. For this paper, a good chair design and its impact upon increasing efficiency would be discussed. A workstation chair with wheels, backrest, and an adjustable height option may be considered a good design. However, the physique of the user of this chair would play an important role in determining the affect the chair has on efficiency levels. If the chair has wheels, it would allow the person to easily access things within his reach. An adjustable height option allows the individual to adjust the height of his/her chair according his/her requirements. The back rest allows people to place less strain on their backs and this can lead to a better posture and fewer back related problems.
An example of a poor product design would be the inability of some computer screens to be adjustable according to the user’s requirements. Some desktop screens specifically plasma screens do not allow the user to adjust the screen position; therefore, placing strain upon the individual’s neck and eyes. This may lead to backaches and headaches if the use of such a product is prolonged. Furthermore, it would also reduce worker efficiency because he/she may have to take days off work and might also be less productive even if they are present at work. In order to overcome this problem, the purchaser of the desktop computers at the workplace needs to keep into consideration such factors before striking a deal. Employees should be comfortable while using products that have to be used regularly in order to ensure workplace efficiency and productivity are not impacted negatively. Therefore, to make sure there is minimal stress placed on the back, neck, and eyes the computer screen should be adjustable according the person’s height and comfort level.
In today’s times there is great emphasis placed upon good ergonomic designs of almost everything that we purchase. As ergonomics is now a science in itself, many products that we use in our everyday life have been manufactured in a comfortable way. Products that are not comfortable to use often experience lower sales compared to products that offer quality and comfort to the buyer. Even though, the cost of manufacturing products may have increased due to the influence of ergonomics in the manufacturing process but it provides a huge benefit in terms of revenue generation for most companies.
References
Resource Center » What is Ergonomics and What Makes a Product Ergonomical?. (n.d.). What is Ergonomics and What Makes a Product Ergonomical?. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/lib/what-makes-a-product-ergonomical.htm
