ABSTRACT
The science of ergonomics is a comparatively recent phenomenon; however, there is evidence to suggest that ergonomic principles were known to the ancient Greeks (Marmaras et al. 1999). The word ergonomics is derived from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomos, meaning physical law. The term was coined by Professor Hywell Murrell following a working group meeting in 1949. This meeting formed a society for ‘the study of human beings in their working environment’ (Marmaras et al. 1999). Ergonomics combines the knowledge of human abilities with those of tool design, equipment and the organisation of work. People from many different backgrounds work in ergonomics, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, engineers, physiologists, doctors and others.
