ABSTRACT
As you have seen from the other chapters in this book, in most workplaces, the ergonomics focus is on implementing physical ergonomic solutions to prevent injuries, accommodate those with injuries or different abilities, and improve work performance. Although physical ergonomics is only one area of the discipline, this focus has led to an influx of practitioners from different though related disciplines, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, kinesiologists, etc., who practice as ergonomists in organizations. Perhaps inevitably, this physical focus on accidents, injury prevention, and accommodation of injured employees has led many to adopt a narrow vision of the role of ergonomics in relation to the health, the wellness, and the productivity of workers as only being concerned with changing the design of the tools and the work spaces for people. Yet, in addition to physical and environmental design aspects of workplaces, ergonomics has a systems perspective that also embraces cognitive, social, and organizational considerations and how these interact to establish a healthful and productive work system.
