Becoming an Ergonomist

The following article outlines the job duties, training involved, salary expectations and future prospects of taking on a career as an Ergonomist.

Preview:

Ergonomists study the physiological and mechanical aspects of people at work. They analyze what people do and how they relate to machines and environments in order to optimize their efficiency.

The Job:

Ergonomists have the job of studying how people relate to things and to their environments. Ergonomics is a complex mixture of physiology, psychology and mechanics, and ergonomists are employed by the armed forces and manufacturing companies to improve production processes, and by organizations that manufacture and sell machines that they want people to use with ease.

The easiest way to understand their role is to look at some specific examples of what they do. They have much to offer the armed forces. If the cockpit of an attack aircraft is being designed, it must be easy for the pilot to use when under intense pressure. The position and color of indicator lights, the shape of any hand or foot controls and their relationship to where hands and feet would naturally be are all important factors to be taken into account.

A similar situation arises for people on a production line, if they are to repeat the same tasks over a long period of time with any accuracy then their relationship to the controls, the distance their body must move each time to complete a task, and the lighting and color of their surroundings will all have an effect on their efficiency. These are just 2 examples of how an ergonomist might be used.

In another situation, a computer manufacturer may want to redesign the keyboard and the human/machine interfaces, such as the mouse or icons, or even a pair of goggles that allow users to view a virtual-reality world. The design of such equipment is a task that would be completed by an ergonomist.

The job is analytical, it often includes design work, and it always involves people. The difference between an ergonomist and other designers is that they are primarily concerned about how human beings relate to their designs. Are the controls easy to find? Is their shape good to grasp? Are the colors suitable for their intended use?

Their work includes discussing with people what their reactions are to different arrangements of lighting, seating, and controls. It also entails trying out novel designs with people in order to understand the difficulties that they may face when using them, and to improve the designs to meet their requirements.

The work includes liaising with clients, defining problems, analyzing situations, discussing them with those who work closely with them, suggesting solutions, and writing a final report. This will usually involve some drawing and design, as well as the verbal and written presentation of findings.

Training Involved:

Work training to become an ergonomist usually involves completing a postgraduate course in the subject. These studies are interdisciplinary meaning that they include some physiology, psychology and engineering.

Training usually lasts between 1 and 2 years.

A trainee ergonomist will begin by working on small projects or being part of a project team that is analyzing quite a complex situation. As training nears completion, ergonomists may be given projects to complete themselves.

Useful Qualifications to Have:

Useful subjects include: English, psychology, physics, physiology, and engineering

Salary Expectations:

The base salary range of an Ergonomist ranges from $67,383 to $81,106 annually, while the median salary for most Ergonomist is $74,500 annually. (US Base Pay)

Future Prospects:

There is unlikely ever to be an enormous demand for ergonomists, but then the numbers of qualified ergonomists are also few. There is no doubt that, in the recent past, people have generally become much more aware of the environment in which they live and work.

People are now less willing to put up with irritating circumstances and machines that are difficult to use than they were in the past. In the production environment, their work has decreased due to increased automation, which often removes altogether the need for human intervention in production processes. Ergonomists will always have a role to play, however, in the design of machines where the human interface with those machines is critical.

For further information, contact national professional institutes representing the interests of ergonomists. Also contact ministries or departments of defense and makers of production and consumer equipment.