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Saturday 24 September 2011

Ergonomics

Second Blog Entry:


Just what is ergonomics?, Caulton and Dickson 2007, state that ergonomics is about "constantly make slight invisible adjustments to an activity to adapt to the needs of those taking part and ensure that it continues to work for its intended purpose" (p.93).

Absolutely, but let's keep things simple. Ergonomics is also the science of making things comfy and considering the person/activity and environment together. All of this makes things efficient.

This snippet below is from literature called, The craft room; What’s going on in there? by Occupational Therapist Tess Bowden and has been retrieved from a paper studied last year called Adaptive Living – Occupation.

“One of my colleagues had prepared for my arrival by ordering some craft supplies so I could start straight away. I set a regular time for the group and based it on activities that people wanted to try. The craft room was an internal space with only small skylight windows for natural light and I wanted to make the environment comfortable, inspiring and welcoming!” (p.14).

This has shown me the considerations that are required to provide the necessary tools, space and opportunities for social interaction to be successful. All of these factors are Ergonomics! 

Let’s now relate this to my activity of hebel sculpture.

·         All of the  resources had been purchased recently
·         I had scheduled a two hours slot to complete a project and the weather was favourable
·         All tools and products that I would need were arranged within easy reach
·         I altered my position slightly during this project to keep the sun on my back
·         I used a carpet mat to stand on to eliminate the cold permeating my feet
·         I alternated the use of the tools to reduce any repetitive strain or blister’s
·         The radio was playing and the family were occupied

By altering where I stand, the equipment I use and by considering all of the above, I have completed a sculpture within an ergonomic way - comfortably and efficiently!

                                                                        C.Tate 2011

References: 

Caulton R, Dickson R (2007) What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In: J Creek, A Lawson-    Porter, eds. Contemporary issues in occupational therapy: reasoning and reflection. Chichester: John Wiley, 87-114.

Bowden, T. 2000. The craft room: What’s going on in there? Taken from: Caulton, R.F. (Ed). (2003). The best of occupation 1993-2003. Dunedin: Rogan McIndoe Print Ltd.

4 comments:

  1. Hey Cara..I really like the way you used literature to illustrate your understanding of ergonomics and know appreciate how ergonomics can relate to both a group setting and an individual completing a project. I think it would be interesting to see how you think you would change the way you set about starting a project (ergonomically speaking) when you haven't attempted a particular design before.

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  2. Thank you Anna for your comment. Yes its true I would change the process of this activity when Im about to create a new project. It all begins with a thought/an image in my mind then out comes the paper & pencil. The remaineder of the activity would generally follow the same process. It would likely to take longer to complete too, therefore I'd need more time. And at the moment thats one thing I dont have alot of, I wonder why :)

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  3. Hi Cara, It was very inspiring reading through this post. You highlighted your understanding of ergonomics in a very concise way, and you made this clear by combining the theory with the practical considerations. There is nothing I feel you could add to make this post better. Keep up the great work!

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  4. Thank you Izabela, I appreciate your comment :)

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