Ergonomics and Human Factors Knowledge Centre
Explore practical resources on ergonomics and human factors, including office ergonomics, manual handling, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, cognitive ergonomics, organisational ergonomics, human factors in safety and ergonomics assessment methods.
What is Ergonomics and Human Factors?
Ergonomics is about designing work, tasks, tools, equipment, environments and systems to fit people. Human factors takes a broader systems view of how people interact with equipment, processes, information, teams, procedures and organisations.
Physical ergonomics
Posture, force, movement, workstation design, manual handling, repetition and physical workload.
Cognitive ergonomics
Mental workload, attention, decision-making, information design, fatigue and human error.
Organisational ergonomics
Work organisation, communication, teamwork, shift work, procedures and systems design.
Explore key ergonomics and human factors topics
Select a topic to view a concise guide covering why it matters, common workplace issues, practical considerations, assessment approaches and when professional support may be needed.
Overview
Ergonomics and human factors help organisations design work systems that better fit the people who use them. It considers the relationship between people, tasks, tools, environments, information and organisational conditions.
Well-designed work can reduce discomfort, improve safety, support performance and help workers sustain good work over time.
Common workplace issues
- Poor workstation setup
- Manual handling risks
- Repetitive or forceful tasks
- High mental workload
- Procedure and communication gaps
What to consider
- Physical demands of the task
- Information and decision demands
- Work organisation and staffing
- Environmental and equipment factors
- Variation between workers and tasks
Assessment and improvement
Useful approaches include worker engagement, task observation, symptom surveys, risk screening, recognised assessment tools and practical redesign of tasks, equipment or work organisation.
When to seek support
Seek professional support when discomfort trends increase, tasks are complex, risks are uncertain, changes are being planned, or internal teams need an independent ergonomics review.
Physical ergonomics
Focuses on posture, movement, force, repetition, workstation setup, manual handling and physical workload.
Cognitive and organisational ergonomics
Focuses on workload, attention, decision-making, teamwork, communication, procedures, shift work and system design.
Office Ergonomics
Office ergonomics focuses on the design and use of workstations, seating, display screen equipment, input devices and work practices. It is especially relevant for computer-based work, hybrid work and prolonged seated or screen-based tasks.
Effective office ergonomics can reduce discomfort, improve comfort and concentration, and support healthier work habits.
Common issues
- Poor chair or desk fit
- Incorrect screen height or distance
- Keyboard and mouse discomfort
- Prolonged sitting
- Inconsistent home workstation setup
What to consider
- Chair adjustment and support
- Screen position and visual comfort
- Keyboard, mouse and accessory use
- Lighting, glare and space constraints
- Breaks, movement and work organisation
Assessment approaches
Workstation review, worker interview, photo-based screening, discomfort survey and observation of actual work practices can help identify practical improvements.
Improvement approaches
Adjust furniture and equipment, improve workstation layout, provide guidance for hybrid work, encourage movement and address work patterns that contribute to prolonged static posture.
Professional support
Support may be useful when discomfort persists, many staff are affected, new office layouts are planned, or a structured office ergonomics programme is needed.
Useful outcome
A practical workstation review should provide clear actions that workers and employers can implement without unnecessary complexity.
Manual Handling
Manual handling includes lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, pulling and moving loads by hand or bodily force. Risk depends on the task, load, working posture, frequency, duration, environment and individual capability.
Manual handling remains a common contributor to musculoskeletal injury, lost time and reduced work ability.
Common issues
- Heavy or unstable loads
- Awkward reach or twisting
- High repetition or long duration
- Poor grip or load visibility
- Constrained space or poor floor condition
What to consider
- Load weight and handling distance
- Task height and posture
- Frequency, pace and recovery time
- Team handling and communication
- Mechanical aids and task redesign
Assessment approaches
Approaches may include task observation, worker consultation, load and force measurement, manual handling screening and recognised tools such as the MAC Tool or NIOSH lifting equation where suitable.
Improvement approaches
Reduce load weight, improve layout, use handling aids, redesign storage height, reduce carrying distance, improve grip and plan safe systems of work.
Professional support
Seek support for high-risk tasks, injury trends, new processes, complex handling scenarios, or when controls require engineering or workflow redesign.
Important note
Training alone is rarely sufficient. Effective manual handling risk control should prioritise task, equipment and workplace design.
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders affect muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, nerves and supporting structures. They may develop from a combination of physical workload, work organisation, psychosocial factors and individual factors.
Early identification and prevention can reduce pain, improve work ability and prevent minor discomfort from becoming a persistent work problem.
Common risk factors
- Awkward or sustained postures
- Repetitive movement
- Forceful exertion
- Contact stress or vibration
- Insufficient recovery time
Contributing factors
- High workload or time pressure
- Limited job variation
- Poor work organisation
- Low control over task pace
- Delayed reporting of discomfort
Assessment approaches
Symptom surveys, discomfort mapping, task observation, posture assessment, review of incident records and worker interviews can help identify patterns and priorities.
Improvement approaches
Improve job design, reduce exposure to key risk factors, rotate tasks appropriately, enhance reporting systems and implement practical ergonomic controls.
Professional support
Support is useful when discomfort trends appear across teams, tasks involve multiple risk factors, or intervention planning requires structured analysis.
Prevention focus
MSD prevention should combine workplace design, task redesign, early reporting, worker participation and management commitment.
Cognitive Ergonomics
Cognitive ergonomics focuses on how people perceive information, pay attention, remember, make decisions and manage mental workload. It is important in work involving monitoring, decision-making, alarms, interfaces, procedures and complex tasks.
Poor information design and excessive mental workload can increase error likelihood and reduce situation awareness.
Common issues
- High mental workload
- Alarm overload
- Poor interface design
- Complex or unclear procedures
- Fatigue and reduced vigilance
What to consider
- Information clarity and timing
- Attention demands
- Decision points and consequences
- Task complexity and interruptions
- Fatigue, workload and recovery
Assessment approaches
Task analysis, procedure review, interface review, workload discussion, observation and human error analysis can help identify design and process contributors.
Improvement approaches
Simplify information, improve displays and procedures, manage alarms, reduce unnecessary cognitive load and design tasks to support situation awareness.
Professional support
Support may be required for safety-critical tasks, control rooms, complex interfaces, fatigue-sensitive work or recurring human-error events.
Practical focus
The goal is not to blame workers, but to design systems that support reliable human performance.
Organisational Ergonomics
Organisational ergonomics focuses on how work is structured, managed and coordinated. It considers job design, teamwork, communication, staffing, shift patterns, workload distribution, procedures and change management.
Many workplace health and safety issues are shaped by organisational decisions, not just individual behaviour or equipment design.
Common issues
- Unclear roles or responsibilities
- Poor handover and communication
- Excessive workload peaks
- Procedures that do not match actual work
- Change introduced without worker input
What to consider
- Workload distribution
- Staffing and competence
- Team coordination
- Shift work and recovery
- Safety culture and leadership
Assessment approaches
Interviews, focus groups, work-as-done review, procedure review, shift pattern review and systems mapping can help identify organisational contributors.
Improvement approaches
Improve job design, clarify responsibilities, strengthen communication, align procedures with real work and manage organisational change carefully.
Professional support
Support is useful when issues span teams, departments, work schedules, communication pathways or management systems.
Systems thinking
Organisational ergonomics helps organisations look beyond the immediate task and understand the wider system influencing performance.
Human Factors in Safety
Human factors in safety examines how people interact with systems, equipment, procedures, environments and organisational conditions. It supports incident prevention by improving system design, supervision, communication and work processes.
Human error is often a symptom of deeper system conditions. Better design can reduce the likelihood and consequence of error.
Common issues
- Procedures that are difficult to follow
- Poor equipment or control layout
- Weak communication or handover
- Inadequate supervision or staffing
- Production pressure and competing priorities
What to consider
- Work-as-imagined versus work-as-done
- Decision-making under pressure
- Training, competence and supervision
- Communication and coordination
- Design of controls, alarms and barriers
Assessment approaches
Incident review, task analysis, procedure review, human error analysis, site observation and interviews can help identify practical system improvements.
Improvement approaches
Improve barriers, simplify procedures, design clearer interfaces, strengthen supervision and address organisational pressures that shape unsafe conditions.
Professional support
Support is useful for high-risk operations, recurring incidents, major process changes, critical task reviews or safety management system improvement.
Prevention focus
The aim is to build systems that make safe work easier, more reliable and more consistent.
Ergonomics Assessment Methods
Ergonomics assessment methods help professionals identify risk factors, understand task demands and prioritise improvements. The selected method should match the task, the exposure pattern and the assessment objective.
No single tool fits every situation. Professional judgement is needed to select, interpret and translate methods into practical recommendations.
Common methods
- Qualitative screening
- Worker interviews and symptom surveys
- Task observation and task analysis
- Posture assessment
- Force, load and movement assessment
Recognised tools
- RULA
- REBA
- MAC Tool
- ART Tool
- NIOSH lifting equation
Advanced approaches
Where relevant, assessment may include force measurement, motion analysis, muscle activity measurement such as EMG, video analysis or comparison of alternative task designs.
What to consider
Method selection should consider task variability, exposure duration, worker feedback, environment, tools used and the purpose of the assessment.
Professional support
Support is useful when the task is complex, controls are expensive, findings may affect design decisions, or a defensible professional assessment is required.
Practical output
A good assessment should translate findings into prioritised, practical and proportionate recommendations.
Practical tools and checklists
These resources are intended to support early screening, workplace discussion and planning. They do not replace a professional assessment where risks are complex or significant.
Office Ergonomics Checklist
A simple guide for reviewing chair, desk, monitor, keyboard, mouse and work organisation factors in office and hybrid work settings.
Manual Handling Screening
A practical screening aid for identifying lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling tasks that may need closer assessment.
Workstation Review
A structured review template for documenting workstation concerns, user feedback and immediate improvement actions.
Musculoskeletal Discomfort Survey
A worker feedback tool for identifying discomfort trends and prioritising departments, tasks or work groups for follow-up.
Task Observation Checklist
A concise observation guide for noting posture, force, repetition, reach, work pace, environment and task constraints.
Ergonomics Assessment Planning
A planning checklist to define scope, tasks, stakeholders, methods, data collection needs and deliverables before assessment work begins.
How ergonomics assessment may be conducted
Ergonomics assessment should be proportionate to the workplace issue, task complexity and intended decision. It may include simple screening, detailed task analysis, measurement-based assessment or a combination of methods.
Worker interviews and symptom surveys
Understand discomfort, perceived workload, task concerns and patterns across work groups.
Task observation and task analysis
Understand what workers actually do, how tasks vary and where exposure or design issues arise.
Posture and movement analysis
Review working postures, reaches, movement patterns and task demands using suitable methods where appropriate.
Force and load assessment
Measure or estimate loads, push-pull forces, handling frequency and task conditions.
Recognised tools and methods
Use methods such as RULA, REBA, MAC Tool, ART Tool and the NIOSH lifting equation where they suit the task.
Work organisation review
Consider job design, work pace, breaks, rotation, staffing, communication and organisational contributors.
References that may support ergonomics work
Ergonomics and human factors work may refer to recognised standards, regulatory expectations and professional methods. The relevant reference depends on the task, industry and assessment objective.
ISO 6385
General ergonomic principles for the design of work systems may support broad work design review.
ISO 11226 and ISO 11228
Useful references for static working postures, manual handling, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling.
ISO 12295
Supports initial screening and application of ergonomics standards for manual handling and working postures.
EN 1005 series
May support machinery-related ergonomics review and assessment of human physical performance.
Recognised assessment tools
Tools such as RULA, REBA, MAC Tool, ART Tool and the NIOSH lifting equation may be used where suitable.
Professional judgement
Assessment findings should be interpreted in context and translated into practical, proportionate recommendations.
Designed for workplace decision-makers and professionals
This page is written for practical use by people who manage, assess, design or support work systems.
Employers and management teams
Understand when ergonomics issues may affect safety, health, productivity and work sustainability.
WSH professionals
Use ergonomics concepts to strengthen risk assessment, incident prevention and workplace improvement.
Ergonomists and consultants
Reference practical themes, methods and communication points for workplace projects.
HR and workplace wellness teams
Connect discomfort, wellbeing, hybrid work and sustainable work design with practical actions.
Facilities and operations teams
Consider ergonomics during layout planning, equipment selection, workstation design and process changes.
Auditors and reviewers
Use the topic structure to support gap reviews and practical improvement discussions.
Frequently asked questions
Concise answers to common questions about ergonomics, human factors and workplace assessment.
What is the difference between ergonomics and human factors?
Ergonomics often focuses on designing tasks, tools, workstations and environments to fit people. Human factors takes a wider systems view of how people interact with equipment, information, procedures, teams and organisations. In practice, the two fields overlap closely.
When should a company conduct an ergonomics assessment?
A company should consider an ergonomics assessment when workers report discomfort, tasks involve forceful or repetitive work, manual handling is significant, workstation concerns are common, new work processes are introduced, or management wants to prevent injury and improve work design.
What is office ergonomics?
Office ergonomics is the design and adjustment of office workstations, equipment and work practices to support comfort, health and effective computer-based work. It includes seating, screens, input devices, lighting, work layout, breaks and hybrid work arrangements.
What is manual handling risk?
Manual handling risk refers to the possibility of injury or strain from lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, lowering or moving loads. Risk depends on load characteristics, posture, force, repetition, task duration, workplace layout and environmental conditions.
What are work-related musculoskeletal disorders?
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are conditions affecting muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, nerves and related structures where work activities or work conditions contribute to the problem.
What is cognitive ergonomics?
Cognitive ergonomics focuses on mental processes such as attention, perception, memory, decision-making and situation awareness. It is important in work involving interfaces, alarms, procedures, complex decisions, monitoring and fatigue-sensitive tasks.
What methods are used in ergonomics assessment?
Methods may include worker interviews, symptom surveys, task observation, posture analysis, force measurement, load assessment, work organisation review and recognised tools such as RULA, REBA, MAC Tool, ART Tool and the NIOSH lifting equation where appropriate.
When should professional support be sought?
Professional support should be sought when risks are significant, tasks are complex, discomfort trends are increasing, internal teams need independent advice, or recommendations may influence workplace design, equipment selection, work organisation or safety management decisions.
Need help applying ergonomics and human factors at your workplace?
IEH supports organisations with ergonomics assessments, workplace design reviews, manual handling assessments, office ergonomics, human factors review and customised training.