Abstract
This book provides an exhaustive overview of basic physical ergonomics principles. It is designed to be used as an introductory text and could be complemented with corresponding lab exercises. Ten well-written chapters provide an introduction to ergonomics, overviews of the systems of the body, human sensory capabilities, muscular work, anthropometry, design of workplace and hand tools, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and work physiology. It also offers a brief overview of cognitive ergonomics and an introduction to product liability.
Bush brings her two decades of teaching expertise in ergonomics. The book fills the gap for an exhaustive introductory text for both students and professionals new to the field of ergonomics. End-of-chapter exercises provide an apt way for students to reinforce the concepts, and the exhaustive list of references would be very useful for researchers and professionals.
One of the distinguishing factors of the book is the emphasis on case studies that highlight the practical applications of ergonomics principles described in each chapter. These case studies address current industry and research trends. For example, the case study on anthropometry describes the process that the International Truck and Engine Corporation went through to redesign workstation layouts and racking storage, which led to a significant decrease in incident frequencies and lost time caused by musculoskeletal disorders. I particularly liked the case study on work-related musculoskeletal disorders highlighting a National Science Foundation research project that aims to measure the amount of strain on hands and wrists of individuals who use multitouch electronic devices.
Although the book primarily covers physical ergonomics, the chapter on cognitive ergonomics provides adequate references to explore further. This book would be a very valuable resource for anyone planning to take the Certified Professional Ergonomist examination.
Footnotes
Sohit Karol is a design researcher at Microsoft, with research interests in comfort and ergonomics of handheld devices. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and Harvard School of Public Health. He has a master’s and doctorate in kinesiology from the University of Maryland, College Park.