Ergonomics and Psychosocial Work Environment

The course provides insight in work physiological and ergonomic exposure factors in industrial and non-industrial environments, including stress-associated health effects relating to psychosocial work environment. The course further considers man-machine interaction focusing good performance and avoiding accidents. There will be excursions to selected companies and laboratory exercises highlighting workrelated causes of health effects. Instruction in the usage of equipment for surveying ergonomic risk factors will be given. A group-based term assignment will give practical experience in surveying ergonomic exposures at a relevant work site.

This is an extension course in the 2nd year of the 2-year master program in health, environment, and safety. The course presents knowledge of work place design, ergonomic standards for the design of tools and other equipment and of other measures that reduce strain representing a risk of musculoskeletal complaints, including stress and psychosocial exposures. Additionally, the course introduces the ergonomic knowledge area man-machine interaction, focusing design to avoid accidents. Necessary previous knowledge is the introductory course Work environment.

The following topics are included:
- General knowledge of the knowledge areas biomechanics, anthropometry, and work physiology
- Specific knowledge of ergonomic standards in the ISO and CEN systems, their legal status and application area
- Specific knowledge of measures to alleviate work related stress, directed towards the work organization and the individual workers
- Specific knowledge of methods used in ergonomic field assessments, aimed at industrial and non-industrial work places
- Specific knowledge of risk assessment of exposures that may cause musculoskeletal complaints, based on technical measurements, observations, and interviews
- Specific knowledge of social interaction patterns in organizations, aiming to improve the chance of successful implementation of ergonomic and psychosocial work environment measures
- General knowledge of man-machine systems, focusing situations that may cause misaction and measures to avoid these.

The course shall make the students develop proficiency in:
- Analyze and suggest measures that contribute in the elimination of ergonomic risk factors in the work environment. Furthermore, assess how ergonomic measures best are introduced and sustained, considering productivity requirements for the enterprise
- Contribute to the design of system-critical work places to avoid mental strain and exhaustion, thereby reducing the risk of accidents.

Other proficiency aims:
- The students will get practical experience in ergonomic field work, by carrying out a term project whereby work places in an enterprise are analyzed and evaluated with respect to implementation of ergonomic measures.

Lectures laboratory demonstrations and term assignments. Portfolio assessment is the basis for the grade in the course. The portfolio includes a final written exam (60%) and a term paper (40%). The results for the parts are given in %-scores, while the entire portfolio is assigned a letter grade. If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may change from written to oral.