What IS Ergonomics and Safety?
The Ergonomics and Safety program at the University of Utah is a multi-disciplinary program integrating the efforts of Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Medicine, and Bioengineering.
- The field of Occupational Safety Engineering deals with the application of engineering principles and methodologies to minimize the physical hazards of the occupational environment.
- “Ergonomics” is derived from the Greek word “erg” which means “work” and the Greek word “nomus” which means “the study of” or “the natural laws of.” Ergonomics is therefore the study of the natural laws of work.
- The study of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety deals with minimizing the hazards and maximizing the efficiency of a work system in which the human is a part. The scope of this system can be as limited as a carpenter and a hammer or as complex as the control system of a nuclear power plant.
