Assessment 3 (2500 words)
Ergonomics design of a product, task, system or work environment
Outline the potential role of ergonomics in the design of a product, task, system or work environment. Describe:
- What factors might impact – positively or negatively – on the comfort, health or performance of the workers or users
- How ergonomics principles might be applied to improve the design.
You can choose your own scenario, or select one of the following:
• A school backpack, for use by secondary school students (product);
• Manual handling of rubbish bags by refuse collectors (task);
• Shift work roster / staff planning for healthcare workers in a rest home (work system);
• Kiwifruit processing plant – design of the processing and sorting lines (work environment).
Your written essay should:
1. Report on a selection of relevant literature, including journal papers but you may include other sources too such as industry reports. Consider literature about:
o the product, task, system or environment that you have selected; o the sorts of methods that authors have used for ergonomics assessment and evaluations;
o the kinds of improvements or interventions that have been put in place and how effective they have been.
2. Identify possible weaknesses or causal factors that may be contributing to sub-optimum design, based on the literature you have reviewed.
3. Describe a proposed methodology for conducting an ergonomics assessment of this product, task, system or environment.
o Include at least one archival, one objective and one subjective method that you could use;
o Briefly discuss why you chose those methods, and what their strengths and weaknesses are, based on the evidence you have identified in the literature;
o Include some discussion about how information collected using your proposed methods would help inform recommendations for interventions or improvements.
4. Conclude by outlining the sorts of measures that are likely to improve the design, based on your reviewed literature.
Important points to note:
• Choose your literature sources carefully. Use a mix of peer-reviewed and grey literature, but no product marketing or advertorials.
• When describing design, you must consider the system or context and not just the physical aspects of design.
• Strengthen your essay by considering who else may be part of a multidisciplinary team to investigate your selected issue, what skills may be required and why, and how the people involved would work together.
• You do not need to conduct an ergonomics assessment for this assignment. Your written assignment should include a proposed approach and methods and potential design improvements, based on your knowledge and the literature you have reviewed.
Assessment criteria
Description Mark
Overall content -
- Answer the question
Demonstrate depth of understanding 15 %
Application & Discussion -
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- Report on relevant literature and subject evidence
Identify design weaknesses
Describe appropriate & complete methodology
Well balanced discussion and conclusion
70 %
Report Style & Referencing -
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- Within word limit
Well-structured and coherent
Correct language, grammar & spelling
Sources relevant, reputable and acknowledged
Correct style and format 15 %