Global Ergonomics

Jointly hosted by the Ergonomics Society of South Africa (ESSA) and the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), this conference was attended by over 300 delegates and represented the largest and most prestigious gathering of eminent international ergonomists in the history of Africa. It also marked the beginning of a revival in concern for the well-being and productivity of people at work in South Africa.

The conference aimed to juxtapose two great ergonomic themes – the under-developed ethos of the affluent societies and the technologically advanced ethos of the most affluent societies. The structure of the proceedings reflects this with the first section addressing the priorities of countries in transition and the last section addressing the priorities of the most industrially-developed countries, who have, by and large, long since solved the sorts of ergonomics problems currently of concern in the under-developed world. In between these, in a roughly hierarchical arrangement from micro- to macro- levels of analysis, are sections which collectively help span the whole field of ergonomics. Section overviews are provided to outline the topics included in each section.

Section headings and selected papers: Preface. Plenary Session. Participatory design in the organisational context (J.R. Wilson, H.M. Haines). Countries in Transition. Efforts to improve the ergonomic practices in Uganda (J.T. Aguma-Acon). A survey of ergonomic and industrial engineering applications in Kuwait industry (A. Alhemoud et al.). Musculo-Skeletal Stress. Muscle fatigue in trunk rotation (S. Kumar, Y. Narayan). Occupational Health, Safety and Accident Prevention. An abbreviated profile of work injuries in the United States (A. Pennathur et al.). Injury prevention in industry (C.H. Wheeler). Ergonomics in Medicine, Dentistry and Rehabilitation; Physiological Ergonomics. Rehabilitation in the New Zealand forest industry: a pilot programme (M.J.M. Sullman, H.C. Biggs). Postural and Anthropometric Factors; Hand Tools. Towards the ideal physiological man model through the assembling of independent submodels (R. Mollard et al.). Some aspects of rapid prototyping in foam of 3D anthropometric computer models in functional postures (P.N. Hoekstra). Design Considerations. Pleasure made in Japan: Kansei engineering and design (P.W. Jordan). Cognitive Ergonomics; Mental Stress; Psycho-Social Factors. Human factors opportunities in virtual or augmented environments (M.G. Helander). The use and meaning of the "computer experience" variable (A. Thatcher, M. Greyling). Aviation and Motor Vehicle Ergonomics; Construction Ergonomics; Miscellaneous Papers. Implications of technology change in air traffic control (S.W.A. Dekker). Conceptual and General Issues; Education and Training. Core competencies for the practising ergonomist (M.I. Bullock). Being human: challenges for a changing world (G. Hart). Macroergonomic Issues. Measuring the economic benefits of ergonomics (H.W. Hendrick). Author index.