ISO Publishes an Ergonomics Standard
A new ISO standard on ergonomics will has been published that will provide an overall framework and principles for applying the discipline in workplaces and beyond.
"A substantial number of ergonomics standards have been developed to cover specific issues and different application domains, but ISO 26800:2011, Ergonomics – General approach, principles and concepts, will serve as an umbrella reference for all such standards and provide an integrated framework bringing together the basic principles and concepts of ergonomics in one document, and thus providing a high-level view of the way in which ergonomics is applied," said Georg Krämer, who chairs the ISO Technical Committee that developed the standard. "It is the first time where the 'general ergonomics approach' and 'principles' and helpful 'concepts' for the understanding and application of ergonomics principles are presented in a comprehensive way in one standard."
The standard describes fundamental ergonomics principles to improve safety, performance, and usability while safeguarding and enhancing human health and well-being and improving accessibility, such as for elderly people and those with disabilities.