At its most basic level, PE is concerned with two aspects of physical effort: (1) the physical demands placed on the human and (2) the physical capabilities of the human in the situation where the demands are present. Simply, the goal is to ensure that demands do not exceed capacity, as is typical for the design of any mechanical system.
A major challenge in PE is the measurement of both demands and capacity in the wide variety of circumstances where human physical exertions are performed (or required, as in the occupational context). Physical requirements vary widely and include dimensions such as force, torque, repetition, duration, posture, etc. Similarly, human attributes vary widely across related dimensions (e.g., strength, endurance, mobility).
Along with the measurement problem is the related problem of matching. Given the variability in both demands and capacity, potential mismatches are likely (and prevalent in many cases). Occupationally, poor matching can lead to low productivity and quality, worker dissatisfaction and turnover, and in many cases musculoskeletal illness and injury.
Ongoing research is being widely conducted to address both the measurement and matching problems. In the material presented below, we have given examples of contemporary approaches, but the reader is advised that more advanced methods are currently available and the technology is rapidly advancing.
Maury A. Nussbaum
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia
Jaap H. van Diee¨n
Faculty of Human Movement Sciences
Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook: Materials and Mechanical Design, Volume 1, Third Edition.
Edited by Myer Kutz
Copyright 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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