Aim
The course aims to provide students with knowledge of human physical capacity and of how to observe, measure, calculate and estimate the physical interplay between humans and products or production settings. With the knowledge gained, the students will be able to design products and product settings that promote user health while maintaining product satisfaction or productivity.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• Define health and ergonomics

• Report on the health and ergonomic goals of society as well as the reasoning behind them and the measures to achieve them

• Describe the structure of the human skeleton, its function and limitations.

• Describe the structure of the respiratory system and its muscles, their function and limitations.

• Describe how to adapt products to the limitations of the human hand

• Represent a target group’s anthropometric variation

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• Perform a biomechanical calculation with and without computer assistance

• Carry out and analyse a physiological test using objective and subjective measurement methods

• Analyse a work operation using observation methods based on human body angles

• Implement and analyse an EMG measurement

• Construct a product/production setting prototype

• Formulate a marketing information brochure with technical facts about a healthy product/production setting

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• Advocate a human centred design process

• Advocate a participatory design process

Contents
The course introduces students to society’s human health problems. An introductory lecture on human anatomy and physiology provides students with an understanding of human physical abilities and limitations. Since each person is unique, the students will also learn about techniques for representing human variations. Variations in anthropometry are used as an example. The students will learn to utilise observation and measurement methods. The methods are presented in lectures and the students apply them in the project assignment. In addition, students will learn to carry out biomechanical calculations without computer assistance as well as by utilising ergonomic simulations and visualisation programs.

Literature
Arbetsfysiolog och belastningsergonomi, XXXX, Arbete-Människa-Teknik, Prevent.
Arbetarskyddsstyrelsen 1998, Belastningsergonomi. Arbetarskyddsstyrelsens författningssamling 1998:1.
Folhälsorapporten 2005, Socialstyrelsen (delar om arbetsmiljö och rörelseorganens sjukdomar).
Lecture material