Ways ergonomics and human factors can contribute to sustainability. (Let’s crowd source a list!)

Ergonomics is generally applied to help optimize an operation from both the human sustainability and human performance perspectives. The human performance focus often yields operations efficiencies in ways well beyond the health and safety of the employees involved. What if “sustainability” writ large was added into our goals? What if we focused on the impact of our ergonomics interventions on sustainability as well?

How can we who apply ergonomics make a bigger contribution to sustainability? Given the importance of sustainability, shouldn’t all change efforts include a goal of supporting sustainability?

Below is the beginning of a list of ways that we can consider, expand, share and implement. The first category, that occurred to me, of ways we can contribute more actively to sustainability, is to apply ergonomics in a context where sustainability is central. By doing what we already know well how to do in these particular contexts our work as ergonomists will be valuable in an expanded way, supporting overall sustainability, as well as human well being and operational efficiency.

Given what we know today about the precarious situation of our critical life supporting systems at a planetary level, who among us would not want our work to support sustainability?

Help expand the list of ideas. Through collaboration we can do much more than we can do as individuals. Additions to the list may be contributed in the comments. From there they will be captured and folded into the main post or a new version.

1. Working “on the ground”, applying ergonomics in work environments of industries that are closely involved in the sustainability infrastructure like solar and wind energy. This involvement could include:
   1. Problem solving to address the key ergonomics challenges faced, in collaboration with those doing the work.
   2. Sharing solutions or best practices that especially benefit these industries.
   3. Helping sustainability aligned operations to identify and reduce ergonomics risk.
   4. Providing training and education to sustainability focused operations.
   5. ????
2. Usability focus on content designed to communicate sustainability important topics.
   1. Easy to use and understand energy use calculator.
   2. ????
3. ???

Let’s flesh this list out together! (Also, please add your name to the list, on the webpage, of those who wish to connect and collaborate.)

Dan Gottesman