An overview of ergonomics in aviation

An overview of ergonomics in aviation

Scientifically, ergonomics is considered a process of designing products, systems, and workplaces to fit individuals who use them. In America, it is regarded as a discipline in science used to learn human limitations and abilities, then utilize the knowledge to improve people’s interaction with systems and products. In aviation, ergonomics and human factors are considered essential elements for instilling efficiency and safety of commercial airlines, military operations, and the well-being of the passengers. However, the concept of ergonomics goes beyond aircraft to other regulatory bodies, maintenance and traffic control, and other policies concerning the aviation industry. In contemporary society, better approaches have emerged to evaluate the activities performed by individual pilots, the aviation systems, and other emergent properties. Ergonomics is classified into three categories, including cognitive, organizational, and physical ergonomics. Therefore, the research will evaluate the three categories, give examples of each, and poor design of each that caused massive accidents.

An overview of ergonomics in aviation

With the vastly growing technological advancements, the aviation industry has immensely manifested the need to consider ergonomic seriously. Initially, most systems were tested through trial and error methods following the intuitions designed naturally by designers and pilots. Over three decades, the aviation industry has been dynamic in the adoption of high quality systems, rules, and principles as well. Besides, the industry remains open for new ideas, primarily concerning traffic control and other safety management issues. Ergonomic has played a significant role in the aviation industry, including minimizing human errors that arise due to poorly designed aircraft and working environments. It has also aided in enhancing the safety of passengers through maximizing workers’ performances under normal or abnormal situations. The aviation industry utilizes physical, cognition, and organizational ergonomics to ensure substantial interaction between aircrafts designs and aviation professionals, thus eliminating immense human errors.

Cognitive ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics focuses on the mental processes, including reasoning, memory, and mental response during interaction between the system and human beings. It is a substantial discipline that facilitates compatible interaction between the human system and human cognitive limitations and abilities, primarily in the aviation industry. Cognitive ergonomics facilitates effective communication between human needs, environment, products, and work, as well. Therefore, the principle mostly focusing on cognition in operations and work settings to optimize system performance and people’s wellbeing. In aviation, cognition ergonomics utilizes the knowledge collected from cognitive science of mental processes, including attention, decision-making, perception, and learning. This principle helps to eliminate the shortcoming associated with information processing. In a nutshell, cognitive ergonomics aims to improve working conditions, safety and health, and human performance as well. This helps to eliminate human errors, unnecessary loads, and stress.

Moreover, pilots and other flight workers are supposed to uphold substantial short and long-term memories to evade accidents and other related injuries. In aviation, human factors are determined to understand how human beings can efficiently and effectively be integrated with the vast growing technology. This understanding is then translated into new designs, training, programs, and procedures to help people perform better. Despite the rapid growth in technology, humans are still responsible for safety and success in the aviation industry. Thus, aviation professionals must be flexible, knowledgeable, efficient, and dedicated when exercising their judgment. The industry has vastly employed significant investments in training, system, and equipment that have substantial implications in the long-run. According to the Interaction Design Foundation report, cognitive ergonomics are mostly used in complex environments such as aircraft that require many switches of controls and buttons. Additionally, ergonomics are essential in making potential decisions in life-threatening situations.

In aviation, there are many cognitive ergonomic advancements that aid in improving the performance of flight professionals. For instance, the user-centered design (UCD) ensures the aviation designs and developments in including; equipment, software, and other related tools, give humans immense consideration. These tools are attributed to high levels of usability to ensure efficient productivity for the users. In aviation, therefore, the safety of the user is considered significant because a mistake by a pilot or traffic controller can lead to disastrous impacts both on the passages and other peoples on the ground. The UCD is considered an essential cognitive ergonomic to decrease the likelihood of errors and enhance safety levels. Technological advancement also has aided the aviation industry in using artificial intelligence, such as the cognitive human-machine interface (CHMI), to control air traffic. It is uncrewed aircraft that helps in surveillance and collection of space-related data.

Physical ergonomics

In aviation, physical ergonomics concerns human anatomy, including bio-medical and physiological characteristics relating to physical activity. Numerous principles about physical ergonomics have been used to design both industrial and consumer commodities. Risk factors, including mechanical pressures, vibration, force, and wrong postures for pilots and office personnel, lead to occupational-related injuries. Physical ergonomics are considered essential primarily for individuals with physiological diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis. The aviation industry designs its products ergonomically to prevent and treat such disorders and eliminate pressure-related pain. According to research, the musculoskeletal disorder is considered as the most prevalent work-related injury, which results in persistent pain, work disability, and loss of functional capacity. Various jobs in the aviation industry make workers vulnerable to getting the disorder due to the awkward working position and vibration of machines primarily in the airports.

According to a report published by OSHA (Occupational Safety and health administration), instilling ergonomics program in the organization can help in cutting down employee turnover, workers’ compensation expenses and increase efficiency and productivity, as well. There are short-term and long-term mitigation strategies depending on the severity of the issue. These solutions includes creating awareness concerning body positioning while at work, ergonomics exercises and positioning of aircraft seats, office furniture and other devices. It is recommended that workers in all industry to provided workers using computer and other accessories with split key-boards and surfaces to rest their palms. In most airline industries in the United States, deal with ergonomics issues related to carrying, lifting, supporting weights, vibration and problem of handling different cargo sizes.

Therefore, traffic handlers, engineers, technicians and flight attendants are considered most vulnerable to ergonomic injuries in the aviation industries. Flight attendant are subjected to risks because they are engaged in closing and opening aircraft doors, pushing, restraining and pulling the meal cart, lodging and offloading luggage, among others. This use of excessive force causes injuries and accidents such as falls, slip and musculoskeletal disorders. These accidents may result to low productivity due to vast absenteeism, high employee compensation cost and employee turnover. Thus, utilization of ergonomics principles can effectively minimize illnesses, injuries and accidents in the aviation industry.

In aviation industry, physical ergonomics included establishing an adjustable seat for pilot to change their siting position, thus avoiding straining and fatigue. Free flight is also a substantial air traffic controller established by Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautic to uphold safe and efficient flights. This technological advancement helps the operators to select their speed and the path to follow in real time. Besides, the position of the seat in the aircraft can also cause injuries to travellers, thus essential ergonomics should be instilled. For instant, travellers should be issued the air evolution pillow to enhance their comfort and eliminate neck injuries. Despite the innovations employed in the aviation industry, more effort is needed to increase the size of the cabin, to efficiently increase commuters comfort

Organizational ergonomics

Generally, organizational ergonomics is a domain that combines from both cognitive and physical ergonomics. Most scholars in the contemporary society call it macro-ergonomics, and focus on policies, organizing structures, optimizing socio-technical structures and processes for efficiency purposes. Most substantial objective of organization ergonomics include, establishing teamwork, cooperation, work schedule design, communication and quality management. In aviation, the domain is used to achieve work harmony, commitment and satisfaction of employees in the industry. Organization ergonomics also study the consequences associated with a particular technology on processes, institution and human relations. Therefore, this aspect of ergonomics is concerned with organization decisions, influencing overall productivity and boosting morale of employees. In aviation, this ergonomics can focus on employee shifts, ethics, supervision, and motivation as well. However, designing people’s mind requires use of computer and other AI bots to stimulate human reaction and make activities easier.

Designing aviation jobs helps in reducing associated stress, improving satisfaction and retention of employees. Besides, implementing crew resources and embracing training for pilot and other flight employee will increase efficiency and reduce chances of error. Besides, flight professional should have a written reduce to reduce fatigue and boost overall performance. Air transport is the most prefer international transport means, and therefore aviation industry has to employ significant organizational ergonomics designs to eliminate cases of breakdown and other related accidents. With well-established schedule, an airport can prevent dispatching of non-worth flights. Designing the overall airstrip can aid in achieving system harmony, improving productivity, efficiency, and organization satisfaction as well. To ensure there is system efficiency, various factor must be effectively be aligned together including technological, human and environmental factors. The personnel interacting with these factors are, therefore, expected to uphold high level of competency and professionalism.

Establishing flight schedule can be considered a vital example of organizational ergonomics. Scheduling is essential to eliminate traffic related error and congestion. Pilots are aware the time they are expected to depart, and that of landing. This makes it easy for the organization to make decision on which plane to take off and which one to wait. This makes it more convenient for customers and thus increasing their satisfaction. This schedule allows pilot to have a shift-break before taking another flight, thus avoiding fatigue that may cause injuries and other related accidents. Global Positioning System (GPS) is a technological ergonomic used in aviation industry to provide information and other relevant information, irrespective of the weather. This is a substantial organizational ergonomics that has aided in elimination of errors and boost overall efficiency.

Poor designs and ergonomics

According to American aviation statistics, most aircrafts accidents are caused by human error and poor component designs of the aircrafts. This is why pilot are provided with high quality ergonomics to reduce the likelihood of error during the flight. The following are examples of examples of poor designs and ergonomics that led to fatal accidents. Firstly, the United Flight 173, DC-8, was approaching Portland with 181 passengers. It was revealed to circle around the airport because the crew was having issues with the landing gears. Despite the warning about low fuel, the error was not corrected in time and therefore DC-8 crashed killing more than ten people. The US responded by establishing cockpit training and abandoned the traditional approach, ‘captain is god.’ Secondly, USAir Flight 427 was approaching to land at Pittsburgh when the Boeing 737 rolled down 5000ft. to the ground killing all 132 passengers. After investigation, it was found that the rudder had moved to full-left position triggering imbalance and the roll. According to NTSB, a jammed valve located in the rudder-control system made the rudder to reverse. Therefore, when the pilot pressed the pedal on the right, the rudder moved to the left, causing the crash.

Conclusion

In summary, ergonomics and human factors are considered essential elements for instilling efficiency and safety of commercial airlines and the overall wellbeing of passengers. Ergonomics is classified into three main categories including cognitive, physical and organization ergonomics. Cognitive ergonomics focuses on the mental processes, including reasoning, memory and mental response. For instance, user-centered design is a tool attributed with high level of usability to eliminate likelihood of human error. Physical ergonomics prevents work inability, fatigue and other activities that may lead to injuries or accident. For instance, establishing ergonomically modified seats and provision of neck pillows to increase comfort and prevent back pain. Organizational, ergonomics on the other hand, combines cognitive and physical ergonomics and focuses on policies, organizing structures, optimizing socio-technical structures and processes for efficiency purposes. Most accidents in the aviation are attributed to human error, poor models and ergonomics as well. For instance, Boeing 737 rolled down 5000ft. killing 132 passengers. The crash was caused by rudder moving the wrong direction due to jam in the rudder control system.