The Concept of the Ergonomic Spectrum

Yozo Yamada, Efi Yuliati Yovi, Dianne Staal Wästerlund, John J. Garland, Janusz M. Sowa

Department of Forest and Wood Utilization, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ume?, Sweden.
Faculty of Forestry, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, Indonesia.
Garland & Associates, Waldport, USA.
Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/ojf.2013.31002                

Abstract

Forestry conditions differ among regions and nations. Moreover, labor costs, forestry mechanization, and environmental impacts are also different. These factors directly or indirectly influence the ergonomic state of nations. The ergonomic state of a nation can be described in terms of ergonomic factors such as labor productivity, work accidents, physiological burden, and stress. Labor productivity and work accidents can be defined as income or condition factors, and physiological burden and stress as outcome or result factors. Thus, the value of outcome factors must be examined in relationship to income factors. On the ergonomic spectrum, each factor can be conceived as a continuum from a negative to a positive ergonomic status. All factors can be set in a line, and the present state of each nation is indicated by a profile formed by the assembled factors. The locations of nations along the two-dimensional coordinates of the world standard can be realized by an ergonomic spectrum. Moreover, future directions for improvement can be obtained by reference to the three-dimensional coordinates, which include the axis of time.

Keywords

Ergonomic Spectrum; Economic Situation; Forestry Condition; Working Condition; Work Accident

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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