Copper Mining in India

THE ROLE OF ERGONOMICS IN MAN, MACHINE AND ENVIRONMENT.
INTRODUCTION
Modern industry knows how to engineer the hazards in the job. However, on too many jobs, accidents occur because insufficient effort has been put forth to determine the hazard involved. A scientific approach has been done to solve problems of designing and constructing things, which people are expected to use in the job, so the user will be more efficient and less likely to make errors resulting in accidents.
What is Ergonomics?
The word ergonomics is defined from two Greek words, Ergon and Nomes, which together mean “Laws of Work”. Ergonomics is the study of workers characteristics for the appropriate design of their tools and work environment. Designing-in safety – in the job, in the machine, and in the environment – and not trying to make man perform other than by “what comes naturally” is a major goal of ergonomic.
Role of Ergonomics
When dealing with Ergonomics, it should be always remembered that any task will usually performed only by interacting with three factors

Man, Machine and environment, which together form one larger system, called Ergo-system. Any man machine system, man serves three functions – sensor, information processor, or controller. Man interacts with the machine at the two points – display and controls. The purpose of Ergonomics is to minimize errors at these two points.
As for example, the human operator is expected to be consideration of his abilities and limitations, to perform a certain task or number of tasks. In order to do the task, the operator will most probably be provided with some form of equipment or machine. The interaction between a human and the machine, in order to perform a specific task, will normally take place within a certain environment. This environment can be anything from the physical environment such as noise, vibration, heat etc. to the psychological and organizational environment, such as work-team, pay and welfare, shift condition, discomfort or risk and the socio – psychological aspects of the particular mine, neighborhood and the type of industry concerned . All the above-mentioned factors will necessarily influence one another.
It is important from an ergonomic point of view, therefore to optimize the interaction of the three factors in such a way that they do not negatively influence each other and produce an ergo – system.

Benefits from the Ergonomics:
a) Improved performance and user acceptance
b) Reduce training time and cost
c) Greater system effectiveness and manpower utilization
d) Minimize losses from accident and misuse or damage to property
e) Increased economy of production & maintenance
f) More effective use of personnel with less restrictive selection requirements.

a) Improved performance and user acceptance:
The person with the right assignment, the right tasks, the right equipment and the right environment, is likely to be an effective equipment operator or maintenance technician.

b) Reducing training time and costs
If the person fits the device and the device, which is easy to use, fits the person and if the task procedures are optimized, the person will reach the required standard of proficiency with less expenditure of time, money and effort

c) Greater system effectiveness and manpower utilization
Tasks and tools or machines reach optimum ergonomics design when they minimize the need for special skills or high aptitudes in operator. More of the manpower pool can then be trained to do the tasks, thereby improving the manpower utilization.

d) Minimize losses from accident and misuse or damage to property
Poor equipment design causes many of the accidents, commonly attributed to human error, poorly designed equipment tends to be used incorrectly, or not at all. Man-hours and equipment wasted, which are a drain or any company’s resources, can at least partially be reduced through a better application of the ergonomics principally.

e) Increased economy of production & maintenance
Simplification of design often results in devices that are not only easily to operate, but are simple to manufacture and maintain. The application of the principles of ergonomics frequently leads to mere economical production and maintenance, in addition to increased operator effectiveness.

f) More effective use of personnel with less restrictive selection requirements.
It is essential that an operator be given the freedom to do a job, rather than be forced to fight against the equipment. A good ergonomic design for ease of operation and maintenance, as well as for the safety and protection of the operator, inspires confidences and increases, efficiency.
Ergonomics consideration can lead to higher job satisfaction, greater productivity and better quality of products. It is important to match human capabilities with related requirements of a given task.

Ergonomic Design Norms to Meet Safety Requirements
Whether considering a simple hand tool or sophisticated, heavy equipment, ergonomics factors can significantly affect productivity and efficiency. The design trend in the manufacture of heavy equipment has been to focus on the health and comfort of the operator.
i. Access
The Access to the operator’s station should accommodate the user population with regard to size. The access must be safe and should be provided with hand-holds or ladders, and the height of the first step must not be too high (