Ergonomics as a missing part of sustainability

Issue title: Green Ergonomics

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Pavlovic-Veselinovic, Sonja

Affiliations: Faculty of Occupational Safety, University of Nis, Carnojevica 10 a, 18000 Nis, Serbia. Tel.: +38118529770; E-mail: sonja.pavlovic@znrfak.ni.ac.rs

Abstract: In the last twenty years, terms such as sustainable development, environmental protection, and sustainable design have been widely exploited, often without justification. Does ergonomics have a legitimate need or right to use these terms and to be the part of the process to which they refer? This paper discusses the relationship between ergonomics and the concept of sustainable development and its three elements of sustainability (environmental, social and economic), as the steps ergonomists need to take to secure and strengthen the influence in sustainability topics.

Keywords: Sustainable design, environmental design, ergonomic design, holistic approach

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-141875

Journal: Work, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 395-399, 2014