Ergonomics approach to evaluate safety risks within the UK food industry, preliminary results

Generally ergonomics, a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their work, could considerably reduce injury risks improving productivity and reducing wastes. To assess the fit between a person and its work, a range of factors have to be considered including: job task, individual both physical and psychological characteristics, organization and social environment. In this paper the authors aim to understand how ergonomics and human factors can improve health and safety within the UK food industry. The aim was to identify hazards and risk within the industry and ways to reduce or eliminate dangerous situation. In conclusion author observed that ergonomics has both a social goal (well-being) and an economic goal (total system performance); that ergonomics considers both physical and psychological human aspects; and that ergonomics is looking for solutions in both technical and organizational domains