Kuorinka_1997_International-Journal-of-Industrial-Ergonomics

The sociotechnical principles of work organization demonstrated the need and usefulness of participation in modern industrial production (e.g., Daniellou and Garrigou, 1992). Several tendencies can be identified; in the past, the main themes focused on autonomy, self-development, etc. Finally, ergonomics itself is moving towards a systems approach, i.e., macroergonomics (Hendrick, 1994). Understanding and identifying the organizational, technological and individual component roles in an industrial production has shifted the emphasis to systemic issues, 'Just-in-time', 'design for manufacturing' and other trends in industry have influenced the need for participatory ergonomics. They have also changed the role of an ergonomist from a specialist to a change agent, which in turn influences the practice of participatory ergonomics. In the framework of a case study, Wilson (1995a) has discussed the relative merits of a participatory and specialist approach. Participatory ergonomics is defined here as practical ergonomics with participation of the necessary actors in problem solving. The participation is not limited to 'worker participation' nor to formal, representative participation. It covers, in principle, all levels of the hierarchy, inviting the participation of those who may have first-hand experience about the problem in question.
Relevance to industry
Participatory approaches, including ergonomics, help management to deal with uncertainty and to manage complex situations in designing manual tasks. Participation adds value to product design and adds realism to complex systems design.
Keywords:
Participatoryergonomics;Participation; Methodology;Problem-solving beyond the scope of this article. Shipley (1990), for example, has discussed these issues in a larger context. The following text is based on the author's experience with participatory ergonomics tools rather than on a theoretical review of participatory issues. Before exploring the tools, participatory ergonomics should itself be defined. Participatory ergonomics is an approach resulting from several trends: Participation in society, organization of production according to sociotechnical principles, and the development of ergonomics from 'micro' to 'macro'. The societal aspect goes back to debates in the nineteen sixties about industrial democracy (e.g., ILO, 1981). The main issues concern participation in the capital of the enterprises, co-determination, etc. These issues have little practical influence on participatory ergonomics.
Ilkka Kuorinka
Institut de Recherche en Sant~ et en S~curit~ du Travail du Qugbec (IRSST), 505, boul. de Maisonneuue Ouest, Montrgal, Qugbec Canada H3A 3C2
Abstract
A review of the techniques used in participatory ergonomic projects is presented. The emphasis is on pragmatic tools and the means often used in the context of occupational safety and health. Few methods stem from the domain of participatory ergonomics itself but come from organizational development, rationalization, etc. It is emphasized that these methods should be used in a systemic context and they should respect the participants' needs and expectations.
3. Methods used to concretize the workplace and process The simulation of full-scale workplaces is an established design tool which has been used for the simple exploration of workplace components as well as for testing the dimensioning of space vehicles. But the simulation has another quality in a participatory context: It allows a workplace a n d / o r work process that does not exist yet to be visualized and explored. In a conventional design, it is usually the project leader who has a mental image of the future state of the design object. In participatory design, this image must be shared with and enriched by the participants. Constructing a simulated lay-out, for example, is one way of sharing the image. Simulation may take different forms: Full-size or scale mock-ups are classical means of concretizing and testing a finite object. An example is the design of the cockpit of a police car (C6t~ et al., 1991). Simple, readily available means, scrap material, cardboard boxes marking furniture, and tapemarks on the floor showing the boundaries of a machine are effective ways to show the future situation. Several other methods have been used to concretize and illustrate a design object or situation (e.g. Wilson, 1991). Innovative production games have been used in training at work, which may also be useful in participatory design (Vartiainen et al., 1985). Imada (1991) enumerates several categories of tools, which may be employed in a participatory process. Actually, the goal of the simulation is to bring the