Ergonomic sustainability based on the ergonomic maturity level measurement

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics
• Occupational Health
• Sustainability Science

Background:

• Current ergonomic practices often rely on individual practitioner attitudes rather than systemic macroergonomic factors.
• A need exists for tools to systematically assess the long-term impact and sustainability of ergonomic interventions.
• Existing maturity models from Quality Management and Project Management offer a foundation for developing an ergonomic equivalent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and detail an Ergonomic Maturity Model (EMM) for assessing ergonomic sustainability.
• To provide ergonomic practitioners with a tool to evaluate the outreach and effectiveness of their actions.
• To shift focus from individual attitudes to macroergonomic conditions influencing ergonomic development.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel Ergonomic Maturity Model (EMM) integrating principles from Clinical Psychology, Quality Management, and Project Management.
• Detailed explanation of the EMM's structure, components, and application.
• Empirical validation through the examination of four case studies from a research lab's ergonomic portfolio using the EMM.

Main Results:

• The EMM provides a structured framework for assessing the maturity and sustainability of ergonomic actions.
• Case study analysis demonstrated the EMM's utility in evaluating the ergonomic sustainability outreach.
• The model highlights the importance of macroergonomic conditions in conjunction with practitioner attitudes.

Conclusions:

• The Ergonomic Maturity Model (EMM) is a viable tool for practitioners to assess and enhance ergonomic sustainability.
• Maturity modeling offers a systematic approach to improving the discipline's educational devices and practices.
• Further application and refinement of the EMM are recommended for broader adoption in ergonomic research and practice.