[Role of occupational medicine in ergonomic activity]

Occupational medicine, and physiology of work and occupational hygiene in particular, play an important and inspiring role in ergonomic activity. In the process of adaptation of work or technique to man, the knowledge about man demarcates the lines and the scope of activities as well as helps to evaluate the effectiveness of ergonomic solutions. That is of particular importance in the area of the so called "products of ergonomics", at evaluation of adaptation of man to equipment and appliances of daily use. Therefore it may be assumed that occupational medicine-beside psychology-determines, among others, the degree of adaptation of production process to psychophysical capabilities of man and establishes the most important lines of activities aimed at improvement of this adaptation: whereas technique and production organization fulfills an important and difficult executive role in implementation of these designs. Both lines of activities i.e. indicating the direction of the changes and their implementation are equally valid and closely interrelated, as only joint complex action may bring the expected results.