Fundamentals of Ergonomics

The study of ergonom­ics will result in reduc­tions of injury and increas­es in pro­duc­tiv­i­ty by improv­ing the fit” between the work­er and the work envi­ron­ment. This is achieved by match­ing the phys­i­o­log­i­cal and psy­cho­log­i­cal capa­bil­i­ties of a per­son to the design of the equip­ment, tasks to be per­formed and the total work­place envi­ron­ment. This course will intro­duce the stu­dent to the need for ergonom­ics, meth­ods for prob­lem iden­ti­fi­ca­tion, solu­tion devel­op­ment and effec­tive­ness eval­u­a­tion of imple­ment­ed changes.

Course at a glance
  • Offered fully online learning - asynchronous format.
  • Aimed at entry-level and practicing health and safety coordinators, professionals, officers, technicians, supervisors, trainers, management, and administrators.
What you will learn

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of user-oriented design.
  • Consider the relationship between human characteristics and work performance.
  • Recognize ergonomic hazards that contribute to workplace injuries and illnesses.
  • Identify basic design principles that optimize human performance in job settings.
This course has no prerequisites

Students from all educational backgrounds welcome. You can register for this course without applying and enrolling in a program.

Take note:

  • The online components of this course are facilitated through eClass, the University of Alberta's eLearning management tool.
  • There is a required textbook for this course. Textbook is currently available electronically through the University of Alberta Library; however, access is subject-to-change. Your CCID will be required to access the link, and access will only be available for the duration of the course.
Currently counts towards:

Applicants intending to enrol in a program are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to lock in their course requirements since they are prone to change.

*If you are already enroled in this program, please refer to your specific program requirements as outlined at the time of your admission: Bear Tracks > Academic Advisement.

When will
this course be offered?

New course schedules are released each June and November.

Scheduled for Fall/Winter:

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