Machinery Ergonomic Design: how to design a machinery in compliance with the RESS 1.1.6 Ergonomics of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

The requirements set out in section 1.1.6 refer to Ergonomics which can be defined as follows:

“Ergonomics (or the study of human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among human and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance”.

The ergonomic aspects referred to in section 1.1.6 can be distinguished into two groups.

The first group includes ergonomic factors to consider when designing the machine, while the second group highlights the damage of inadequate design that can cause discomfort, fatigue, physical or psychological stress and musculoskeletal disorders, all elements that tend to increase accidents.

The following diagram illustrates the requirements set out in section 1.1.6:

In the table below some of the standards that should be used when designing a machine are listed . Some of them are harmonized to the Machinery Directive 2006/42 / EC , others provide important guidelines to follow to meet the requirements of 1.1.6 section