Skip to Content

Physical Human Factors

Unit code: HES6744

Credit points12.5 Credit Points
Duration

1 Semester
Contact hoursEquivalent to 36 hrs contact time or 150 hrs total study time
CampusOff-Campus
Prerequisites
 
Nil
Corequisites
 
Nil

Aims and objectives

The aim of this unit is to develop in students an understanding of how human performance, particularly the propensity for error is affected by physical and organisational aspects of the environment in which they work.

Teaching methods

Distance Education via Blackboard and email

Assessment

Three Individual Assignments (worth 100%)

Generic skills outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will:
  • Appreciate the physical and psychological effects of physical stressors in the work environment
  • Know how to describe qualitatively the effects of this on human performance in the work environment
  • Apply anthropometric tables
  • Apply this knowledge in a real-world environment

Content

Topics include: Illumination, noise, heat, toxicology, vibration, organisational stressors (fatigue, shift work, conflict, workload), human limitations and capabilities (including anthropometrics).

Reading materials

Kroemer, KHE, Grandjean, E (1997) Fitting the task to the human, a textbook of occupational ergonomics, Taylor and Francis
Sanders, M, McKormick, EJ (1993) Human Factors in Engineering and Design, McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math; 7 edition.