ASSESSMENT OF THE ERGONOMIC QUALITY OF HAND-HELD TOOLS AND COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES
Volume 1

ASSESSMENT OF THE ERGONOMIC QUALITY OF HAND-HELD TOOLS AND COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES
Volume 1

Ergonomics

The quality of products and the management processes employed for their production, represents an important criterion that can set a company apart from competitors. This among other things is one reason the evaluation and certification of products, companies, and people have become quite popular nowadays. Also, the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) is currently developing standards for Ergonomic Quality in Design (EQUID) which primarily intend to promote ergonomics principles and the adaption of a process approach for the development of products, work systems and services. Whereas certification criteria are being defined which require the comprehensive and systematic application of human factors considerations throughout the product development cycle, hitherto, no specified generally applicable criteria in EQUID exist which address specifically the ability of products to meet user needs and their compatibility with user limitations and capabilities. Probably, in the future this will be difficult to achieve. Furthermore, certification bodies all too often use only formal and clearly understandable criteria because “real” quality is difficult to quantify.

Edited by Helmut Strasser

IOS Press

IOS Press

2007