Fitting the Human: Introduction to Ergonomics/Human Factors Engineering, Eighth Edition

The aim of this book is to provide “human engineering” for workplaces, tools, machinery, computers, shift work, lighting, sound, climate, work demands, offices, vehicles, healthcare, and the home – and everything else that we can produce – to suit the human body and mind. Now being published in its eighth edition, Fitting the Human focuses on the primary ergonomic task of accommodating the human with the appropriate selection of equipment and tools, work requirements and procedures, physical and social conditions at work, and working hours and shift arrangements.

This book provides the ergonomic information needed for the user-friendly design of tasks, equipment, and workplaces. It follows the successful format of previous editions, with updated information and practical guidelines that augment the previous information. It offers refreshed information on ergonomic design for the home and workplace, contemporary ways of working, healthcare and medicine, and artificial intelligence and autonomy. This text also recognizes that cultural differences in living and working vary around the world, so additional insights are offered into ergonomics in global cultures and regions. This title will help the reader understand how to plan and design an overall system and its details to fit the human.

Published under the mantra of “solid information, easy to read, easy to understand, easy to apply,” Fitting the Human is written for students and professionals in ergonomics, human factors, product and work design, safety, architecture, management, and all fields of engineering.

Katrin Kroemer Elbert, Ph.D., has worked in research and development as a Mechanical Engineer for over three decades in the medical device industry, focusing on implants and medical devices for surgical, therapeutic, and diagnostic applications with Stryker-Howmedica Orthopedics and Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon and MedTech. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering science and mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Cornell University in Mechanical Engineering, as well as additional certification in engineering management from Stevens University. She has wide-ranging, theoretical and practical experience in biomedical engineering and the design and development of useful medical devices and systems. In addition, she collaborates across multiple scientific and business disciplines to support devices that meet the needs of users and patients across the globe. She has previously collaborated with her father, Karl H. Eberhard Kroemer (Dr.-Ing. and Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech), on other ergonomics textbooks.