Emphasizing customer oriented design and operation, Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers explores the behavioral, physical, and mathematical foundations of the discipline and how to apply them to improve the human, societal, and economic well being of systems and organizations. The book discusses product design, such as tools, machines, or systems as well as the tasks or jobs people perform, and environments in which people live. The authors explore methods of obtaining these objectives, uniquely approaching the topic from an engineering perspective as well as a psychological standpoint.

The 22 chapters of this book, coupled with the extensive appendices, provide valuable tools for students and practicing engineers in human centered design and operation of equipment, work place, and organizations in order to optimize performance, satisfaction, and effectiveness. Covering physical and cognitive ergonomics, the book is an excellent source for valuable information on safe, effective, enjoyable, and productive design of products and services that require interaction between humans and the environment.

Supplying a breadth and depth of coverage beyond that found in most traditional texts, Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers, Second Edition presents and integrates important methods and tools used in the fields of Industrial Engineering, Human Factors and Ergonomics to design and improve jobs, tasks and products. It presents these topics with a practical, applied orientation suitable for engineering undergraduate students.

See What's New in the Second Edition:

  • Revised order of chapters to group together topics related to the physical and cognitive aspects of human-integrated systems
  • Substantially updated material emphasizes the design of products people work with, tasks or jobs people perform, and environments in which people live

The book has sufficient material to be used in its entirety for a two semester sequence of classes, or in part for a single semester course, focusing on selected topics covered in the text. The authors provide a set of guidelines and principles for the design and analysis of human-integrated systems and highlights their application to industry and service systems. It addresses the topics of human factors, work measurement and methods improvement, and product design an approachable style. The common thread throughout the book is on how better "human factors" can lead to improved safety, comfort, enjoyment, acceptance, and effectiveness in all application arenas. Packed with cases studies and examples, readers can use well beyond the classroom and into their professional lives.


Appropriate for a first course in Human Factors and Ergonomics taken by engineers and psychology majors, this book explains ergonomic design. It teaches students about designing products, such as tools, machines, or systems, as well as the tasks or jobs people perform, and environments in which people live. "Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers" explores methods of obtaining these objectives, uniquely approaching the topic from an engineering perspective as well as a psychological standpoint.The textbook offers a heavy emphasis on design, and gives broad coverage of design principles and techniques of predicting human performance. Critiques of principles and tools used in predictions are also addressed. Authors Mark R. Lehto and James R. Buck adopt a quantitative angle so that students experience the applications of statistics, and observe the implications of those results to the design. Challenging end-of-chapter problems are exceptionally valuable for course instruction. Moreover, the book presents numerous vignettes to illustrate practical examples of theoretical concepts.
This text is appropriate for engineering, psychology, and science students at the upper undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also ideal for engineers and designers. For students, a background in the fundamentals of probability and statistics is assumed.