ACD³ as a framework for design of ergonomic workplaces

Paper in proceeding, 2018

Contemporary work-life developments, such as shrinking and aging work populations, changes brought about by digitalized work tasks, and a continual evolution of physical and cognitive workplace conditions mean that workplace ergonomics remains as relevant and important as ever. Ergonomics and Human Factors (E/HF) has repeatedly been shown to succeed only if that expertise is involved early and consistently enough in the design of workplaces, otherwise it risks becoming a reactive, individual injury-focused concern brought in from a medical perspective. Therefore, E/HF experts must get involved in early and appropriate phases of the workplace design process. Such a process involves constraining the proposed design solution to an exact description of its structure and contents – in other words, design decisions are made.

The aim of this paper is to describe the use of a systems-theoretical framework as a guide in collaborative workplace design, with particular focus on planning and documenting which activities should involve E/HF expertise. The ACD³-Production is used to structure this process and clarify the design decisions that are pertinent to ergonomics.

The ACD³ framework is intended as an enabler of many types of design, including the design of work systems. It provides a framework s that allows all stakeholders to converge around design decisions that ensure that the work system is optimized to human characteristics and the activity to be performed. Different E/HF aspects may be in focus during different phases of designing the workplace, as the detail level over time becomes more granular.