PROCESS ERGONOMICS OF MOTOR VEHICLES

In Europe, protection of health and safety at work is regarded as a public responsibility. Traditionally, national authorities and researchers have been the main promoters of ergonomics in industry. However, starting from the 1990s the interest for ergonomic issues has grown within enterprise, as a result of an increasing awareness of the importance of these matters for corporate core values. At the start, ergonomic programs were usually limited to reactive measures, but more and more programs are now established as a continuous process, with activities expanded to involve proactive efforts that address workstation as well as product design. Cooperation between industries, universities and research institutions is often crucial for programs to be most effective. Education is indeed essential to promote the ergonomic culture at the workplace.