Skip to main content

The What, Why and How of Good Work Design: The Perspective of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Ergonomics in Design (AHFE 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 261))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

This paper communicates the position of the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA) on Good Work Design (GWD). It is based on the fundamental principle that GWD is a human-centred approach that ensures that good work is available to workers. We explain the iterative process of GWD with reference to the three phases of Discovery, Design and Realisation. In the former, we outline the need to engage early the individuals and teams who drive and are the receivers of GWD, and we highlight the necessity to study and understand the context, task, work and jobs. In the Design phase, we address the co-solution of problems and co-creation of opportunities through participative and collaborative concept designs, simulations, iterations of prototype trials and agreeable trade-offs. The last phase, Realisation, refers to the tangible deliverables and outcomes leading to the optimum level and balance between productivity, health, well-being, and safety of employees.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia. Good Work Design. https://www.ergonomics.org.au/resources/links/good-work-design

  2. Morgan, J.: The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade. Wiley, New Jersey (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Safe Work Australia. Principles of Good Work Design: A Work Health and Safety Handbook (2015). https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/good-work-design-handbook.pdf

  4. Waddell, G., Burton, K.A.: Is Work Good for Your Health and Well-Being? TSO, London (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wickens, C.D., Gordon, S.E., Liu, Y.: An Introduction to Human Factors Engineering. Longman, New York (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  6. International Standards Organisation (ISO): Human-Centred Organisations. ISO Standard 27500:2016 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Golembiewski, J.A.: Salutogenic design: the neural basis for health promoting environments. World Health Des. Sci. Rev. 5(4), 62–68 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Baum, C.M., Christiansen, C.H., Bass, J.D.: The person-environment-occupation- performance (PEOP) model. In: Christiansen, C.H., Baum, C.M., Bass, J.D. (eds.) Occupational Therapy: Performance, Participation, Well-Being (4th edn.), pp. 49–56. SLACK Incorporated, Thorofare (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  9. International Standards Organisation (ISO): Ergonomics Principles in the Design of Work Systems. ISO Standard 6385:2016 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Design Council UK: What is the framework for innovation? https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/what-framework-innovation-design-councils-evolved-double-diamond. Accessed 07 Nov 2019

  11. Safe Work Australia. Safe design (2019). https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safe-design

  12. Royal Australasian College of Physicians & Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. What is good work? Position statement (2013). https://www.racp.edu.au/docs/defaultsource/resources/afoem-pos-what-is-good-work-2013.pdf

  13. Hollnagel, E., Woods, D.D., Leveson, N.: Resilience Engineering: Concepts and Precepts. Ashgate, Aldershot (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Dul, J., et al.: A strategy for human factors/ergonomics: developing the discipline and profession. Ergonomics 55(4), 377–395 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tullis, T., Albert, B.: Measuring the User Experience: Collecting Analysing and Presenting Usability Metrics. Elsevier, Burlington (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Norman, D.: The term “UX” (2016). https://youtu.be/9BdtGjoIN4E

  17. Sharrock, S.: The varieties of human work. Safety Differently (2017). http://www.safetydifferently.com/the-varieties-of-human-work/

  18. Burgess-Limerick, R.: Participatory ergonomics: evidence and implementation lessons. Appl. Ergon. 68, 289–293 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Spirovski, V.: Australian’s design capability gap, how it hurts organisations & how to avoid hiring the wrong people (2018). https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/australias-design-capability-gap-how-hurts-avoid-hiring-spirovski/

  20. Horberry, T., Burgess-Limerick, R., Steiner, L.: Human-centred design for mining equipment and new technology. In: 19th Triennial Congress Proceedings of the International Ergonomics Association (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  21. International Standards Organisation: Ergonomics of human-system interaction: Part 210: Human-centred design for interactive systems. ISO 9241-210: 2010 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Stanton, N.A., Baber, C.: Editorial: on the cost-effectiveness of ergonomics. Appl. Ergon. 34, 407–411 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Laing, A.C., Cole, D.C., Theberge, N., Wells, R.P., Kerr, M.S., Frazer, M.B.: Effectiveness of a participatory ergonomics intervention in improving communication and psychological exposures. Ergonomics 50(7), 1092–1109 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Way, K.: Psychosocial hazards and occupational stress. In: HaSPA (Health and Safety Professionals Alliance), The Core Body of Knowledge for Generalist OHS Professionals. Safety Institute of Australia, Tullamarine (2012)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their appreciation to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA) for initiating, guiding and co-funding this project. Special thanks go to former President Stephen Hehir for his dedication to the project, the current Executive who continue to lead dissemination and the valuable contributions made by many HFESA committee member experts who helped to produce this exceptional transdisciplinary work: Suzanne Johnson, Wendy Elford, Ari Antonovsky, Anita Hamilton, Michelle Strother, Alan Girle, Valerie O’Keefe, Lidiane Narimoto, Brendon Gien and Tony Egan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Karanikas, N., Pazell, S., Wright, A., Crawford, E. (2021). The What, Why and How of Good Work Design: The Perspective of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia. In: Rebelo, F. (eds) Advances in Ergonomics in Design. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 261. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79760-7_108

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79760-7_108

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-79759-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-79760-7

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics