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The word “ergonomics” is derived from the ancient Greek ergon, which means work, and nomos, which means law. Ergonomics can also be seen as the science concerned with how to fit a job to a person’s anatomical, physiological, and psychological characteristics in a way that will enhance human efficiency and thus contribute to a safer working environment. The discipline of ergonomics was formalized after the end of World War II. The science of ergonomics looks for ways to make work easier on a worker’s body by using a combination of techniques and equipment that will prevent injuries while maintaining efficiency.

Human‐factors engineers have tried to show that with appropriate techniques it is possible to identify human‐made mismatches and thus to find workable solutions to these mismatches through the use of methods developed in the behavioral sciences. Design decisions and approaches cannot be reached without a lot of trial and error. The telephone and the typewriter keyboard are but two out of thousands of examples that might have been selected to show how human‐factors engineering has been consciously applied to solve technological problems. Today, we can just look at the many advances in the US space program, automotive industry, computer technology, and more. More broadly, in every sector globally there is a realization that physical problems occur because of workplace setups that can cause misalignment of the human anatomy, and thus physical pain and mental misery. The list continues to expand as the world moves at a faster and faster pace and there is a realization that ergonomics is essential in daily life.