The perfect is the enemy of the good: implications for ergonomics research and practice
by Peter Buckle, Professor of Health Ergonomics, Robens Centre for Health ErgonomicsWednesday, 14 April 2010, 13.15
Research, by it's very nature, seeks to find 'the truth' or 'the perfect'. But how much perfection do we actually need as practitioners? This Society lecture will provide a professional perspective, based on almost 30 years of research and application. It will explore why and where ergonomics and human factors research is undertaken and the impact of this research on application. It will consider what triggers our research, how we reach an understanding of a problem and how this in turn influences our interventions and the evaluation of their efficacy. The lecture will draw on the Peter's research, particularly the relationship between work and musculoskeletal disorders and also research aimed at improving patient safety in healthcare. However, the messages that emerge about the current drivers for our research and the symbiosis between researchers and practitioners in ergonomics will have implications for all Institute members.
Peter Buckle, Professor of Health Ergonomics, Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics.Peter's research includes a design for patient safety initiative that addresses the challenge of reducing error. The key objectives are to identify key issues, understand how to tackle these in practice, interpret the results from a systems design perspective and to explore mechanisms for cost-eff ective change. His research interests also include the health and wellbeing of the ageing workforce and the relationship between stress and musculoskeletal disorders.
