Ergonomics

Caulton & Dickson (2007) define ergonomics as “constantly making slight invisible adjustments to an activity to adapt the needs of those taking part and ensure that it continues to work for its intended purpose”.

I hear you ask what does ergonomics have to do with cooking. Stubbs (2000) emphasizes that ergonomics is concerned with the "fit" between person, task and environment. In other words it is about creating the most affective relationship between the environment (i.e. the kitchen) where the individual (i.e. me) carries out their activity (i.e. cooking) and the skills they use and need while participating in their occupation.

Here is a brainstorm that was done in class to give us some ideas about person, activity and environment.

Person	Activity	Environment
Age/gender	Beyond the cookbook	Available equipment – rich amount?
Stage of Life	Adaptations	Spatial organisation
Sense of responsibility	Pacing/rhythm	Cultural aspects – how things are done in the household and how we do things
Perception	Time of day	Seasons
Preferences	Robustness of the materials (breakable)	Social perceptions and expectations
Time available	Other types of Equipment – like having a sharp knife	Accessibility
Health deficits	Costs	Seasons
Financial circumstances	Degree of engagement required	Distractions

Here is a brainstorm that I did in class about my activity relating to person, activity and environment.

Person	Activity	Environment
Financial abilities – what I can afford to buy with my weekly grocery budget	This activity can be done at anytime of day. I mainly cook at night but I do occasionally cook my breakfast or lunch if I am home at the time. Cooking can occur at any time of day and can take a few seconds or a couple of hours.	The physical environment in my kitchen- small bench space, a few cupboards, the kitchen has a small floor space which can create havoc if more than three people around
I bring basic and complex skills to my cooking	I sometimes follow recipes depending on what I am cooking and how while I know the meal.	Have a lot of cooking equipment in the kitchen
Time available – the length of my school day and the amount of time it takes to cook a meal	Adapting – I can only certain foods due to my diet so I have to adapt the way I cook.	Cultural aspects – how I cook, how I wash up, how I prepare my food etc
I cook healthy food so that I can improve my overall health and I enjoy good food	Flexible – I am able to multitask and do other activities while I’m cooking.	Seasons – this will affect the price of the foods I buy. It will also depend on what I cook as well. Seasons also affect the type of vegetables and that I buy as well
Cooking is way that I can learn to shape what I want	I feed myself and others with this activity	Freedom in the environment to do what I want i.e. what time I use the kitchen to cook and eat
I’m able to control what my freedom – I cook and eat what I want and when I want	Certain foods can be eaten while others are excluded.	Stoked fridge, freezer and pantry.
I cook food that will give me energy and will help with my appetite	The diet has structure – what I eat, how much I eat, when I eat.	Able to control what I eat and when I eat.
Choose quick and easy meals to prepare and cook	Cooking can be an individual or group task	Social environment as people are always popping in and out of the kitchen during the day.
	Costs – I cook for myself so its more expensive than cooking with others.

References

Caulton, R & Dickson, R. (2007). What's going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.) Contemporary issues in occupational therapy. Chichester: John-Wiley & Sons Ltd