What does ergonomics focus on in the workplace?

• A. Reducing energy use.
• B. Designing tasks, tools, and environments to fit workers and minimize musculoskeletal risk.
• C. Increasing speed at all costs.
• D. Standardizing all workplaces to identical layouts.

Answer: (B)

Ergonomics is about making work fit the person, so tasks and tools align with human capabilities and limitations to reduce strain, fatigue, and injury. The best choice captures this idea by emphasizing designing tasks, tools, and environments to fit workers and minimize musculoskeletal risk. This means adjusting things like chair and desk height, monitor placement, tool handles, reach distances, and workflow to prevent awkward postures, repetitive motions, and excessive force.

Other ideas miss the point: reducing energy use focuses on efficiency rather than how the body interacts with work; pushing to increase speed at all costs ignores safety and comfort; and standardizing every workplace to an identical layout doesn’t account for different body sizes, tasks, or environments.