The Challenges of Applying Ergonomics to Small Medium Enterprises

Abstract

One of the important roles of small medium enterprise (SMEs) is to contribute to solving challenges in the field of employment through the provision of employment. The uptake of labor in SMEs is not far inferior to large-scale industries. With the ease of access to information today, some business actors have begun to be aware of the role of ergonomics in the production aspect. This is inversely proportional to the condition of workers in the scope of SMEs. Workers in the SMEs sector have a sense of reluctance in doing ergonomics-based work principles. This research aims to review the work patterns carried out by workers at the SMEs level and investigate how workers understand ergonomic aspects and review the challenges of applying ergonomics in the future. This research was conducted using qualitative methods of phenomenology using deep interview techniques to several workers at the SMEs level. In this study also used triangulation against data obtained. The results showed that workers have a mini understanding of ergonomics-based work principles. The challenges of applying ergonomics in addition to being faced by the quality of human resources, including human factor aspects and sustainable risk management.