Glossary of Terms

above-shoulder work

accommodation

agility

Angular Acceleration

Angular Velocity

Anthropometry

Back Posture

balancing

bending

climbing

Cold/Hot Temperatures

color vision

Competitive Test Performance (CTP)

Contact Stresses

crawling

Critical Demand Elements

Critical Demands

crouching

Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs)

Cycle Time

depth perception

Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)

distraction-based clinical testing

distraction-based testing

Duration

dynamic standing

Environmental Nuisance Factors

Ergonomic Hazards

Ergonomic Risk Factors

Ergonomics

Ergonomics Team

Ergonomist

Essential Job Tasks

far acuity

feeling

field of vision

fingering

Force

Forearm/Elbow

Functional Capacity Evaluation

glossary

goniometer

Hand/Wrist

Handle Grip Forces

handling

Health Care Provider

hearing

heart rate analysis to evaluate effort

Job Objective

Job Site Analysis

Job Title

Knee/Ankle

kneeling

low-level work

Magnitude

Motion

near acuity

Neck

NIOSH Lifting Equation

physical demand factors

physical effort

Physical Effort Testing

Posture

Qualified Person

question mark

reaching

Recovery

Reliability of Pain and Disability Reports

Repetition

Shoulder

squatting

static neck positioning

static standing

stooping

strength

symptom magnification

Symptom of Magnification

Systems Approach

talking

tasting/smelling

Vibration

work capacity evaluation

Glossary of Ergonomics & FCE Terminology

Throughout this website, wherever you see the icon, hold your cursor over the icon to see a quick definition of the term. Clicking on the icon will bring you to this glossary section where you can look up other definitions.

PHYSICAL EFFORT

Defined by Matheson as referring to an individual’s tendency to provide high levels of physical exertion during encountered testing procedures. This type of testing is best evaluated via a multi-faceted approach, ideally implementing a combination of: isometric, behavioral and/or cardiovascular measures to help gauge a client’s level of effort.

Physical Effort testing is not intended to imply motivation or intent. Some possible reasons behind sub-maximal effort include: fear of pain, desire to have the evaluator fully appreciate one’s level of perceived dysfunction, desire for secondary gain, and/or habitual display of reduced abilities related to one’s chronic pain cycle. (Kyi, Matheson 1997).