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Psychosociology and Ergonomics

Code: 104037
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Prevention and Integral Safety and Security OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Miguel Ángel Serrat Julia
Email :
miguelangel.serrat@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Júlia Serrat i Cabello
Pol Hernández Teixidó

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

This subject does not have any pre-requirement

Objectives

Objectives and Contextualisation

Know the key aspects for conducting studies of working conditions.

Acquire the necessary knowledge for the design of jobs adapted to the person.

Understand the ergonomic approach to physical factors: noise, lighting, environment chromatic, temperature, etc.

Identify all preventive aspects related to work with visualization screens of data

Understand the importance of the problems derived from the physical load and the establishment of adequate preventive measures.

Know and know how to apply different methods of evaluating the postural load.

Contribute to the improvement of the social and organizational aspects of the work with the objective of safeguard health and safety, with maximum comfort, satisfaction and effectiveness.

Recognize and identify those psychosocial factors existing in the workplace, which can be cause diseases or decrease the capabilities of workers.

Identify situations related to work stress and know the different strategies of the organization to face it.

Adopt a critical perspective regarding a series of situations, which may lead to another series of psychosocial problems such as Burnout, work addiction, etc.

Distinguish the problems arising from personal relationships at work and arrange the measures adequate to prevent it.

Differentiate the key aspects that relate to the mental load.

 

Learning outcomes

  1. Coordinate the resources of the three main subsystems of the prevention and integral security sector: people, technology and infrastructures.
  2. Use the capacity for analysis and synthesis to solve problems.
  3. Generate innovative and competitive proposals in research and in professional activity developing curiosity and creativity.
  4. Respond to problems applying knowledge to practice.
  5. Be able to adapt to unexpected situations.
  6. Work in institutional and interprofessional networks.
  7. Identify, manage and resolve conflicts.
  8. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  9. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  10. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  11. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  12. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  13. Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
  14. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern professional practice.
  15. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  16. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  17. Identify the most common labour risk factors.
  18. Implement and evaluate a plan for labour risk prevention in an organisation.
  19. Apply systems of responsibility and management models particular to models of labour risk prevention management.
  20. Analyse the situation and identify the points that are best.

Contents

Ergonomy is a scientific and technical discipline that values the interaction in a specific working environment between the person – machine – environment seeking system harmony, hence using methods that study the person, the design of the site, the way of working, the organization of work, and the surrounding environment. At the same time, psychosocial factors in the working environment affect the health of workers through psychological and physiological mechanisms that can lead to different pathologies, initially mental, and that can trigger organic alterations.


Block I: Applied Psychosociology


 Mental load at work. Analysis and evaluation


 Psychosocial factors


 Organizational structure of the work. I work shifts and night work.


 Characteristics of the company, the position and individual


 Stress and other psychosocial problems. The burnout syndrome. Mobbing


 Consequences of harmful psychosocial factors and their evaluation


 Psychosocial intervention: Methodology for evaluating occupational risk prevention programs with psychosocial components.


 


Block II: Ergonomics.


 Ergonomics: Introduction. History. Relationship with other sciences. Concepts and classification. Techniques ergonomic


 Environmental conditions in ergonomics. Acoustic comfort Visual comfort. Thermal comfort. Comfort chromatic. Analysis and evaluation


 Conception and design of the job. Anthropometry applied to the design of work systems. Occupational biomechanics and job design


 Physical workload. Analysis and evaluation. Manual handling of loads. Analysis and evaluation


 Work positions. Analysis and evaluation.Repetitive movements. Analysis and evaluation. Evaluation of jobs. The ergonomic report.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Assessment 4 0.16
Tutorials to support the realization of practical and theoretical work 24 0.96
Personal study, reading articles and preparing class work 110 4.4
Video Class 12 0.48

Teaching language: Spanish

The methodology of this allocation will be based on a dynamic and participatory model. Students will have to study the subjects by requiring reading of the materials to be offered, they will have to participate in written discussion forums and video classes.

Development, study, compulsory and recommended bibliographic reading, as well as out-of-table exercise resolution will also occupy a significant part of the learner's dedication time to the subject.

During the six months, a cross-cutting exercise will be carried out, which will be explained in detail during the first part-sessions of this subject.

It is important to mention that video-classes have as their main goal the question of the theme, so it is necessary to prepare the topics before each session. 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Teorical test ERGONOMÍA 25% 0 0 8, 9, 11, 12
Continuous assessment: Resolution and delivery of practical cases solved in the classroom: Resolution and delivery of individual works posted on the MOODLE. Mandatory reading of the book referring to the bibliography. 50% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Teorical test PSICOSOCIOLOGÍA 25% 0 0 8, 9, 11, 12

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

2 individual PACs will be carried out corresponding to the topics studied in the subject.

Each PAC has a weight of 25% with respect to the final grade of the subject.

The remaining 50% corresponds to the theoretical exam (25% Ergonomics and 25% Psychosociology).

Students must obtain at least a 5 out of 10 in each part of the exam to average with the rest of the assessments. In case of obtaining a grade lower than 5, they must take the retake exam for the failed part.

The total weighted average must be 5 or higher to be able to pass.

SINGLE EVALUATION

Students who opt for the single evaluation will take a final synthesis test of all the content of the course (50%) and will hand in a document containing the solutions to the 5 PECs of the course (10% each).

The date for this test and the delivery of the work of the subject will be the same scheduled in the timetable for the last continuous evaluation exam.

The same recovery system will be applied as for the continuous evaluation.

EVALUATION OF THE STUDENTS IN SECOND OR MORE SUMMONS

Students who repeat the course will have to take the scheduled tests and exams and hand in the course work on the dates indicated in the Moodle classroom.

SECOND CHANCE EXAMINATION

The student who does not pass the course, who does not reach 5 (total) out of 10, according to the criteria established in the two previous sections may take a final exam provided that the student has been evaluated in a set of activities, the weight of which is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the course. If the student has not been evaluated of these two thirds because he/she has not taken the tests, he/she will obtain a grade of Not Presented, without the possibility of taking the final exam.

In this exam the whole of the contents of the subject that have not been passed in the continuous evaluation will be re-evaluated.

In the case of passing the final exam, the course will be approved with a maximum of 5, regardless of the grade obtained in the exam.

CHANGE OF DATE OF A TEST OR EXAMINATION

Students who need to change an evaluation date must submit the request by filling out the document that can be found in the EPSI Tutoring Moodle space.

Once the document has been filled in, it must be sent to the professor of the subject and to the coordination of the Degree.

REVIEW

At the time of each evaluation activity, the faculty will inform the students of the grade review mechanisms.

For single evaluation students, the review process will be the same.

USE OF IA

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches. Students must clearly identify which sections were generated with this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how they influenced the process and final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI in assessable activities will be considered a breach of academic honesty and may result in a partial or total penalty in the activity grade, or greater sanctions in serious cases.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Without prejudice to other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, \"in the event that the student performs any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade of an act of evaluation, this act of evaluation will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instigated. in the event that several irregularities occur in the acts of evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0 \".

If during the correction there are indications that an activity or work has been done with answers assisted by artificial intelligence, the teacher may supplement the activity with a personal interview to corroborate the authorship of the text.

If there are unforeseen circumstances that prevent the normal development of the course, the teacher may modify both the methodology and the evaluation of the course.

Bibliography

Bibliografia obligatoria

LIDERANDO EL BIENESTAR INTEGRAL?: ORDEN O CAOS

MIQUEL ÀNGEL SERRAT JULIÀ

BOSCH EDITOR 2021

 

Basic bibliography

Llaneza F. J. (2009). Ergonomics and applied psychosociology. Manual for the specialist's training. Valladolid: Lex Nova.

Cruz J. A. (2011). Applied Ergonomics Madrid: Editorial Starbook.

Lillo J. (2000). Ergonomics: Evaluation and design of the visual environment. Barcelona: Editorial Alliance.

Llorca J. L .; Llorca L .; Llorca M. (2015). Manual of ergonomics applied to the prevention of occupational risks. Madrid: Pyramid.

Mondelo P. R .; Gregori E .; Barrau P. (2000). Ergonomics 1: Fundamentals. Barcelona: Edicions UPC.

Mondelo P.R .; Gregori E .; Comas S .; Castejon E .; Bartolomé E. (2000). Ergonomics 2: Comfort and thermal stress. Barcelona: Edicions UPC.

Mondelo P.R .; Gregori E .; Barrau P .; Blasco J. (2000). Ergonomics 3: Design of a job. Barcelona: Edicions UPC.

Mondelo P.R .; Gregori E .; From Pedro O .; Gomez M.A. (2013). Ergonomics 4: Work in offices. Barcelona: Edicions UPC.

García A. L. (2017). Ergonomics and psychosociology applied to the prevention of occupational risks. Oviedo: Oviedo University Editions.

Gutiérrez J.L .; Moreno B .; Garrosa E .; (2005). Mental load and work fatigue. Madrid: Pyramid.

Meseguer M .; Soler M. I. (2010). Work Psychology. Murcia: Ed. Diego Marín.

Nogareda M. (2003). Psychosociology of work. Madrid: Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Salanova M. (2009). Psychology of occupational health. Madrid: Synthesis.

 

Reading recommended online: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://scielo.isciii.es/pdf/mesetra/v57s1/special.pdf

 

WEB links

Generalitat of Catalunya. Departament d'Empresa i Ocupació. Seguretat i Salut Laboral.

ILO: Encyclopedia of Health and Safety at Work. Available in electronic format at http://empleo.mtas.es/insht/index.htm

ISTAS Portal. Trade Union Institute of Environment and Health. http://www.istas.net/web/portada.asp

Moncada, S., Llorens, C. and Kristensen, T. (2004). ISTAS21 method (CoPsoQ). Manual for the  assessment of psychosocial risks at work. Madrid. Istas. Availableat: http://www.istas.ccoo.es/descargas/m_metodo_istas21.pdf

Ergonomics in Spanish .: http://www.ergonomia.cl/eee/Inicio/Inicio.html

Government of La Rioja. Occupational Health Publications

Navarro Institute of Occupational Health

National Institute for Safety and Hygiene at Work. Portal of Ergonomics and Psychosociology

European Foundation for Working Conditions

Statistics about work. Eurostat

Basque Institute of Occupational Health and Safety. OSALAN

 

Software

This subject will use the basic software of the Office 365 package

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester afternoon