New Delhi: Yet another woman has done India proud: Vibha Bhatia from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, has become the first Indian to bag the prestigious 2020 Kingfar Award of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) for her research in “Human Factors and Ergonomics Issues in Industrially Developing Countries.”
When, as a research scholar, Vibha attended an IEA conference, she found no other Indian representation among international students who presented their papers.
That inspired her to interact with delegates and professors from the IITs, IIMs, and the Indian Society of Ergonomics (ISE).
Sharing the incident, Vibha said, “A Russian delegate advised me to participate in symposiums and events. I came across the IEA’s Kingfar Award that required a list of documents to be submitted. These included a recommendation letter from college as well as an official nomination from the ISE.
In 2019, Vibha became a member of the ISE, which nominated her as India’s first entry in the IEA. She successfully bagged the prestigious award and a cash prize of USD 1,000 in 2021.
Vibha was applauded for her commendable work at the IEA Congress 2021 held virtually in Vancouver, Canada, from June 14 to 18, 2021. The event was attended by global leaders and pioneers in human factors and ergonomics.
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that seeks to optimize human wellbeing and overall system performance through methods like design, theory, and principles. It aims at fostering a safe and healthy working environment and applies to workers in all occupations, such as IT employees and dentists, the rugged occupations like industrial laborers, vehicle drivers, and agricultural workers.
“The field of Ergonomics is given more importance in developed nations than in the developing countries like India, where it is required. “
“Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in workers of industrially-developing nations is a matter of concern. These workers suffer from a number of ailments due to unsafe working environment and awkward postures for longer durations,” she added.
Initially, she had started work on the design parameters of dental scaling tool handles. She is using a motion tracking system to assess the dental postures in a simulated dental environment dynamically.
At present, Vibha is working on dental ergonomics to create a suitable scenario in the industry and assist in the safety of workers by improvising occupational health.
She is also working on a registered project in collaboration with the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and PU Dental College, Chandigarh.
She dedicated her success to her superiors including supervisors, center co-ordinator, ISE board members, and her parents.
(Avya Mathur)