Abstract:The study examined the effects of ergonomics on employee performance by ascertaining the level of ergonomics awareness in Nigerian organizations, identifying the factors hindering the use of ergonomic, and the best practices and methods adopted by various organizations across industries. Despite a knowledge of importance to a growing number of researchers in Nigeria, there is still a dearth in knowledge of ergonomics design and its implementation in Nigeria. This can be observed in the low level of its adoption. The study adopted an exploratory approach through the review of literature. It was seen that several factors have hindered the efficient implementation of ergonomics in Nigeria which ranges from awareness, insufficient relevant studies, personnel considerations, resources constraints, technological changes, communication and integration disconnection between employees and equipment designers. Also, some best practices and methods adopted by various organizations across industries were identified to include, but not limited to: integration of human element into work design, ergonomics maturity levels (reactive, preventive, proactive and advanced) and quality of workspace (office design, furniture and spatial arrangements, lightings and heating arrangements, noise level). It is, however, recommended that researchers in the field of ergonomics and practitioners in the industry should intensify efforts in carrying out relevant study, organizing conferences and seminars as well as media publicity on why ergonomics should be part of our daily activities. It is also recommended that organizations should orientate and train employees on ergonomics so that they will be aware of the benefits derivable from it and be able to fit into the organization's designs. Lastly, they should integrate employee/human element into ergonomics design process by getting detailed anthropomorphic data, which may bridge the communication disconnect between employees and ergonomic designers.

This study examined the influence of workplace design on employee quality of work in the selected tertiary institutions in Lagos State. Lecturers, students and other employees have depicted conflicting opinions and reactions as to the physical designs of their workplace and how the designs affect the quality of their work. Personal interview with some staff and students of Lagos State University (LASU) showed that, like other survey in literature, while some believe the workplace design does put the employee into consideration, others, especially the students, feel it affect their performance negatively as their workstation look shameful to them. The study aimed to examine how ergo-friendly workplace designs influence employee work time delivery and if consideration for employees’ input in the acquisition of equipment and furniture influence the employee quality of work in selected higher institutions Lagos State. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study comprised of academic staff in four tertiary institutions in Lagos State, this result in a total population of two thousand two hundred and eighty (2280). The study used Yamane (1967) formula to derive a sample size of three hundred and fifty (350) from the population. The study adopted a random sampling technique in selecting the sample from the population. The reliability of the research instrument was assessed using the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient while the validity was assessed using content and face validities. The study found that, amongst others, there is a moderate positive relationship between employees’ inputs in the acquisition of equipment and employee quality of work (R = 0.608); this implies that as the employees’ opinions and contributions are sought and utilised, employees’ quality of work improves. It was concluded that ergo-friendly workplace designs are essential factors in improving employees work time delivery and, therefore, recommended that management of tertiary institutions should make workplace environment more ergo-friendly as this has shown to have a significant effect on work time delivery of staff.