For an interesting look at how some professions may be educated and how they may work, you'll enjoy reading Judy Jacobs' new book "Dark Age Ahead". Pay particular attention to the sections about University training for transportation engineers and then consider how the Centers for Disease Control analyzed a heat related disaster in Chicago recently.
Then relate that to the field of Ergonomics; I'd be interested in your conclusions.
This has been an interest of mine since the 1960s after reading Probst's book, "The Action Office". In it, he proposes stand-up desks for knowledge workers and his study eventually led to today's office cubicles. Time-and-motion efficiency was evident in his designs and 40 years haven't really shown much improvement. In fact, David Allen, when recommending that the filing cabinet be within a chair twirl of your work position, is just repeating the theme of Probst's Action Office. It's good advice, though Probst might have you seated on a castered swivel high stool instead of a knee level surface.
For Probst, as for Allen, getting things done with minimal effort and maximal effectiveness was the overriding objective.
