This paper describes an exploration of the organisational and cultural factors in the practice of hospital ergonomics in a qualitative interview-based study with twenty-one ergonomists (academics and practitioners). The analysis identified three themes: organisational; staff; and patient issues. It is suggested that hospitals present a particularly complex setting in which to practice ergonomics. This is partly due to the organisational structure (with multiple professional and managerial lines), but also to the core business of health care. The area of female workers in hospital ergonomics was found to be under-researched both with respect to the type of work and to social and cultural issues about gender stereotyping.
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