IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors最新文献

{"title":"An Introduction to the Special Issue on <i>Practitioner Case Studies</i>.","authors":"Ruurd N Pikaar,&nbsp;David C Caple","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 2","pages":"65-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39875620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving Working Conditions Using the Ergonomic Checkpoints Tool: Application in a Colombian Meat Processing Plant.","authors":"Elizabeth Pérez,&nbsp;Yordán Rodríguez,&nbsp;Maria Camila Salazar,&nbsp;Maria Alejandra Trujillo","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSIntegrating ergonomics (or human factors) in production and service processes is a topic of interest for ergonomics researchers and practitioners, especially in industrially-developing countries. In this paper, we present how an ergonomic intervention was carried out in an area of a Colombian meat processing plant using the Ergonomics Checkpoints tool. Of 65 checkpoints verified, 24 required improvement action and 17 of them were a priority. The main problems were related to materials storage and handling, hand tools, machine safety, workstation design, and work organization. Organizational and engineering proposals were made. The engineering proposals were modeled in 3 D to increase understanding of and acceptance by the company's workers. We hope that the lessons learned and reflections derived from this case study serve as a reference for conducting ergonomic interventions in similar contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 2","pages":"72-77"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39272166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementation of an Office Ergonomics Program to Promote Musculoskeletal Health: A Case Study in Hong Kong.","authors":"Justine M Y Chim,&nbsp;Tienli Chen","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSAn office ergonomics program was implemented at a multinational company in Hong Kong. The FITS Model office ergonomics program included four components: (1) F: Furniture Evaluation and Selection, wherein the ergonomist conducted a walkthrough review of furniture and environmental settings; (2) I: Individual Workstation Assessment, in which the office ergonomics guideline and educational video were developed. An interactive individual ergonomics workstation assessment included a health survey, and the assessor provided immediate recommendations for changes to workstation setup; (3) T: Training and Education; and (4) S: Stretching Exercises and Rest Breaks, which entailed classroom training to promote office ergonomics principles and demonstrate office stretching exercises. A case study is described, included the steps to implement the program and highlights of the feedback from the project team gathered during mid-term and final evaluations. Lessons learned regarding program management and the limitations of the project intervention offer useful information for practitioners and companies.</p>","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 2","pages":"96-105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39563757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shifting Participatory Design Approaches for Increased Resilience.","authors":"Steven C Mallam,&nbsp;Kjetil Nordby,&nbsp;Per Haavardtun,&nbsp;Hanna Nordland,&nbsp;Tine Viveka Westerberg","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSSocial distancing restrictions imposed by the global outbreak of COVID-19 exposed vulnerabilities in traditional User-Centered Design processes. This paper presents a shift in methodological thinking and deployment of participatory processes toward a more dynamic and resilient approach of user-centered design in a multi-year joint academia-industry design project. We moved beyond an overreliance on resource-intensive formal discrete events - such as in-person design workshops, focus groups, or traditional field studies and observations - toward including more continuous inputs to create a more sustainable and fluid approach within a living lab ecosystem. User-centered data collection methods were organized in a framework across three dimensions of interaction: 1) <i>Communication</i>; 2) <i>Timing</i>; and 3) <i>Presence</i>. Expanding methodological options along these differing dimensions increased opportunities for more diversified inputs and sample recruitment, while increasing overall data and design feedback collected. Lowering participation and knowledge sharing thresholds enabled more continuous, inclusive involvement of key stakeholders throughout design processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 2","pages":"78-85"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39318719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges to Engaging Human Factors/Ergonomics Practitioners to Publish and Present Case Studies.","authors":"Ruurd N Pikaar,&nbsp;David C Caple","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSThe aims of human factors Practitioner Case sessions at the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) triennial world congress are to learn from cases, give feedback to researchers, and market ergonomics. Human Science research and Human Factor/Ergonomics are different activities. Both disciplines are equally important for the IEA community. However, in practice, there is a gap to bridge between both disciplines. A practitioner case concerns actual interventions in work situations or work systems. A Practitioner Case study is a report on the systematic design, or redesign, and implementation of a work system. This article summarizes the Practitioner Track of the IEA2021 congress, as well as earlier comparable events. Along two lines, conclusions are drawn: (1) There are good reasons to publish case material; and (2) Research challenges arise as a consequence of real case studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 2","pages":"67-71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39898038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ergonomic Auditory Alarm Signals for the Oil and Chemical Processing Industry.","authors":"Judy Edworthy,&nbsp;Jonathan Edworthy,&nbsp;Deborah Reed,&nbsp;Connor Wessel,&nbsp;Liam Lawrence","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSAuditory alarm signals are a safety measure that would benefit from improvement across many industries. There is a considerable research base that can be applied to the development and testing of audible alarms, though this is rarely done in practice. We describe a process that can be adopted in any area where audible alarm signals are widespread. A comprehensive approach to updating and improving auditory alarms requires consideration not only of individual alarm sounds but also of how the alarm signals will work together. We show the development and design of alarm signal sets following best practices from acoustic, psychoacoustic, and psychological knowledge to ensure that the resultant alarms are localizable, audible, easy to learn, appropriately urgency-mapped, and differentiable. We also describe benchmarking tests, and a protocol for thinking about how auditory alarm signals might be implemented in control rooms of different sizes.</p>","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 2","pages":"86-95"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39685984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managing the Intervention Costs of Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Hospital Workplace","authors":"K. Koklonis, Michail Sarafidis, M. Vastardi, Stamatis Philippakis, D. Koutsouris","doi":"10.1080/24725838.2021.1985015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24725838.2021.1985015","url":null,"abstract":"OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS This study demonstrates the applicability of multicriteria tools to solve occupational health and safety (OSH) problems related to cost management in the healthcare sector. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in which linear programming and established methods for risk assessment of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (i.e., the Key Item Method) have been combined with the knowledge and experience of the corresponding safety engineer (or OSH auditor or consultant). The ease of implementation of the whole process facilitates its future utilization in working practice without adding an undue burden on existing OSH practices. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: Managing the intervention costs of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) through the optimal use of the resources and the evaluation of interventions is a cornerstone in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management in the healthcare sector. Purpose: We aim to create a practically useful tool for the allocation of work-related MSDs intervention costs and the support of relevant OSH decisions in the hospital workplace. Methods: A legally established risk assessment method was combined with the widely applied Key Item Method and linear programming to develop a functional cost allocation tool for allocating the work-related MSDs intervention costs in the hospital workplace. The proposed tool indicates where investments should be made in an intervention or combination of interventions, to jointly achieve minimization of the risk and maximization of convenience with the minimum possible cost. The primary goal of our study was to evaluate interventions indicated by the tool, in terms of reducing the risk values related to MSDs. The sample studied consisted of 15 female nurses of “Metaxa” Cancer Hospital (Greece). The main selected interventions were related to ergonomic training, improving work conditions, tidiness, and equipment. Results: Implementing these interventions over a two-month period (September to November 2019) led to a significant reduction in employees’ risk of strain. Conclusions: The proposed tool can be practically useful in allocating OSH intervention costs for a certain safety investment.","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 1","pages":"33 - 48"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48022241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Case Study on the Effects of Foam and Seat Pan Inclination on the Deformation of Seated Buttocks Using MRI","authors":"Xuguang Wang, Léo Savonnet, Loïc Capbern, S. Duprey","doi":"10.1080/24725838.2021.1984340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24725838.2021.1984340","url":null,"abstract":"OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS We investigated the effects of seat pan inclination and foam on the deformation of the seated buttocks using an upright MRI system. From observations among four healthy males, we found that soft tissue deformation under the ischial tuberosity (IT) could be reduced not only by using a soft cushion, but also by decreasing the shear force on the seat pan surface. These results suggest that soft tissue deformation could be used as an objective measure for assessing seating discomfort and injury risk, by accounting for the effects of both contact pressure and shear. We also confirmed that the gluteus maximus (GM) muscle displaced away from the IT once seated. As peak pressure and shear are most likely located below the IT, more realistic computational human body models in this region are needed that consider muscle sliding. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: A full understanding of soft tissue deformations, particularly in the gluteal region in a seated position, would be helpful for improving seat comfort and reducing the injury risk of seated people. Thanks to recent developments in medical imaging, direct observations of soft-tissue deformations under realistic loading conditions is now possible using open MRI. Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the effects of seat pan inclination and foam on the deformation of soft tissues in the gluteal region using an open MRI. Methods: Four healthy male participants completed the experiment, in which a positional MRI scanner was used to scan the buttocks and part of the thighs. Three seating conditions were tested by varying the seat pan angle (A_SP) and cushion material while the backrest was fixed at 22 degrees from the vertical: 1) A_SP = 7° without foam (Reference); 2) A_SP = 0° without foam (Shear); 3) A_SP = 7° with a 50 mm thick foam on the seat pan (Foam). In addition, one configuration (Unloaded), with the buttocks being unsupported, was also scanned for comparison. After segmenting images, we calculated the volumes of the gluteus maximus (GM) muscle and subcutaneous fat in three regions of interest under the ischial tuberosity (IT) for each condition. Results: Once seated, the GM displaced away from the IT laterally and posteriorly. For all participants, the largest tissue deformation was observed in the Shear condition, while the smallest was found in the Foam condition. Conclusions: The present study provides quantitative data needed for validating buttock-thigh finite element models. Future work is needed to link soft tissue deformation with discomfort perception.","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 1","pages":"23 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48824484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Fatigue and Workload among Workers Conducting Complex Manual Assembly in Manufacturing","authors":"Y. Torres, S. Nadeau, K. Landau","doi":"10.1080/24725838.2021.1997835","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24725838.2021.1997835","url":null,"abstract":"OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS We conducted a study to evaluate fatigue and workload among workers performing complex assembly tasks. We investigate several predictors of fatigue, including subjective workload estimates, sleep duration, the shift being worked, and production levels. High levels of fatigue were reported in one-third of the shifts evaluated. The main predictors of high fatigue were workload estimates, working evening shifts, and baseline fatigue. Among the six dimensions of workload, only mental demand and frustration were predictors of high fatigue. Mental demand was also rated highest. Participants reported less than seven hours of sleep in 60% of the nights evaluated. These results suggest that managers and supervisors should consider cognitive workload as a key contributing factor to fatigue in complex manual assembly. Similarly, work schedule planning should consider shift duration, start times, and end times, because of the negative influence on fatigue and the potential disruptions on sleep among workers. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: General fatigue and mental workload have been studied extensively in safety-critical contexts; wherein human performance degradation can lead to catastrophic outcomes. In the manufacturing sector, the physical demands of a job have received most of the attention because of the presence of biomechanical loads and the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders. However, in complex manual assembly, cognitive and chronobiology aspects of work can contribute to fatigue and degrade worker performance. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate self-reported levels of fatigue and workload among a group of workers performing complex assembly tasks. We also sought to investigate several predictors of fatigue, including workload estimates, sleep duration, the shift being worked, and production levels. Methods: Fourteen assembly line workers participated in a two-week study. They evaluated their levels of fatigue at the beginning and end of each shift using the Samn-Perelli Fatigue Scale. They also evaluated their workload according to the NASA-TLX scale at the end of each shift. Results: High levels of fatigue (fatigue score ≥ 5) were reported in approximately one-third of 114 work shifts evaluated. Binary logistic regression indicated that fatigue scores at the beginning of the shift, NASA-TLX scores, and working evening shifts were significant predictors of high levels of fatigue. Among the six dimensions measured by NASA-TLX, only mental demand and frustration were predictors of high fatigue. Mental demand was also rated highest by the workers. Participants reported less than seven hours of sleep in 60% of the nights evaluated. Conclusions: These results suggest that cognitive load can contribute to fatigue in complex manual assembly work. Circadian and homeostatic processes related to shift duration, start times, and end times are also potential contributing factors. Similarly, existing work schedules may be contributing","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 1","pages":"49 - 63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41733161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex Differences in Rotator Cuff Muscles' Response to Various Work-Related Factors.","authors":"Hossein Motabar,&nbsp;Ashish D Nimbarte","doi":"10.1080/24725838.2021.1931562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24725838.2021.1931562","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSDespite the frequency and cost of rotator cuff injuries among male and female workers, very little is known about the strength, endurance, and perceived exertion and electromyographic response of rotator cuff muscles to different exertion levels. In this study, sex differences were studied using muscle-specific maximal and submaximal exertions of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles. Females showed lower strength and endurance, but higher muscle activity and perceived exertion compared to males. The baseline data presented in this paper can assist ergonomic practitioners in determining the worker capacity to ensure that physically-demanding shoulder exertions can be performed without incurring injurious stress. Such data is also essential to establish population norms for the better design of workplace tasks.</p>","PeriodicalId":73332,"journal":{"name":"IISE transactions on occupational ergonomics and human factors","volume":"9 1","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/24725838.2021.1931562","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38928739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}