A web-based survey was conducted of ergonomics practitioners holding certifications in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. The survey follows 12 years after an earlier ...initial survey reported by Dempsey et al. (2005). Approximately 1221 eligible participants were invited by e-mail to participate, and 405 surveys were included in the final analysis. The survey queried use of basic instruments relevant to ergonomic practice as well as more specific analytical tools such as observational techniques for assessing postural demands of work and instrumentation for direct measurement of such demands. Some ergonomic assessment methods appear to have increased in their overall use by U.S. ergonomists compared to 2005 data. This was observed for: RULA, REBA, Psychophysical Upper Extremity Data, Strain Index, and ACGIH TLV for Hand Activity Level. There is minimal evidence of increased overall use of direct measurement approaches in the U.S. There appear to be geographic differences between countries/continents in terms of use of various methods. The use of mobile device/smart phone “apps” by ergonomists was queried and these technologies presently appear to be in early adoption phase with 24–28% of practitioners reporting use of an app in their ergonomics practice.
Overhead work is an important risk factor for upper extremity (UE) musculoskeletal disorders. We examined the potential of a mechanical arm and an exoskeletal vest as a wearable assistive device ...(WADE) for overhead work. Twelve participants completed 10 minutes of simulated, intermittent overhead work, using each of three payloads (1.1, 3.4 and 8.1 kg) and with/without the WADE. Ratings of perceived discomfort (RPDs) and electromyography (EMG) were obtained for the upper arms, shoulders and low back. Using the WADE, UE RPDs decreased by ∼50% with the heavier payloads, whereas smaller (∼25%) and non-significant increases in low-back RPDs were found and were relatively independent of payload. Changes in RPDs with WADE use were consistent with physical demands indicated by EMG, though EMG-based differences in fatigue were less apparent. Participants generally preferred using the WADE, particularly with heavier payloads. These results supported the potential utility of a WADE as an intervention for overhead work.
Practitioner Summary: A wearable assistive device for overhead work reduced physical demands on the upper extremity and had high acceptance, though some evidence suggested increased demands at the low back. While some design needs were found and field-testing is needed, this may be a useful practical intervention.
Integrating 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.
Characterization of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) exposure is important for the development and evaluation of mitigation strategies for occupational WBV. However, barriers associated with cost and ...complexity limit widespread use of current gold-standard accelerometer (GSA) measurement systems. Small, simple, low cost Acceleration Measurement Unit (AMU) devices with built-in batteries and memory potentially allow for more efficient collection of WBV data, but the measurement accuracy of these devices need to be evaluated. Using known acceleration inputs generated by an accelerometer calibrator and field collected vibration profiles simulating real-world vibration exposures, the measurements of an AMU device and GSA system were compared. Analysis of accelerometer calibrator data showed no significant difference in weighted acceleration (Aw) measurements between the systems (mean difference −0.001 m/s2, p = 0.95). In field collected vibration profile testing, differences in Aw measurements were small (0.06 m/s2, 4.6%). These results suggest the AMU evaluated in this study may be acceptable for measuring occupational WBV.
•Whole body vibration (WBV) is an occupational exposure common in drivers.•WBV is associated with low back pain and several other adverse health effects.•There are currently barriers to consistent measurement of WBV exposures.•We compared WBV measurements of an AMU device to current gold standard systems.•Results suggest an AMU device may be acceptable for measuring occupational WBV.
This study investigated the prediction of the discomfort caused by simultaneous noise and vibration from the discomfort caused by noise and the discomfort caused by vibration when they are presented ...separately. A total of 24 subjects used absolute magnitude estimation to report their discomfort caused by seven levels of noise (70-88 dBA SEL), 7 magnitudes of vibration (0.146-2.318 ms
− 1.75
) and all 49 possible combinations of these noise and vibration stimuli. Vibration did not significantly influence judgements of noise discomfort, but noise reduced vibration discomfort by an amount that increased with increasing noise level, consistent with a 'masking effect' of noise on judgements of vibration discomfort. A multiple linear regression model or a root-sums-of-squares model predicted the discomfort caused by combined noise and vibration, but the root-sums-of-squares model is more convenient and provided a more accurate prediction of the discomfort produced by combined noise and vibration.
Practitioner Summary: The total discomfort produced by combined noise and vibration, ψ
c
, can be well predicted from the root-sums-of-squares of the noise discomfort, ψ
s
, and the vibration discomfort, ψ
v
, when each stimulus is presented alone (i.e. ψ
c
= (ψ
v
)
2
+(ψ
s
)
2
0.5
).
Corrigendum to my paper
Journal of urban and regional analysis,
01/2015, Letnik:
7, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
With the assumption that a commuter has a regularly followed route, stopping at a location away from home or work during commuting in order to participate in an activity is treated as a deviation ...from the commute trip. ...in prior research, stop-making models were usually applied with respect to linking non-work activities with work activities, including the morning commute, midday trips, evening commute, and trips before or after the commute (Bhat 1999, Bhat and Singh 2000, Wallace et al. 2000).
Background: Work-related Musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) stand as a prevalent and significant occupational health issue within the teaching profession. Despite being overlooked for an extended ...period, there has been a growing level of concern about this issue in recent years. Objectives: 1. To estimate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among school teachers in Ernakulam district, Kerala. 2. To determine the risk factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 114 school teachers in Ernakulam district selected by multistage cluster sampling. A structured interview schedule was used to assess the sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. To investigate the musculoskeletal disorders, they were interviewed with the modified Nordic questionnaire. The data was entered in MS excel and analysis was done using SPSS version 21.0. Results: Mean age (SD) of the participants was 43.25 (7.56) years. The prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal disorders at any part of the body over the past 12 months among teachers was 52.6%. Knee pain (41.6%) was the most prevalent WRMSD followed by ankle (38.3%) pain. Commonly perceived risk factor was standing for prolonged periods (81.6%). Stair climbing was found to be the most difficult Activity of Daily Living affected due to the symptoms (55%). Calcium/Vitamin D supplements, intake of calcium rich diet and body mass index were significantly associated with WRMSD. Conclusion: The results highlighted the crucial need to follow ergonomic guidelines in order to reduce the strain on the musculoskeletal system experienced by teachers.
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