The European Assembly Worksheet Schaub, K.; Caragnano, G.; Britzke, B. ...
Theoretical issues in ergonomics science,
11/2013, Letnik:
14, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Assembly tasks are most common in industrialised countries. Even in highly automated and mechanised branches like the automotive, high or uniform load situations are common and result in high ...physical workload. In industrialised countries almost one-third of the total sick leave is due to musculo-skeletal complaints and disorders, which might result from poor ergonomic design. In order to tackle that problem, the European Assembly Worksheet (EAWS) as a screening tool for physical workload was developed. The EAWS grants load points for unfavourable physical workload and due to the total score assigns a traffic light risk scheme to work situations. In the recent years, the EAWS was checked for compliance with existing internationally accepted methods and legal European requirements. In the companies involved, the EAWS serves as an ergonomic screening tool. It links corrective (shop floor) and proactive (Tech center) ergonomics, points out ergonomic problems and offers design solutions to overcome them.
Women with multiple pregnancies are at risk for maternal complications such as preterm birth. Hazardous working conditions, such as physically demanding work and long and irregular working hours, ...might increase the risk of preterm birth.
This study primarily aimed to determine whether certain working conditions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy increase the risk of preterm birth in multiple pregnancies. The secondary objective was to evaluate whether the working conditions of Dutch women with multiple pregnancy have been adjusted to the guidelines of the Netherlands Society of Occupational Medicine.
We performed a prospective cohort study alongside the ProTWIN trial, a multicenter randomized controlled trial that assessed whether cervical pessaries could effectively prevent preterm birth. Women with paid work of >8 hours per week completed questionnaires concerning general health and working conditions between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify work-related factors associated with preterm birth (32–36 weeks’ gestation) and very preterm birth (<32 weeks’ gestation). We analyzed a subgroup of participants who worked for more than half of the week (>28 hours). We calculated the proportion of women who reported work-related factors not in accordance with guidelines.
We studied 383 women, of whom 168 (44%) had been randomized to pessary, 142 (37%) to care as usual, and 73 (19%) did not participate in the randomized part of the study. After adjusting for confounding variables, working >28 hours was associated with very preterm birth (n=33; 78%) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–8.1), and irregular working times were associated with preterm birth (n=26, 17%) (adjusted odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–4.1) and very preterm birth (n=10; 24%) (adjusted odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–7.3). Within a subgroup of 213 participants working >28 hours per week, multivariable analysis showed that irregular working times (n=16; 20%) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–10.1) and no/little freedom in performance of tasks (n=23; 28%) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–7.3) were associated with preterm birth. Irregular working times (n=9; 27%) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–11.1), requiring physical strength (n=9; 27%) (adjusted odds ratio, 5.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.6–17.8), high physical workload (n=7; 21%) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–13.9), and no/little freedom in performing tasks (n=10; 30%) (adjusted odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–9.6) were associated with very preterm birth. Before 20 weeks of pregnancy, 224 (58.5%) women with multiple pregnancy continued to work under circumstances that were not in accordance with the guidelines.
In our cohort study, nearly 60% of women with multiple pregnancy continued to work under circumstances not in accordance with the guidelines to avoid physical and job strain and long and irregular working hours. Irregular hours were associated with preterm and very preterm birth, and long hours were associated with preterm birth.
Aim: To investigate the influence of physical and psychosocial working conditions on the risk of disability pension among eldercare workers. Methods: After responding to a questionnaire in 2005, 4699 ...healthy female eldercare workers – free from chronic musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms and long-term sickness absence – were followed for 11 years in the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization. Time-to-event analyses estimated the hazard ratio (HR) for disability pension from physical exertion during work, emotional demands, influence at work, role conflicts, and quality of leadership. Analyses were mutually adjusted for these work environmental factors as well as for age, education, smoking, leisure physical activity and body mass index. Results: During follow-up, 7.6% received disability pension. Physical exertion and emotional demands were associated with risk of disability pension, and both interacted with age. In age-stratified analyses, older eldercare workers (mean age 53 years at baseline) with moderate and high physical exertion (reference: low) were at increased risk with HRs of 1.51, 95% CI 1.06–2.15 and 2.54, 95% CI 1.34–4.83, respectively. Younger eldercare workers (mean age 36 years at baseline) with moderate emotional demands (reference: low) were at decreased risk with an HR of 0.57, 95% CI 0.37–0.85. Conclusions: While a higher level of physical exertion is a risk factor for disability pension among older female eldercare workers, a moderate level of emotional demands is associated with lower risk among the younger workers. The age of the worker may be an important factor when providing recommendations for promoting a long and healthy working life.
Sharing the control of a robotic system with an autonomous controller allows a human to reduce his/her cognitive and physical workload during the execution of a task. In recent years, the development ...of inference and learning techniques has widened the spectrum of applications of shared control (SC) approaches, leading to robotic systems that are capable of seamless adaptation of their autonomy level. In this perspective, shared autonomy (SA) can be defined as the design paradigm that enables this adapting behavior of the robotic system. This letter collects the latest results achieved by the research community in the field of SC and SA with special emphasis on physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). Architectures and methods developed for SC and SA are discussed throughout the letter, highlighting the key aspects of each methodology. A discussion about open issues concludes this letter.
Demands of physical work are related to musculoskeletal disorders, and hence, important to assess. The Physical Workload Questionnaire (PWQ) is based on 26 items related to physical workload. The PWQ ...has been translated into Norwegian, but its psychometric properties have not yet been tested. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the PWQ among patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
A cross-sectional study with a test-retest design was conducted to assess construct validity (structural validity and hypothesis testing) and reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) among employed patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess the structural validity and number of items to be included in the Norwegian version of the PWQ. Hypothesis testing was assessed by 14 a priori hypotheses ("known" group, convergent and discriminant validity). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC
), Standard Error of Measurement (SEM
) and Smallest Detectable Change (SDC
ind).
In total, 115 patients with a mean age (SD) of 46 (9) years were included, of which 48 were included in the reliability analyses. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two subscales: "Heavy physical work" (15 items, range 0-100) and "Long-lasting postures and repetitive movements" (7 items, range 0-100). No floor or ceiling effects were seen in the subscales. Twelve of the 14 (85%) predefined hypotheses were confirmed. The internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 and 0.85 on subscales 1 and 2, respectively. Test-retest reliability analyses demonstrated an ICC
of 0.96 (95% CI 0.88, 0.98) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.81, 0.96), SEM of 6.9 and 10.0 and SDC
ind of 19.2 and 27.7 of subscales 1 and 2, respectively.
The Norwegian version of the PWQ demonstrated good validity and reliability and can be used to evaluate physical workload in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
Highlights:
1. The focus of this study was on the underlying factors of fatigue among shipyard workers, an area that necessitatesfurther research to attain ideal standards in occupational health and ...safety.2. This study can provide companies with material to use when counseling workers on the importance of a healthynutritional intake in preventing fatigue.
Abstract
Work fatigue remains a prevalent issue among workers in shipyards, leading to detrimental effects on physical well-being, including a decline in body resistance and productivity. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between age, nutritional status, working period, physical workload, noise, and lighting with fatigue levels among hull construction workers. This observational study used a cross-sectional approach with a total population of 112 individuals working in the production line of the Warship Division of a shipbuilding company. The sample size in this study was determined using stratified random sampling, resulting in an assembly of 53 samples. Proportionate stratified random sampling was then employed to determine the sample size for each subgroup of the population. The research data were analyzed using the Spearman correlation test (p<0.005). This study found a significant relationship between work fatigue and nutritional status (p=0.000), with a moderately positive relationship (r=0.511). Additionally, there was a significant relationship between work fatigue and physical workload (p=0.000), with a moderately positive relationship (r=0.531). Noise and work fatigue showed a significant relationship (p=0.010), with a weak positive relationship (r=0.353). Lighting and work fatigue showed a significant relationship as well (p=0.000), but with a moderately negative relationship (r=-0.524). On the other hand, work fatigue did not exhibit any significant relationship with age (p=0.129) or working period (p=0.651). This study establishes a relationship between work fatigue and numerous factors, including nutritional status, physical workload, noise, and lighting. However, age and working period are not related to work fatigue. Thus, it is recommended that companies align job requirements with employees' work capacity and conduct regular assessments of noise and lighting conditions to mitigate work-related fatigue.
The study aims to assess the occupational risk of upper extremities’ biomechanical overload, thus developing upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (UL-MSD), in dental hygienists. The literature ...describes UL-MSD as a notable health issue for dental hygienists.
A total of 210 dental hygienists completed a questionnaire based on the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method. Collected data were used to determine the physical load on each radiocarpal joint, based on three factors - joint posture deviation from longitudinal forearm axis combined with a twist and/or tilt, hand grip, type of effort (static phase length, repetition, fast and large posture changes).
The forearm-hand angle was classified as detrimental (>15° tilt from the axis) in both right (37.1%) and left (43.8%) radiocarpal joints. Detrimental tilt and/or twist showed a higher prevalence of over 80% cases in both joints. Hand grip quality was reported as “good” in the majority of cases (79% right, 66.7% left), the rest being “satisfactory” or “bad”, with no “very bad” cases. Only 10% of respondents were not exposed to the adversely static, repetitive, or fluctuating activity.
This study confirms the prevalence of strainful ergonomics among dental hygienists. More preventive strategies, with emphasis on day-to-day prophylaxis, need to be implemented to avoid UL-MSD persistence in this occupational field.
The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is an important part of the workforce in hospitals and nursing homes, whose work includes heavy and repetitive work tasks including patient manual handling. The ...Structured Multidisciplinary work Evaluation Tool (SMET) questionnaire is an Occupational Health Service method for evaluation of the work environment. The aim of this study is to compare the SMET questionnaire with technical measurements of physical workload in CNAs in a medical ward setting. 16 CNA's participated voluntarily to 8 h of measurements during one workday. Physical workload was measured with surface electromyography and inclinometers, and the work environment was evaluated with the SMET questionnaire during the same working day. Spearman's rho was used in the statistical correlation analysis between measurements. This study shows strong, statistically significant correlations between the items in the SMET questionnaire and measured physical workload, n CNAs.
•SMET is an occupational health service method for work environment management.•Comparisons of items in the SMET questionnaire and measured physical workload.•The SMET questionnaire is reflecting true physical workload in nursing assistants.
Low back pain (LBP) is the most common work-related musculoskeletal problem among healthcare workers including nurses. Awkward trunk postures have been recognized as one common problem in this ...groupOBJECTIVE:The aims of this study were to: a) continuously assess trunk postures for an entire shift work in various hospital wards, and b) examine the relationship between the duration of exposure to awkward trunk postures and the occurrence of low back pain (LBP) among nurses.
Eighty nurses from eight wards in a hospital participated in this cross-sectional study. The prevalence of LBP was determined using the revised Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Full-shift work trunk posture exposure was measured using an inclinometer.
The prevalence of LBP among hospital nurses was 72%. The highest percentage of time spent in awkward postures in the sagittal plane (trunk flexion ≥45°) and in the frontal plane (lateral bend ≥20°) was recorded in the general (65.6% ± 12.2) and orthopedic (48.4% ± 7.4) wards, respectively. Logistic regression analyses showed that the duration of exposure to awkward trunk postures had a significant relationship with LBP (P < 0.05).
The results highlight the potential risks of nursing job in terms of frequent and extreme trunk awkward postures, which may lead to the development of LBP. The findings can help to develop guidelines regarding prioritizing ergonomic interventions to reduce the prevalence of LBP among hospital nurses.
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