Applied Ergonomics Research Articles

Insights in Practice: Success Stories of Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics

Practitioners of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) must frequently adapt to the constraints of organizations, multidisciplinary teams, changing customer requirements, and development lifecycles. Tradeoffs are made in applying techniques and levels of rigor; made to ensure that the highest caliber of HF/E is achieved that is also adoptable and impactful in practice. HF/E professionals, and particularly early career professionals, benefit from positive examples of HF/E practice in a variety of applied settings. In this panel, we will present perspectives and success stories that enable community dialogue about the art of the possible for HF/E in application. Success stories applying HF/E methods and practices at work is a thread deserving of continual discussion to add to the adaptive repertoire of our field and support the next generation of HF/E professionals.

Strategy to Applied Ergonomics on MSMEs during Pandemic Covid-19

Pandemic COVID-19 hard impact on the people’s economy, especially the tourism industry in Bali. Many businesses close, and workers lost their jobs. And started businesses independently, as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). However, with less basic business knowledge, it is vulnerable to the risk of surviving its business. Therefore, to cope with these conditions, they need the support of strategic human resources, business strategy, and attainability with ergonomics principles. Ergonomics is the method that is used to harmonize workers with their work tools, workstations, workplace, and work environment. And participatory ergonomics methods to increase workers healthy, safety, comfort, and productivity to attain human well-being. A case study of the rearrangement workspace of “Nasi Koco” production creates a workstation wider than before and makes the work environment better. The workers are safe, comfortable, and work more efficiently, which indicated an increase in productivity.

Working world 4.0: will everything remain different?! "AWA" project examines the changes of digitalization on a company level.

How is digitalization changing our working world? The ifaa - Institute of Applied Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics interviewed 27 experts from different companies about their experience with the introduction of digital technologies in production and production-related areas. In the AWA project, a practice-oriented approach was explicitly chosen, since the desire for insights into the use of digital technologies from companies for companies was the reason for this project. The effects of the introduction on the organization and the employees were surveyed. The evaluation of the examples collected so far revealed above all a reduction in ancillary activities, such as searching for and collecting information or commuting times. This has created more resources for employees to pursue their main activities. However, it should be noted that in most cases the observed changes were of a moderate nature in terms of requirements, competencies, or load levels. More extensive effects tended to be the exception - there are examples here that show both desirable and negative manifestations. The involvement of future users was consistently cited as a key success factor.

Study of Work Effectiveness of Physically Disabled Workforce through Applied Ergonomics

There is a large population of disabled working people. These people constitute at least 2.21% of the total population of India as per 2011 census data. Out of the total population of persons with disabilities, approximately 1.50 crore are men and 1.18 crore, are women. These include persons with visual, hearing, speech and loco-motor disabilities, mental illness, mental retardation (intellectual disabilities), multiple disabilities and other disabilities. Among the workers with disabilities, 31% constitute agricultural labourers. Fifty percent of the PwD population in the age group of 15-59 years is working whereas 4% of children with disabilities in the age group below 14 years are working. They need special ergonomic attention, but a great deal of information is missing or incomplete about their work efficiency. Work is said to be one of the basic factors of human life. It is well known that appropriate workplace and tools preferable to disabled workers can contribute to the healthy and satisfied worker and this fact is even more important when we talk about workers with disabilities. Disability inclusion in the workplace is the manifestation of recognition that employees are human. Employees do not and cannot shed the complexities of their physical and mental selves while they are at work. Worker centric tools and furniture need to be developed by industrial designers at a cost-effective price. This study shows how the efficiency of the disabled workers can be increased by making changes in the workplace design for a “regular adult” population in the age range of about 15 to 60 years. Anthropometry, biomechanics, physiology, attitudes and behaviour of this population and the tools which they use during work provides necessary stimulation to workplace designers, owners of the establishment for making changes in the workplace preferable to the disabled workforce. We conducted testing to compare pre-test and post-test results using preferred products to evaluate the work effectiveness of the people with physical disabilities using statistical analysis (paired t-tests). The results after using worker preferred products showed a higher average post-test score than pre-test. This analysis indicated a statistically higher work effectiveness (α =0.05) and supports the research hypothesis.

The role of light in the plants world

This article describes the differences in how people and plants perceive light. This is important in some artificial light applications. In particular, it concerns the horticulture area, in which LED lighting is increasingly used. There is a misunderstanding of the specifics of the environment in this area. As a result, even experienced lighting professionals design greenhouse lamps in the same way as for people. This article describes the negative consequences of this approach. Full Text: PDF ReferencesA. R. Young, J. Claveau, and A.B. Rossi, Ultraviolet radiation and the skin: Photobiology and sunscreen photoprotection, Jurnal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vol. 76, p. 100-109, Mar. 2017. CrossRef S. Pashiardis, S.A. Kalogirou, and A. Pelengaris, Characteristics of Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) Through Statistical Analysis at Larnaca, SM Journal of Biometrics & Biostatistics, p. 1-16, Jun. 2017. CrossRef W. Bommel, Interior Lighting: Visual Mechanism. Springer Nature Switzerland AG., p. 3-23, 2019. CrossRef L.T. Sharpe, A. Jagla, and W. Jägle, A luminous efficiency function, V*(λ), for daylight adaptation, Journal of Vision, vol. 5, no. 11, p. 948-968, Apr. 2012. CrossRef I. Fryc, and E. Czech, Application of optical fibers and CCD array for measurement of luminance distribution, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 5064, p. 18-21, Apr. 2003. CrossRef I. Fryc, Design issue of novel type of an illuminance meter photometric head, Jurnal of Modern Optics, vol. 56, no. 33, p. 1504-1508, Jul. 2009. CrossRef I. Fryc, and P. Tabaka, The influence of different photometric observers on luxmeter accuracy for LEDs and FLs lamps measurements, Optica Applicata, vol. 49(2), p. 345-354, Jul. 2019. CrossRef M. Liu, Y. Yan, Q. Xue, and L. Gong, The research and analysis of factors affecting Critical Flicker Frequency, 6th Int. Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, Las Vegas, 2015. CrossRef W. Wojtkowski, SEPIC converter for high power LED lighting, Przeglad Elektrotechniczny, vol. 86, no. 10, p. 260-263, 2010. DirectLink W. Wojtkowski, Step-up converters for power LED power supply, Przeglad Elektrotechniczny, vol. 87, no. 4, p. 71-72, 2011. DirectLink Y. Berkovich, and all, LED crop illumination inside space greenhouses, in Reach, vol. 6, Elsevier, p. 11-24, 2017. CrossRef C.M. Campillo, R. Fortes and M.H. Prieto, Solar Radiation Effect on Crop Production, Mar. 2012 CrossRef I. Ashdown, Photometry and Photosynthesis: From Photometry to PPFD., Nov. 2015 DirectLink K.J. McCree, The Action Spectrum, Abasorptance and Quantum Yield of Photosynthesis in Crop Plants, Agricultural Meteorology, vol. 9, 191-216, Oct. 1970. CrossRef OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, Horticulture Lighting with LEDs, Nov. 2016 CrossRef Standard DIN 5031-10 Optical radiation physics and illuminating engineering. CrossRef EconoLux Indastries Ltd., What Light do Plants Need, Hong Kong, 2016. CrossRef M.B. Ali, L. Khandaker, and S. Oba, Comparative study on functional components, antioxidant activity and color parameters of selected leafy vegetables as affected by photoperiods, J Food Agric Environ, vol. 7, p. 392-398, 2009. CrossRef A. Szmidt-Jaworska, K. Jaworski, A. Tretyn, and J. Kopcewicz, The involvement of cyclic GMP in the photoperiodic flower induction of Pharbitis nil, Jurnal of Plant Physiology, vol. 161, p. 277-284, 2004. CrossRef A. Szmidt-Jaworska, K. Jaworski, and J. Kopcewicz, The Involvement of Cyclic ADPR in Photoperiodic Flower Induction of Pharbitis nil, Jurnal of Plant Growth Regulation, vol. 25, p. 233-244, Sep. 2006. CrossRef A. Szmidt-Jaworska, K. Jaworski, A. Zienkiewicz, M. Lenartowska, and J. Kopcewicz, Guanylyl cyclase activity during photoperiodic flower induction in Pharbitis nil, Jurnal of Plant Growth Regulation, vol. 57, p. 173-184, 2009. CrossRef Light Laboratory Inc., Goniophotometer Test Report HLG ELITE lamps. CrossRef U.J. Błaszczak, D.A. Aziz, L. Gryko, Influence of the spectral composition of LED lighting system on plants cultivation in a darkroom, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 10445, p. 1-9, 2017. CrossRef

Camouflage pattern features interact with movement speed to determine human target detectability

Applied ergonomics research examines not only the fit, form and function of military uniforms, but also their ability to effectively camouflage personnel as they perform job-related tasks. Many of these job-related tasks involve moving through environments, but existing literature examining camouflage effectiveness often assumes that movement effectively “breaks” even the best camouflage patterns, rendering them of limited utility for reducing the visual signature of a moving target. However, recent research demonstrates that animals equipped with adaptive camouflage change their patterning in predictable ways during movement and this adaptation decreases detectability, suggesting that uniform patterning may still hold value for reducing conspicuity during movement. The present experiment examined whether three visual pattern characteristics, local contrast, orientation, and spatial frequency, would influence the detectability of a moving human target. Participants attempted to detect and localize a simulated human target moving across a background scene, and a factorial design varied target movement speed, and the local contrast, spatial frequency, and orientation of its camouflage patterning. Results showed that target detectability was strongly influenced by target movement rate, pattern local contrast, and pattern spatial frequency, and these effects persisted even under conditions of very fast movement. Importantly, we found that the effect of local contrast was most robust under conditions of movement, suggesting its importance for reducing detectability of moving personnel. We conclude that movement is not always sufficient to break the concealment offered by a pattern with low contrast and a spatial frequency match with its background. Results are discussed in the context of visual processing theories and the application of these findings to the design and development of static and adaptive camouflage patterns for military personnel.

Human Factors Consulting: The Ins & Outs, Ups & Downs, Pros & Cons

The objective of this panel is to provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about what they always wanted to know about the wide world of human factors consulting, but were afraid to ask (or didn’t know to ask). This session should be of interest to meeting attendees at any stage of their career, including students and those who might be considering a career change or branching out. These panelists, together, have experience over a wide range of consulting domains, as well as being individuals who are at different stages in their consulting careers. As such, the panel session will provide attendees with multiple perspectives on select topics and on responses to attendees’ questions. Sheree Gibson, PE, CPE is President of Ergonomic Applications, a small industrial ergonomics consulting firm in South Carolina. She has been a consultant for most of her professional life, working for a forensic consulting firm as well as an in-house ergonomics consultant for Michelin Tire before setting out on her own. She has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a M.S.E. in Applied Ergonomics, both from West Virginia University. She is active in the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Society of Safety Engineers and HFES. Sheree is also Vice-President of the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics. Richard Kelly, PhD earned his doctorate in Engineering Psychology from New Mexico State University and went on to work as an engineering psychologist for the Army at White Sands and then for the Navy at SPAWAR in San Diego. After about 10 years supporting large and small RDT&E programs and leading teams of scientists and engineers, he left the government to start Pacific Science & Engineering (PSE). Over the past 34 years, PSE has grown steadily from 2 to 50 employees and has been a prime contractor, subcontractor, and consultant on hundreds of projects in many different domains, including military, intelligence, industrial process, commercial, medical, education, autonomous vehicles, and more. PSE remains an independent, employee-owned company entirely focused on human performance in complex systems. The technical staff have received numerous recognitions from clients and professional groups for their outstanding work that makes a real difference for our users. Dee Miller, PhD works at Dell, Inc. in the Business Transformation Office as the Senior Principal UX & Service Design Engineer building relationships and appropriately influencing relevant internal teams and direct business contacts in the adoption of a human-centered approach to designing internal systems and processes and delivering services related to Order Experience Life Cycle. She recently started an independent consultancy called Dawn Specialty Consulting. One of the first projects of the new consultancy is consulting with a local non-profit and a police department on applying design thinking to community policing initiatives. Dee has prior experience consulting with state and federal government agencies on matters pertaining to transportation and healthcare. Tom Albin, PE, CPE, PhD is a licensed professional engineer and a certified professional ergonomist. He holds a PhD from the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. Currently the principal of High Plains Ergonomics Service, Tom has been engaged in ergonomics consulting since 2001. He has extensive experience as a researcher, a corporate ergonomist and as a product developer. He is active in the US and International Standards community, chairing the ANSI/HFES 100 computer workstation standard and serving as an accredited US expert on several ISO committees. He was Executive Director of the Office Ergonomics Research Committee from 2007 until retiring in 2018. Tom’s consulting work has been principally concerned with physical ergonomics issues in office and industrial settings. Current projects deal with evaluation of injury risk during push and pull tasks and with applied anthropometry. Topics Panelists will each be given time to introduce themselves at the beginning of the session. Each will speak for 7-10 minutes about their career path, ‘what I like best about consulting’, and ‘3-5 things I wish I had known before I started consulting’. The panel will also address the following topics: ethics, running a business (business plans, financing, insurance, legalities, managing employees, marketing, building relationships with clients, and writing contracts), and work/life balance. These topics will be introduced, in the form of questions from the moderator if/when questions from the audience are exhausted.

The Impact of Environmental Design on Teamwork and Communication in Healthcare Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review.

The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the current knowledge about the impact of healthcare facility design on teamwork and communication by exploring the relevant literature. Teamwork and communication are behavioral factors that are impacted by physical design. However, the effects of environmental factors on teamwork and communication have not been investigated extensively in healthcare design literature. There are no published systematic reviews on the current topic. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar databases in addition to targeted design journals including Health Environmental Research & Design, Environment and Behavior, Environmental Psychology, and Applied Ergonomics. Inclusion criteria were (a) full-text English language articles related to teamwork and communication and (b) involving any healthcare built environment and space design published in peer-reviewed journals between 1984 and 2017. Studies were extracted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the first phase, 26 of the 195 articles most relevant to teamwork and 19 studies of the 147 were identified and reviewed to understand the impact of communication in healthcare facilities. The literature regarding the impact of built environment on teamwork and communication were reviewed and explored in detail. Eighteen studies were selected and succinctly summarized as the final product of this review. Environmental design, which involves nurses, support staff, and physicians, is one of the critical factors that promotes the efficiency of teamwork and collaborative communication. Layout design, visibility, and accessibility levels are the most cited aspects of design which can affect the level of communication and teamwork in healthcare facilities.

Theory versus practice in the human factors and ergonomics discipline: Trends in journal publications from 1960 to 2010

The research-practice gap has been highlighted as a barrier to effective practice in human factors and ergonomics (HFE). There is also evidence of a theory-research gap that may be limiting the scientific evidence base of HFE. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in journal publications, especially relating to the research-practice gap and the involvement of theory over time. A content analysis was conducted on 425 journal articles published in Human Factors, Ergonomics, and Applied Ergonomics from 1960 to 2010. Results showed evidence of growth in applied research with increasing collaborative research between research and industry, larger research teams, and more empirical research—especially on applied problems. While there has been a corresponding increase in the involvement of theory in HFE publications, around half of the publications failed to acknowledge theory. This calls into question whether the HFE discipline may be missing the benefits of theory to guide research and subsequent practice, and to enhance the development of new ideas.

Ergonomic evaluation of workload by milk production - a bibliometric analysis.

The purpose of this study was to select in a structured manner the relevant articles with scientific recognition, and simultaneously identify the characteristics of these publications that may scientifically enrich the theme in a portfolio of papers. The theme involves ergonomics in milk production as a criterion for evaluating and improving organizational performance in the milking sector. The study used ProKnow-C as a theoretical instrument for intervention. The main results show: i) a bibliographic portfolio of 18 items aligned with the view adopted by researchers which served as a theoretical framework for this research; ii) The article entitled "Wrist positions and movements as possible risk factors during machine milking", by Marianne Stål, Gert-Åke Hansson and Ulrich Moritz in 1999 and published in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics presented the highest scientific recognition, iii) the authors highlighted in the bibliographic portfolio or in its references researching the subject are Gert-Åke Hansson, Marianne Stål and Stefan Pinzke, and iv) the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics shows the highest number of scientific articles in the bibliographic portfolio. The studies selected using the methodology indicate research in ergonomics focused on the production of milk in rural areas, specifically in the milking sector, are generally related to the health and safety of the workers.

The Impact of Cervical Musculoskeletal Disorders on UK Consultant Plastic Surgeons: Can We Reduce Morbidity With Applied Ergonomics?

Based on anecdotal and observational evidence, we hypothesized that the prevalence of cervical musculoskeletal disorder (C-MSD) would be high among plastic surgeons. A questionnaire review was undertaken to test this hypothesis. Ergonomic assessment was undertaken to assess causal factors of C-MSD. An anonymous questionnaire recording demographics, physical symptoms and behavioral responses to C-MSD was distributed to UK Plastic Surgery consultants. The postural impact of wearing loupes was assessed using motion capture techniques and recording cervical muscular activity. The questionnaire response rate was 81%. The prevalence of cervical spine morbidity was recorded as 32%. Employment implications included 28% of the cohort requiring sick leave. The professional impact was 7% permanently modifying their practice. There were 2 factors significant for C-MSD, the surgeons' age and the duration in hours of wearing loupes per week. Ergonomic assessment of surgeons operating in loupes demonstrated: 1. increased forward and lateral cervical flexion; 2. increased cervical muscular activity to maintain the protracted "head forward" posture; and 3. prolonged static posturing to maintain head position for visual focus. Table height adjustment and variation of loupe working distance can reduce neck flexion. Cervical morbidity is a prevalent problem among plastic surgeons. Long procedures, static postures and neck flexion result in the "head forward" posture. This posture exaggerates when operating with loupe magnification. Early-middle-aged consultants are more prone to cervical morbidity hence afflicted when at the top of their game. The work force is diminished for a potentially avoidable morbidity. Rather than accept this morbidity, co-operation between plastic surgeons and ergonomist may help to reduce injury.

Exposure to infrasonic noise in agriculture

Although exposure to audible noise has been examined in many publications, the sources of infrasound in agriculture have not been fully examined and presented. The study presents the assessment of exposure to infrasound from many sources at workplaces in agriculture with examples of possible ergonomic and health consequences caused by such exposure. Workers'-perceived infrasonic noise levels were examined for 118 examples of moving and stationary agricultural machines (modern and old cab-type tractors, old tractors without cabins, small tractors, grinders, chargers, forage mixers, grain cleaners, conveyors, bark sorters and combine-harvesters). Measurements of infrasound were taken with the use of class 1 instruments (digital sound analyzer DSA-50 digital and acoustic calibrator). Noise level measurements were performed in accordance with PN-Z-01338:2010, PN-EN ISO 9612:2011 and ISO 9612:2009. The most intense sources of infrasound in the study were modern and old large size types agricultural machinery (tractors, chargers and combined-harvesters, and stationary forage mixers with ventilation). The G-weighted infrasound levels were significant and at many analyzed workplaces stayed within or exceeded the occupational exposure limit (LG eq, 8h = 102 dB) when the duration of exposure is longer than 22 min./8-hours working day (most noisy - modern cab-type tractors), 46 min./8 hours working day (most noisy - old type cab-tractors), 73 min./8 hours working day (most noisy - old tractors without cabins), 86 min./8-hours working day (most noisy - combine-harvesters) and 156 min./8 hours working day (most noisy - stationary forage mixers with ventilation). All measured machines generated infrasonic noise exceeded the value LG eq, Te = 86 dB (occupational exposure limit for workplaces requiring maintained mental concentration). A very important harmful factor is infrasound exposure for pregnant women and adolescents at workplaces in agriculture. Very valuable work can be technical limiting exposure to infrasound from new and used agricultural machinery. The technical limitation of infrasound caused by both old and new agricultural machinery can be invaluable from the work point of view.

7th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2016)

7th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2016)

Ranking of Design Journals Based on Results of the UK Research Excellence Framework: Using REF as Referee

Design researchers disseminate their work through many outlets. Journals have been, and continue to be, a vital conduit by which research methods and results are reported. Journal paper authors want their work to be published in the best possible titles, but ranking of journals is notoriously difficult and always controversial. This paper takes a new approach to finding a referee to rank journal popularity: analysis of the results of the 2014 UK Research Excellence Framework (REF), Art and Design panel. Institutional submissions that scored best in terms of research output ‘originality, significance and rigour’ had the highest proportion of print (journal and book) outputs. The journals in which papers selected by submitting institutions were published were analysed to determine the most common titles. When filtered to include the highest ranked ‘design’ submissions, the most popular design-focused journal titles were The Design Journal, Applied Ergonomics, Ergonomics, Journal of Design Research and Design Issues. There was no correlation between journal citation metrics and the analysis of REF results indicating that quality assessments require detailed individual scrutiny of outputs. The methodology used has limitations: the data is only based on UK institutions submitting to the Art and Design panel, the method of counting journals may skew results towards larger titles with more papers published, and the results from REF do not allow for scrutiny of individual outputs.

Publisher's note: Winner of the 2015 “Best Paper Award” for Applied Ergonomics

Publisher's note: Winner of the 2015 “Best Paper Award” for Applied Ergonomics

Mapping the state of the art of ergonomics within logistics

There is a growing need for businesses to pay attention to human well-being, providing people with the conditions necessary for meeting organizational goals, which depend on logistical, production, and supply chain processes functioning as a whole. In that light, the present work seeks to construct a mapping of existing academic publications regarding ergonomics within the field of logistics, and assemble a bibliographic portfolio of the most relevant and applicable works, in the opinion of the researchers. Towards this end, a bibliometric analysis was carried out with the goal of gaining insight as to the most-recurring topics: authors, articles, periodicals and keywords in this field. This work is characterized as exploratory-descriptive research; besides this, it employs mixed qualitative and quantitative data analysis by way of the Knowledge Development Process--Constructivist intervention instrument (ProKnow-C). Resulting from this, 15 relevant and 512 reference articles were selected, which went on to form the bibliographic portfolio. Upon completion of bibliometric analysis of the articles and references composing the bibliographic portfolio, the following evidences was concluded: the academic journals International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, Ergonomics and Applied Ergonomics; the articles titled "Precision of measurements of physical workload during standardised manual handling. Part I: Surface electromyography of m. trapezius, m. infraspinatus and the forearm extensors" and "Ergonomic evaluation of complex work: A participative approach employing video---computer interaction, exemplified in a study of order picking"; the keywords "Human Factors", "Supply Chain", "Material Handling", "Logistics" and "Ergonomics"; and the most-cited authors being the following: Neumann, W. P.; Marras, W. S.; Winkel, J.; Hansson, G. A.; Skerfving S.; Mathiassen, S. E., and Medbo, L. T. Once the results are unique, they are appropriate only for the particular case, so it cannot be recommended for other contexts. The ProKnow-C process, however, is general and can be used in any context.

From monocausality to systems thinking: a complementary and alternative conceptual approach for better understanding the development and prevention of sports injury

The science of sports injury control, including both its cause and prevention, has largely been informed by a biomedical and mechanistic model of health. Traditional scientific practice in sports injury research has routinely involved collapsing the broader socioecological landscape down in order to analyse individual-level determinants of injury - whether biomechanical and/or behavioural. This approach has made key gains for sports injury prevention research and should be further encouraged and allowed to evolve naturally. However, the public health, Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, and injury epidemiological literature more broadly, has accepted the value of a socioecological paradigm for better understanding disease and injury processes, and sports injury research will fall further behind unless it does the same. A complementary and alternative conceptual approach towards injury control known as systems thinking that builds on socioecological science, both methodologically and analytically, is readily available and fast developing in other research areas. This review outlines the historical progression of causal concepts in the field of epidemiology over the course of the modern scientific era. From here, causal concepts in injury epidemiology, and models of aetiology as found in the context of sports injury research are presented. The paper finishes by proposing a new research agenda that considers the potential for a systems thinking approach to further enhance sports injury aetiological understanding. A complementary systems paradigm, however, will require that sports injury epidemiologists bring their knowledge and skillsets forwards in an attempt to use, adapt, and even refine existing systems-based approaches. Alongside the natural development of conventional scientific methodologies and analyses in sports injury research, progressing forwards to a systems paradigm is now required.

State of the art of ergonomic costs as criterion for evaluating and improving organizational performance in industry

This study selects, in a structured manner, relevant articles with scientific recognition and simultaneously identifies these publications’ characteristics that may scientifically enrich the proposed topic. The topic involves ergonomic costs as a criterion for evaluating and improving organizational performance in industry. This study uses Proknow-C as a theoretical instrument for intervention. The following results are obtained: a) a bibliographic portfolio of 16 items, aligned with the view adopted by researchers who served as this research’s theoretical framework; b) the Applied Ergonomics journal shows the highest number of scientific articles in the bibliographic portfolio; and c) Ergonomics, Costs, and Evaluation are the most frequent keywords. The studies selected using the methodology indicate that successful ergonomic projects result in substantially reduced production costs and associated economic and financial gain for the industry.

Passenger comfort on high-speed trains: effect of tunnel noise on the subjective assessment of pressure variations

When passing through a tunnel, aerodynamic effects on high-speed trains may impair passenger comfort. These variations in atmospheric pressure are accompanied by transient increases in sound pressure level. To date, it is unclear whether the latter influences the perceived discomfort associated with the variations in atmospheric pressure. In a pressure chamber of the DLR-Institute of Aerospace Medicine, 71 participants (M = 28.3 years ± 8.1 SD) rated randomised pressure changes during two conditions according to a crossover design. The pressure changes were presented together with tunnel noise such that the sound pressure level was transiently elevated by either +6 dB (low noise condition) or +12 dB (high noise condition) above background noise level (65 dB(A)). Data were combined with those of a recent study, in which identical pressure changes were presented without tunnel noise (Schwanitz et al., 2013, ‘Pressure Variations on a Train – Where is the Threshold to Railway Passenger Discomfort?’ Applied Ergonomics 44 (2): 200-209). Exposure-response relationships for the combined data set comprising all three noise conditions show that pressure discomfort increases with the magnitude and speed of the pressure changes but decreases with increasing tunnel noise.Practitioner Summary: In a pressure chamber, we systematically examined how pressure discomfort, as it may be experienced by railway passengers, is affected by the presence of tunnel noise during pressure changes. It is shown that across three conditions (no noise, low noise (+6 dB), high noise (+12 dB)) pressure discomfort decreases with increasing tunnel noise.

When the going gets tough the beautiful get going: aesthetic appeal facilitates task performance.

The current studies examined the effect of aesthetic appeal on performance. According to one hypothesis, appeal would lead to overall decrements or enhancements in performance [e.g. Sonderegger & Sauer, (Applied Ergonomics, 41, 403–410, 2010)]. Alternatively, appeal might influence performance only in problem situations, such as when the task is difficult [e.g. Norman, (2004)]. The predictions of these hypotheses were examined in the context of an icon search-and-localisation task. Icons were used because they are well-defined stimuli and pervasive to modern everyday life. When search was made difficult using visually complex stimuli (Experiment 1), or abstract and unfamiliar stimuli (Experiment 2), icons that were appealing were found more quickly than their unappealing counterparts. These findings show that in a low-level visual processing task, with demand characteristics related to appeal eliminated, appeal can influence performance, especially under duress.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.3758/s13423-014-0794-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.