Workplace Design Research Articles

A mechanistic model for industrial workplace design based on inherent safety and health concepts

AbstractThis study aims to establish a mechanistic model of using inherent safety and health concepts to conduct industrial workplace risk reduction strategies during the project planning stage. Accordingly, a dedicated implementation tool termed inherently safer and healthier design model for industrial workplaces (ISHDM‐IW) is developed. First, the safety and health by design checklist is adapted to derive industrial workplace safety and health risk indicators. Then, the risk indicators are rated and weighted using the methods of risk matrix and precedence chart. Subsequently, the risk indicators are aggregated via fuzzy risk representation with the indicators' risk values and weights. Last, the inherent safety and health principles are used to do risk‐based baseline design optimization. The case study demonstrates the capabilities of the proposed ISHDM‐IW to upgrade the workplace design scheme from risk level II to risk level I, thus generating a more satisfactory workplace design alternative. The proposed ISHDM‐IW offers a novel design mechanism of inherent safety and health for industrial workplaces, which can be expected to ensure employees' safety, health, and well‐being with fundamentally better ergonomics of industrial work environments.

Differential attrition in randomized controlled trials of digital mental health interventions in the workplace: A systematic review and meta-analysis (EMPOWER H2020 project)

IntroductionDigital interventions have been found to be successful in preventing occupational mental health concerns, however, they seem to be affected by attrition bias through high attrition rates and differential attrition. Differential attrition arises when the rates of participant dropouts differ across different treatment conditions and is considered a significant challenge to internal validity.ObjectivesWe aimed at systematically review and meta-analyse differential attrition of digital mental health interventions in the workplace setting.MethodsOn January 2, 2022, we performed a search in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Core. We utilized a combination of terms from five distinct areas, namely mental health, intervention, workplace, implementation, and study design. The study encompassed adult employees who took part in a randomized control trial aimed at preventing mental health issues in the workplace through an online intervention. A team of six reviewers collaborated on the study selection process, while two independent researchers conducted the data extraction for the selected studies. We performed a meta-analysis of the log-transformed relative attrition rates of the included studies using a random-effects model with limited maximum-likelihood (REML) estimation to account for the degree of heterogeneity.ResultsA total of 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis. For baseline to post-intervention, the average total attrition was 26.27% (SD = 21.16%, range = 0 – 66.3%) and the random effects model revealed a higher attrition rate in the intervention group compared to the control group, with a pooled risk ratio of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01 - 1.10, p = .014). For baseline to follow-up measurement the average total attrition was 27.71% (SD = 20.80%, range = 0 – 67.78%), however, in this case the random effects model did not indicate a higher attrition in the intervention group when compared to the control group (pooled risk ratio = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.98 – 1.12, p = .183).ConclusionsThere is an indication of higher attrition in the intervention group as compared to the control group in occupational e-mental health interventions from baseline to post-intervention, however this does not seem to be the case for baseline to follow-up attrition. These results should be taken into account in the design process of studies and statistical analyses should be adapted to counteract the bias that could result from differential attrition.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

ASSESSING MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (MSDS) OF WORKERS OF FIRED CLAY BRICKS INDUSTRY

Ergonomics is important for sustainable development in many fields, including architecture, health, product design, safety, and workplace design. Ergonomic assessments are essential in the workplace to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Currently, Indonesia has a standardized ergonomic assessment, SNI 9011:2021. This assessment standard is widely used to evaluate human posture. This study aims to evaluate the position of a traditional brick-maker in which the posture identification system is based on the SNI 9011:2021. This study employed a cross-sectional design with a sample of workers in conventional brick manufacturing. The primary findings of this study were visual ergonomic assessment for posture identification, identification of ergonomic assessment categories with high risk in brick manufacturing, and the prevalence of nagging pain among workers in the brick moulding and drying process. To reduce occupational ergonomic risk, particularly for brick-making workers, ergonomic intervention is required in the form of additional work aids such as chairs. This has been shown to reduce the evaluation score based on SNI 9011: 2021, thereby reducing the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders

Future of Workspaces: Real Estate Investments in Flexible and Remote Work Environments

The contemporary transformation of workspaces, propelled by technological innovation and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has irrevocably altered the concept of conventional work environments. This upheaval has necessitated a strategic pivot within the real estate sector towards flexible and remote work solutions. The paper identifies a burgeoning trend towards remote work, conduct a case study using remote work data from Europe and China before and after the pandemic, and uses this to discuss the new challenges and developments faced by the real estate markets in Asia and Europe in the post-pandemic era. Results indicate that investments in adaptable workspaces can yield substantial benefits, mitigating initial market perturbations and offering long-term profitability. Furthermore, the study highlights the critical role of innovative workplace designs in enhancing productivity and work-life balance, positing that the future of real estate will be increasingly intertwined with the provision of versatile and employee-centric work environments. The implications of these findings extend to policymakers and business leaders, who must navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving labor market, ensuring that investments align with the emerging paradigms of work.

Impact of workplace design on perceived work performance and well-being: Home versus office

In recent years, millions of people worldwide transitioned from working in offices to at home, sparking a rise in questions about productivity, health behaviors, and well-being while working at home. Moving forward, working both at home and at the office remains a part of many organizations. This study evaluates home and office workplaces using a comparative approach and a data-driven framework. The computational models in this study aim to predict the impact of 10 workplace spatial attributes on perceptions of comfort, work performance, and aspects of well-being, such as sense of connectedness and physical activity. A total of 614 worker survey responses from the United States and Canada were analyzed. Results indicate that perceived work performance was significantly higher at the office, while comfort and well-being were significantly higher at home. Analyses using logistic regression models reveal that temperature, noise, workstation furniture, and aesthetics were the most significant predictors of perceived work performance. Access to amenities and access to the outdoors were both significant predictors of sense of connectedness and physical activity. This study captures perceptions from an unprecedented moment in time and strives to quantify the impact of workplace spatial attributes on perceived work performance and well-being when working in more than one location. Insights from the analysis could inform the design of future work environments that optimize the benefits of home and office.

The Effect of Green Workplace Design on Employee Engagement and Productivity in the Jordanian Public Sector

The Effect of Green Workplace Design on Employee Engagement and Productivity in the Jordanian Public Sector

Workplace design in Indonesian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises: Review and further research

Abstract Workplace design is an essential process for the manufacturing industry to realize a low manufacturing cost with high productivity and competitive advantage, as well as high employee performance and well-being. Although research on workplace design in the Indonesian manufacturing industry began more than 20 years ago, workplace conditions in the manufacturing industry, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia, have remained subpar, with high material handling costs. This review article aims to evaluate recent research on workplace design in the Indonesian manufacturing SMEs and explore possible directions for further research. The results of this review indicate that the research on workplace design in Indonesian manufacturing SMEs is mostly focused on the department area (micro-level), using systematic layout planning methods to improve material handling activities. Even though environmental conditions are unfavorable with low levels of occupational safety and health, research that consider these two in the process of designing workplace in Indonesian manufacturing SMEs is still limited. This review also shows the possibility of developing an integrated workplace design by involving environmental ergonomics and occupational safety and health in manufacturing SMEs.

The job demands-resources model as a theoretical lens for the bright and dark side of digitization

With digitization continuing to reshape work environments, organizations must confront the challenges of comprehending its “bright side” and “dark side” effects. A growing imperative exists to comprehend how digitization affects employee well-being and to create sustainable health-centric workplaces. The established Job Demands-Resources model offers a pertinent theoretical framework for gaining fresh insights into alterations in job demands and resources caused by digitization. This study extends the Job Demands-Resources model to include digital job demands and resources by utilizing a sample of 898 white-collar employees. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was employed to investigate digitization's interrelationships and dependencies within an organizational context. The results confirm that the Job Demands-Resources model offers a holistic approach to investigating the concrete effects of the “dark side" and “bright side" of digitization in a concrete work scenario and to classify them in a theoretically structured way. This study offers starting points for the future design of workplaces and strategies for organizations to harness the positive aspects of digitization while concurrently mitigating the psychological stress on employees.

Supporting fluid teams: a research agenda.

Fluid teams are teams that are rapidly assembled from across disciplines or areas of expertise to address a near-term problem. They are typically composed of individuals who have no prior familiarity with one another, who as a team must begin work immediately, and who disband at the completion of the task. Prior research has noted the challenges posed by this unique type of team context. To date, fluid teams have been understudied, yet their relevance and application in the modern workplace is expanding. This Perspective article presents a concise overview of critical research gaps and opportunities to support selection, training, and workplace design for fluid teams.

Wearable Stretch Sensors for Ergonomics-Related Human Movement Monitoring

Physical ergonomics has shown to be an effective method of keeping an eye on any illnesses associated with, like, job-related tasks. Wearable sensors and artificial intelligence have been used in conjunction to enhance experimental ergonomic research techniques in the field of physical ergonomics, according to a number of recent studies. This study proposes the Smart Work wear System, a module-based ambulatory system that addresses work-related physical and psychosocial stresses that might impact health and performance. It supports risk assessment, technique training, and workplace design while reducing the requirement for expert trainers and ergonomists. Substituting measurements for observations improves measurement accuracy and repeatability. A modular platform allows for the connection of a variety of sensor types based on the individual requirements of each case.

Office Design Features and Future Organizational Change toward Supporting Sustainability

Organizational change, influenced by such factors as economics, information and communications technologies (ICTs), and users’ wellbeing, is essential for organizational effectiveness, productivity, and sustainability. Thus, there has been a call for urgent changes in workplace design features to respond to future change. This study is concerned with defining the level of change in design features that is needed in existing Saudi governmental workplaces to cope with future visions of sustainability, as well as controlling the cost of such redesigning. It is hypothesized that future challenges related to economics, ICTs, and users’ wellbeing would have a significant impact on the need to change existing workplace design features. Administrator workplaces in three buildings of Saudi organizations and their representative economic, ICT, and wellbeing trends were considered (n = 104, 95, 96). The average level of change in design features in each building was observed and reported. The most changed design features in buildings affected by economic, ICT, and wellbeing trends were minimizing of luxury workplaces, minimizing storage space, and improving thermal/lighting conditions, respectively. However, the most changed design features that were common to all three buildings were spatial and furniture layouts and minimizing storage space.

Designing Manual Workplace Systems in Engineer-to-Order Enterprises to Improve Productivity: A Kano Analysis

<div>Being an engineer-to-order (ETO) operating industry, the control cabinet industry faces difficulties in process and workplace optimizations due to changing requirements and lot size one combined with volatile orders. To optimize workplaces for employees, current literature is focusing on ergonomic designs, providing frameworks to analyze workplaces, leaving out the optimal design for productivity. This work thus utilizes a Kano analysis, collecting empirical data to identify essential design requirements for assembly workplaces, incorporating input from switchgear manufacturing employees. The results emphasize the need for a balance between ergonomics and efficiency in workplace design. Surprisingly, few participants agree on the correlation between improved processes and workspaces having a positive impact on their well-being and product quality. Ultimately, the study offers a list of requirements that are needed at ETO assembly stations to satisfy employees and improve efficiency of the production processes.</div>

Improving safety performance in the Nigerian oil and gas construction industry through human factor engineering

Background The Nigerian Oil and Gas construction industry faces challenges in incident prevention due to conflicting factors, including inadequate resource allocation, prioritization of quality and production over safety, communication gaps, insufficient supervision, poor workplace design, low risk perception, limited management commitment, worker incompetence, deficient design systems, and planning deficiencies. This research aims to develop a human factor engineering (HFE) model that supports the prevention of losses in Oil and Gas construction activities in Nigeria by assessing the influence of human factors on workers' behavior and organizational safety culture. Methods The study involved skilled construction workers with a minimum of two years of experience in upstream, downstream, and midstream sectors. Data collection utilized a descriptive study design with self-administered, structured questionnaires. IBM SPSS AMOS Structural Equation Modeling software was used for data analysis. Results The results indicate statistically significant Pearson's correlation coefficients between human factors and organizational safety culture, with p-values of 0.003, 0.002, 0.004, 0.009, and 0.002 for workplace, task, personal, organizational, and design factors, respectively. The structural equation regression model reveals statistically significant human factors and organizational safety culture, with path coefficients of -0.888, 2.630, -1.59, 4.645, and 0.492 for personal, organizational, workplace, design, and task factors, respectively. Conclusions The research concludes that engineered human factors contribute to improved safety performance in the Oil and Gas construction industry. To enhance safety, the study recommends that the Nigerian government establishes a construction safety board, organizations implement integrated contractor construction health and safety management systems, and workers take personal responsibility for their safety.

Remarks from an experimental study on human-robot collaborative assembly

Human robot collaboration is becoming the norm in the workplace, due to the benefits robots can bring to efficiency and production. However, this creates highly complex and dynamic workplaces that human operators need to adapt to. Industry 5.0 promotes the use of robotics and smart technologies in a more human-centric way. However, research on how operators are affected by those changes is needed to better understand how to move towards human-centricity. As such, an experimental study was designed and performed on human robot collaborative assembly. The main aim was to investigate the correlation between cognitive load and quality due to collaboration. Here, the preliminary results of the experimental study are presented in order to remark relevant states influencing work allocation. The results showcased the need for better training and more knowledge for the operators, as well as involving operators in process and workplace design. This study helps contribute knowledge on robot implementation and process design for human robot collaboration for both researchers and operations management, as it showcases the need to involve operators in those steps due to the feedback they can provide due to their experience.

Framework for universal design of digital support and workplace design in industry

Framework for universal design of digital support and workplace design in industry

Effects of Facilities Management on Workers' Performance in 3-5 Star Hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of facilities management on workers' performance within the hotel industry, with a specific focus on maintenance management, workplace design and adherence to facilities regulations and standards in 3-5 star rated hotels in Nairobi County. The study employed a descriptive survey approach, and a purposive sampling technique was utilized to select 144 respondents' selected classified hotels. Data collection instruments included: self-administered questionnaires, interview guides and observation checklists. Descriptive statistics were analyzed through quantitative data, while qualitative insights were obtained from hotel workers. Major findings revealed that the majority of respondents, 52.8%, considered maintenance strategies in hotels as fairly efficient in supporting their daily work activities. 80% of staff and managers indicated that hotels provided training and safe procedures in response to facilities standards and regulations, including compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2007. However, a notable prevalence of accidents and injuries within these establishments was identified, which stood at 57.5%. On multiple regression analysis, maintenance management emerged as the most significant factor in predicting workers' performance, making a substantial contribution. Therefore, the study concludes that maintenance management plays a pivotal role in influencing workers' performance in the hotel industry. As a result, the study recommends that hotel management prioritizes preventive maintenance practices to reduce emergency maintenance and establish a sinking fund to address non-compliance with facility standards and health policies within hotels. These measures have the potential to enhance the overall performance and safety of workers, thereby contributing to the success and sustainability of the hotel industry.

Industry 5.0: prioritizing human comfort and productivity through collaborative robots and dynamic task allocation

Moving from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 marks a substantial shift in the way technology is incorporated into workplace design. In Industry 4.0, the emphasis was on automating the production process to maximize efficiency and output. However, with Industry 5.0, the focus has shifted towards placing people at the heart of the production process. This involves creating workspaces that prioritize human comfort and productivity and integrating technology that enhances human abilities. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are a critical technology in this transition as they work alongside humans to improve efficiency while enabling greater human involvement. However, to make the most of cobots, it is necessary to design workspaces that optimize human comfort and productivity, by considering the needs and preferences of both human and robotic resources. A promising strategy for achieving this goal is the implementation of a dynamic multi-objective task allocation system. The method proposed in this work uses physiological and performance data to assess the well-being of human operators and reallocates tasks dynamically to avoid overworking or fatiguing them. This represents a significant step towards creating production environments that prioritize the well-being and productivity of human workers.

Identifying Workgroup Dimensions and Their Implications for the Design of Digital Workspaces

Effective design of digital workplaces depends, among other factors, on the nature of the workgroup involved. Therefore, gaining a deeper understanding of workgroups helps in identifying the different requirements they have regarding their workspaces. In this paper, we present the findings of a study to identify key dimensions used to describe and characterise workgroups and examine their implications for workspace design. Through a thematic analysis of the academic and practitioner literatures on workgroups and using qualitative data coding methods, we identified two broad categories and ten distinct dimensions: structural and organisational (size, longevity, accountability, purpose, membership, leadership and formality) and work types and working style (work product and outcomes, interdependency, activities and meeting culture). Based on these findings, we identified three cross-cutting themes regarding the implications for the design of digital workspaces for organisational workgroups: Workspace Assembly and Tool Affordances, Information Design and Content and Coordination and Awareness Mechanisms.

Consideration of handedness in human-robot collaboration

In the design of assembly workplaces, considerations regarding handedness and ergonomics play a crucial role. The emergence of human-robot collaboration presents an innovative avenue for enhancing the ergonomic aspects of manual assembly tasks. While initial applications have demonstrated improvements in lifting and holding activities, they often overlook the influence of human handedness. This paper advocates for the adoption of adaptive assembly processes, which offer simple and intuitive robot programming options to enhance workflow efficiency and reduce stress. This study is grounded in two investigations conducted at the Bremen Institute for Mechanical Engineering. The first study, a pilot investigation, aimed to identify indicators of the influence of handedness and ergonomics, laying the groundwork for further research. Building upon these findings, the second study delves into the interaction between workers and collaborative robots during assembly operations. Data collected from 50 participants form the basis for statistical analysis, providing insights into performance factors and self-assessment, as well as external evaluations of ergonomics. A notable finding of this study challenges the assumption of mirrored behavior between presumed left-handed and right-handed individuals. Additionally, the study identifies a subgroup of participants with ambiguous handedness, suggesting a lack of training in their natural handedness. Through these investigations, this paper contributes to our understanding of the intricate relationship between handedness, ergonomics, and human-robot collaboration in assembly workplaces. By addressing these factors comprehensively, we can pave the way for the development of more inclusive and efficient assembly processes.

Application of Software Tools in the Identification of Robotic Workplace Cooperation in the Design Phase

Creating design solutions for robotic workplaces is a complex issue of a multidisciplinary nature, which requires expert knowledge and experience of several scientific disciplines, primarily focused on technical sciences. The continuously developing field of software solutions helps in the process of creating robotic workplaces. Currently, there are several software tools on the market that simplify and speed up the creation of robotic workplace models. Through these software applications, it is possible to create 2D and 3D model solutions, as well as structural strength calculations, optimization, functional tests and, in some cases, virtual commissioning. This contribution describes the possibilities of applying software tools within the design of a robotic workplace. The introductory part of the article is focused on a theoretical analysis of the design of a robotic workplace, with a focus on the characteristics of the possibilities of conceptual solutions and safety. In the next part of the article, the tools that are most often used in technical practice when setting up robotic workplaces are identified. The given software tools are also specified from the point of view of the possibility of basic work and the creation of model solutions. The result of the work determines the areas of use of software tools and the creation of model solutions of robotic workplaces on a practical example. In the conclusion of the article, the findings are summarized in the context of developing design cooperation of robotic workplaces using industrial software tools.