Ergonomic Workstation Research Articles

Occupational Health Hazards among Garment Industry Workers in Unorganised Sector in Tiruppur

Abstract: Occupational health risks are a growing challenge for humanity as a whole. The majority of the labour force works in the unorganised or informal sectors, which make up a significant portion of the Indian economy. The occupation employs a large number of people on a daily pay, and these people are frequently exposed to many kinds of dangerous materials, which could eventually lead to occupational diseases in the employees and their families. The work environment in the garment industry, on the other hand, is hazardous and risky for the employees, which causes a number of health issues from many sorts of physical, chemical, ergonomic, and biological risks. In order to assess the safety measures used in the garment industry, this paper measures work environment parameters like lighting, noise, temperature, and humidity. Ergonomic workstations, inadequate ventilation, excessive noise, dust, and the lack of use of personal protective equipment were the main issues faced by the workers in these industries.

Prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorder: a potential threat to clay doll making sculptors

Background: Sculpture is one of traditional art forms of the Indian subcontinent that are made entirely by hand or with some primitive toolsfrom local and natural raw materials without using modern machines. However, these sculptors complain about work-related physicalpain, respiratory difficulties, noise-induced hearing difficulties, fatigue, and stress. They are compelled to work long hours because mostsmall enterprises fail to recruit the required workforce. Objective: The study's goal is to examine musculoskeletal pain caused by awkwardposture and long periods of labor, as well as possible solutions. Methods: This study took place in Ghurni, Krishnanagar; district Nadia,in West Bengal. Fifty sculptors and thirty non-sculptors of similar socio-economic backgrounds participated in this study. The ModifiedNordic Musculoskeletal Disorder and the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire were used to collect the data. Student t-testwas employed for statistical processing. Results: Analysis revealed that sculptors suffered mostly from musculoskeletal disorders. Thesculptors raised maximum complaints about the pain from the shoulder and lower back. Conclusion: Based on the investigation andcomplaints, work posture and workstation modification is required. The design of a newly developed ergonomic workstation and itsusability is proposed for review.

Ergonomics of E-Learning Workstations and the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders-Study among University Students.

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) has increased significantly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a fundamental change in the lifestyles, ways of learning and working patterns of the general population, which in turn, might lead to health consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the conditions of e-learning and the impact of the learning modality on the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms among university students in Poland. This cross-sectional study included 914 students who completed an anonymous questionnaire. The questions covered two time periods (before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) and were aimed at obtaining information about lifestyle (including physical activity using the modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire, 2007 (IPAQ), perceived stress and sleep patterns), the ergonomics of computer workstations (by Rapid Office Strain Assessment, 2012 (ROSA) method), the incidence and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms (by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, 2018 (NMQ)) and headaches. The main differences between the two periods were statistically significant according to the Wilcoxon test in terms of physical activity, computer use time, and severity of headaches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in MSD (68.2% vs. 74.6%) and their intensity (2.83 ± 2.36 vs. 3.50 ± 2.79 points) among the student population (p < 0.001). In the group of students with MSD, there was a high musculoskeletal load, due to the lack of ergonomic remote learning workstations. In future, a thorough study should be carried out, and there is an urgent need to raise students' awareness of arranging learning workstations according to ergonomic principles in order to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems.

Ergonomic Work Station Design In Internet Rental Services At Warnet Bina Boyolali

Responding to the rapid progress of the internet and the large public need for internet service users, many internet cafes have been opened. Many internet cafes in designing their work stations are less ergonomic so that it often causes complaints for users. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on how to design an ergonomic work station in order to provide comfort for internet rental service users. The research was conducted at the Bina Boyolali internet cafe with the object of research regarding the size of computer tables and chairs. Computer desks and chairs are facilities provided at Bina's internet cafe. The tables and chairs used by the internet cafe operators felt uncomfortable, which was caused by the sitting position which eventually caused fatigue in the limbs. The research process begins with collecting data through a Nordic Body Map questionnaire to find out whether visitors are comfortable with the conditions of the existing work station. From the questionnaires distributed to 60 respondents, it can be seen that 1.32% of visitors felt very comfortable with the size of the table and chair size, the location of the board and the distance from the monitor to the eyes. Visitors who feel comfortable are 19.34%, those who feel quite comfortable are 42.63%, those who feel less comfortable are 34.41% and feel uncomfortable are 2.31%. This shows that the Bina Boyolali internet cafe work station is still less ergonomic so that many visitors feel uncomfortable. From the questionnaires distributed to 60 respondents, it can be seen that 1.32% of visitors felt very comfortable with the size of the table and chair size, the location of the board and the distance from the monitor to the eyes. Visitors who feel comfortable are 19.34%, those who feel quite comfortable are 42.63%, those who feel less comfortable are 34.41% and feel uncomfortable are 2.31%. This shows that the Bina Boyolali internet cafe work station is still less ergonomic so that many visitors feel uncomfortable. From the questionnaires distributed to 60 respondents, it can be seen that 1.32% of visitors felt very comfortable with the size of the table and chair size, the location of the board and the distance from the monitor to the eyes. Visitors who feel comfortable are 19.34%, those who feel quite comfortable are 42.63%, those who feel less comfortable are 34.41% and feel uncomfortable are 2.31%. This shows that the Bina Boyolali internet cafe work station is still less ergonomic so that many visitors feel uncomfortable.

Automated simulation-based design of ergonomic workstations using RPA and Human-in-the-Loop decision making

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders remain one of the most common causes of work incapacity and have a significant impact on personal performance and company productivity. To avoid and prevent physical overloads ergonomic workplaces are necessary. Their design and development are complicated because of a high number of regulations and recommendations for ergonomic design. It significantly depends on the experience of the designer. We present an approach for automated and context-dependent design of ergonomic workstations and to simplify the development process and to apply it to the individual's level of knowledge. Based on a use case from special machine manufacturing, we show how workstations can be generated automatically using CAD models of the assembly to be mounted. A human-in-the-loop approach combined with robotic process automation is pursued and integrated into the designing process to constantly check the ergonomics. This way, we shift the design of the workstation into the development process of the product to be assembled, enabling changes to the workstation or the assembly at an early stage.

Design and construction of a material fastening system for automotive finishing supplies

The opening of opportunities in the automotive sector, the global market currently forces companies to be more competitive in their daily activities, this requires them to adopt new strategies, tools and techniques, in order to optimization processes, reduce waste, decrease costs, etc. Automation and the use of smart devices in the industrial sector has evolved impressively, due to improving and increasing production, it also allows to produce better quality products without requiring the control of human intervention to be operated. However, today the use of increasingly sophisticated devices not only allows companies to be more competitive, but also contributes to improving their processes by reducing operating times per workstation. It should be noted that through the implementation of automated devices, not only are production processes improved, in the same time it allows workers to carry out their work activities more easily and comfortably, the objective is avoiding errors or line stops. The present project aims to design and propose a system to provide fastening elements and to saving raw materials, reducing downtime and improving workstation ergonomics for workers in an automotive industry, with the aim of improving production processes, but it could be applied in other industrial sector.

Assessment of Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Evaluation of Radiology Workstation Ergonomics in a National Radiology Workforce

We assessed the presence of musculoskeletal discomfort and evaluated the ergonomics parameters of radiology workstations and the impact of poor radiology workstation ergonomics on musculoskeletal discomfort in a national radiology workforce. This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study. All radiologist and radiology trainee members of the Canadian Association of Radiologists were eligible to participate. Radiology workstation ergonomics parameters and self-reported data on musculoskeletal discomfort were recorded. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to the data to ascertain the impact of participants' radiology workstation ergonomics parameters on the likelihood of experience of musculoskeletal discomfort while adjusting for demographic variables. A total of 191 questionnaires were completed. The median (interquartile range) age of participants was 42.0 years (17.0 years) and 56.8% of participants were female. One hundred fifty participants (78.5%) self-reported the presence of musculoskeletal discomfort. Ergonomics parameters most commonly implemented included having monitors an arm's length away (82.6%) and hands being shoulder-width apart (77.1%). Binary logistic regression revealed participants either not having the top of the monitor screen at eye level when in a seated position or not having the wrists straight and relatively flat when using the mouse was associated with an increased likelihood of experience of musculoskeletal discomfort. The majority of participants (92.7%) self-reported their musculoskeletal discomfort to affect work productivity. A high proportion of musculoskeletal discomfort, limited implementation of ergonomics parameters of radiology workstations, and an association of two of these ergonomics parameters with an increased likelihood of experience of musculoskeletal discomfort were observed in a national radiology workforce.

Machine Learning for Detection and Risk Assessment of Lifting Action

Repetitive occupational lifting has been shown to create an increased risk for incidence of back pain. Ergonomic workstations that promote proper lifting technique can reduce risk, but it is difficult to assess the workstations without constant risk monitoring. Machine learning systems using inertial measurement unit (IMU) data have been successful in various human activity recognition (HAR) applications, but limited work has been done regarding tasks for which it is difficult to collect significant amounts of data, such as manual lifting tasks. In this article, we discuss why traditional methods of data expansion may fail to improve performance on IMU data, and we present a machine learning system capable of detecting lifting action for assessing the risk for back pain using a relatively small amount of data. The proposed models outperform baseline HAR models and function on raw time-series data with minimal preprocessing for efficient real-time application.

Kajian Penerapan GMP dan WISE Guna Peningkatan Higienitas Produk dan Produktivitas Pada UKM Amplang Samarinda

Hygiene and product safety were the main issue that need to be assured by food industries, including amplang industries in Samarinda. Furthermore, workers safety was also important for improving small industries’ productivity. This paper aimed to evaluate application of Good Manufacturing Practise (GMP) and Work Improvements in Small Medium Entreprise (WISE) in two small industries that produce amplang. GMP is a system that ensures products are consistently produced and controlled according to set quality standards. (i.e., BPOM standard). WISE is a programme to assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises improve working conditions and productivity using simple, effective and affordable techniques. The GMP study showed that SME Y had GMP value higher than SME X (i68% and 55%). These two SMEs have used clean water to produce amplang and store raw materials, end products and hazardous materials properly. The drawbacks of these two SMEs are the need to improve recording and documentation as well as make SOPs for product withdrawals from the market. UKM X needs to make SOPs for the cleanliness of the production area and improve product labels. The results of the WISE study of these two SMEs have not provided appropriate PPE for workers and have not promoted occupational health. Procedure for mitigating fire hazard had not developed although fire was one of the risk factors in these two SMEs. Evacuation path had not been provided and even, SME X had not provided the fire extinguishers. Furthermore, ergonomic work station obliged to design especially for workers who sit cross-legged, designing cross-legged chair with back rest.

Evaluation of an exercise and ergonomics intervention for the prevention of neck pain in office workers: exploratory analysis of a cluster randomised trial

ObjectivesTo determine the impact of a 12-week ergonomic/exercise programme compared with an ergonomic/health education programme on the development of neck pain in office workers over 12 months.MethodsThis cluster-randomised trial prospectively...

Ergonomic risk factors among computer office workers for complaints of arm, neck and shoulder and workstation evaluation.

Studies have suggested an association between computer work and the development of musculoskeletal disorders. However, studies examining the workplace ergonomics assessment of computer offices are scarce in the Pakistani population. To determine the presence of ergonomic risk factors in the office using the Rapid Assessment Office Strain (ROSA) method for complaints of arm, neck and shoulder (CANS) among office computer workers. From January to August 2019, a cross-sectional study was carried out among office workers who worked at least three hours on computers in their daily work. The prevalence of CANS was measured by using the Maastricht Upper Extremity Questionnaire (MUEQ) and work station evaluation was done by using Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA). Data were collected from 773 computer workers, of whom 443 (56%) worked in the information technology sector, 215 (28%) in industry and 124 (16%) in universities. SPSS version 20 was used for data entry and analysis. Out of 773 computer workers, 448 (58%) reported musculoskeletal pain and the most prevalent were shoulder pain (327, 42%) and neck pain (270, 35%). The mean scores of ROSA sections A, B, C and D were 4.00±0.82, 2.98±0.72, 3.49±0.67 and 3.61±0.72 respectively. The mean ROSA total score in 773 office computer workers was 4.19±0.78, which indicates a low risk of musculoskeletal complaints. There was significant association was found between ROSA section A and shoulder pain (P = 0.043), ROSA section C with complaints of lower arm (P = 0.013), wrist (P = 0.016), and hand pain (P = 0.005), ROSA section D with lower arm (P = 0.002), wrist (P = 0.004) and hand complaints (P = 0.002). A significant association was found between ROSA total score and complaints of shoulder and hand, with p values of 0.012 and 0.006, respectively. CANS are prevalent among computer office workers, and there is a significant relationship between CANS and workstation ergonomics.

Assessment of Computer users Workstation Ergonomics in Computer Village, Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria

Assessment of Computer users Workstation Ergonomics in Computer Village, Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria

Home office versus ergonomic workstation - is the ergonomic risk increased when working at the dining table? An inertial motion capture based pilot study

BackgroundIn order to reduce the risk of infection with Sars-Cov-2, work practices have been shifted to the home office in many industries. The first surveys concerning this shift indicate an increase in musculoskeletal complaints of many employees. The aim of this study was to compare the ergonomic risk in the upper extremities and trunk of working in a home office with that of working in an ergonomically optimized workplace.MethodsFor this purpose, 20 subjects (13w/7m) aged 18–31 years each performed a 20-minute workplace simulation (10 min writing a text, 10 min editing a questionnaire) in the following set up: on a dining table with dining chair and laptop (home office) and on an ergonomically adjusted workstation (ergonomically optimized workplace). The subjects were investigated using a combined application of a motion capture kinematic analysis and the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) in order to identify differences in the ergonomic risk.ResultsSignificantly reduced risk values for both shoulders (left: p < 0.001; right: p = 0.02) were found for the ergonomically optimized workstations. In contrast, the left wrist (p = 0.025) showed a significantly reduced ergonomic risk value for the home office workstation.ConclusionThis study is the first study to compare the ergonomic risk between an ergonomically optimized workplace and a home office workstation. The results indicate minor differences in the upper extremities in favor of the ergonomically optimized workstation. Since work-related musculoskeletal complaints of the upper extremities are common among office workers, the use of an ergonomically optimized workstation for home use is recommended based on the results.

Ergonomic Characteristics and Mean Anthropometry Data of Gari-Frying Population in South-Western Nigeria

Disregarding ergonomics in designing a workstation has been identified as a major cause of inefficiency, low productivity and injury to personnel, especially among indigenous food processing operators. Operations such as gari-frying require an ergonomic workstation but due to unavailability or insufficient data, this has not been possible. This study focused on the collection of anthropometric data of the gari-frying population in the six southwestern states of Nigeria to provide data needed for designing gari-frying facilities that fit the target population. Twenty-five body dimensions were measured among 120 gari -frying processors from six states. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS package. Results show that there is a statistically significant difference in variability of data across and within the states in all the body dimensions measured at P≤0.05, therefore. This work, thus recommended that the workstation should be designed with percentile values to cover a larger number of the target population. Keywords: Ergonomic, Workstation, Gari -frying, Design to fit, Anthropometry. DOI: 10.7176/ISDE/12-5-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2022

Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Static Postures and Repetitive Tasks using Rapid Entire Body Assessment and Strain Idex

This study aims to assess the risk levels of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of Vietnamese female workers performing repetitive tasks and static postures. The workers perform the repetitive tasks which are printed circuit board assembly and printing on housing in a factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The risk assessment tools are used consisting of Rapid Entire Body Assessment and Strain Index. The result shows that the risk levels of WMSDs of workers are from medium to high levels. Therefore, ergonomic measures are needed to reduce the risk levels and improve the working conditions. The suggestions of ergonomic interventions are ergonomic workstation redesign considering anthropometric data of Vietnamese female workers, appropriate work methods and training for workers.

Work-related morbidity profile among software professionals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu: A pre-pandemic, cross-sectional study

Introduction Computers have become ubiquitous in today's world and have considerable impact on human health. This study was planned to assess the common work-related morbidity among software professionals in a selected software firm in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and to identify the role of occupational characteristics and ergonomics of workstation on morbidity profile of the participants. Materials and methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted between January and February 2020 among 160 employees of a software firm in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, morbidity profile including perceived stress scale and workstation ergonomics. A p value of &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The response rate was 98.1% (152 participants). Among the 152 employees who participated, 88.8% reported work-related morbidity; 75.7% and 74.3% reported visual and musculoskeletal symptoms respectively. Eye strain (52%) and pain (49.3%) respectively were the commonest visual and musculoskeletal symptoms reported; 56.6% employees reported moderate and 12.5% reported high levels of stress. The occurrence of visual symptoms were significantly associated with gender, duration of work experience, work-hours per day and poor workstation ergonomics (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion Our study identifies a high burden of work-related morbidity among software professionals. It is essential to adopt a pro-active, multi-disciplinary approach with focus on social and occupational factors in prevention of work-related morbidity.

Relationship of neck disability and fear-avoidance beliefs among bankers.

Background: Neck Disability (ND) is a global health concern among bankers due to the prolonged computer usage demand of the job. Literature reported neck pain and fear of activity among bankers; however, evidence is scarce regarding the association between them. Therefore this survey aimed to evaluate the relationship between ND and Fear Avoidance Beliefs (FAB) among bankers. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on bankers of Karachi, Pakistan, using a convenience sampling technique. Volunteer bankers working for two or more years, and having neck pain for more than three months were enrolled in the study. ND was evaluated using Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaire and FAB questionnaire to assess activity fear. Statistical analysis was undertaken using SPSS version 20. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the association between ND and FAB. P-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% CI. Results: A total of 100 bankers were included in the study. The Pearson correlation test shows a significant moderate and positive correlation between NDI and FAB among bankers (r=0.61). Conclusion: It was concluded that the bankers suffer from ND and fear of activity performance, and a significant moderate and positive association was found between ND and FAB. Hence, further experimental research related to neck posture, work-station ergonomics, and ND is needed so that the global issue can be resolved and bankers' work performance could be enhanced.

Working Station Model Based on Mathematic Model of Anthropometry for Embroidery Workers

BACKGROUND: Often, the embroidery craftsmen do their work by ignoring the unbalance of their anthropometric size with the size of the tables and chairs used. This condition causes not ergonomic sitting position when they are working that will trigger variety of subjective complaints of craftsmen, especially in muscles and joints. AIM: Conducted development research using 4D model (devine, design, develop, and disseminate) based on anthropometry size to build chair and table as more ergonomic work station for embroidery craftsmen. METHODS: The first three stages are done by analyzing the compatibility of anthropometry of the body with the size of work station used by mathematical approach and laboratory scale test. The acceptance level of craftsmen on the prototype of work station model measures by technology accepted model that conducted on a public scale. RESULTS: The result of this research is the establishment of more ergonomic prototype of work station model for embroidery craftsmen and based on the result of public scale examination of 180 embroidered craftsmen showed that 63% of respondents stated less subjective complaints of muscle and joint disorders at the shoulders, 71% subjective complaints of muscle and joint disorders in the upper arm, and respondents stated reduced subjective complaints of muscle and joint disorders in the 56% after using a new work station model. CONCLUSION: However, it is still necessary to make improvements to the prototype of the work station model to be more ergonomic and to suppress the emergence of subjective complaints of muscle disorders and joints of embroidery craftsmen.

Workstation Evaluation Regarding Ergonomic Awareness and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Coal Mine Workers

Mining is often associated with the risk of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs). Despite being a coal-rich country, Pakistan’s mining sector stays behind in terms of occupational health and safety. Only a few research studies have been conducted on ergonomics in the mining industry. The current study aimed at evaluating workstations for WRMSDs and ergonomic factors among coal mine workers. Survey data were gathered from a total of 103 workers using a structured questionnaire. Information on the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders was obtained using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. The questions about ergonomics awareness, workstation, environment, demands, and risks were based on the available literature studies. The association between the incidence of WRMSDs and age was explored using chi-square analysis. The results showed a high rate of uneducated workers with a lack of ergonomics awareness. Back, shoulders, and legs were the most vulnerable body areas to WRMSDs. A significant association between workers’ age and WRMSDs was found. The workers’ opinion towards workstation was at a very low level. The current work conditions were found to have risks of potential hazards and economic losses. Ergonomic interventions are suggested to be developed and implemented to improve workplace conditions.

Pengaruh Tingkat Ergonomi Stasiun Kerja Operator Untuk Meningkatkan Produktifitas

Ergonomics aspects in the process of designing work facilities in an industry are important factors. Likewise, several other aspects that are closely related to ergonomics. Like anatomy and physiology, it is also necessary to know the causes of work discomfort, both from a human perspective as well as energy expenditure due to the workload it receives. The work station is an important part of an industry. With an ergonomic work station, employees can work safely, comfortably and productively. Conversely, if the work station is not ergonomic, incorrect postures will arise, so that the person's work performance will decrease, ineffective and efficient. This is because these postures can cause fatigue faster than ergonomic conditions. Workstations that cause work postures that are not ergonomic are found at the weaving operation station at PT “XX. The posture will be analyzed using biomechanics. And heart rate analysis is also performed to determine energy costs. Ergonomic workstations are also closely related to the match between the dimensions of the operator's body segments with the dimensions of the facilities used. If there is a mismatch, it will reduce the effectiveness of the operator's work. For this reason, work facilities that do not conform to the dimensions of the relevant operator body segment need to be redesigned. This redesign uses the operator population anthropometric data in the weaving operation.