Individual Workstation Research Articles

Optimizing radiology remote reading: leveraging technology to improve efficiency.

Remote work has been increasingly utilized in the profession of radiology over recent years. Setting up your individual workstation offers an opportunity to tailor it to suit your preferences without the restriction of a universal setup to accommodate multiple users. Important considerations when setting up a home workstation include selecting the optimal work location, choosing the proper desk and chair, and configuring an ideal computer monitor layout. The use of peripheral devices, such as programmable mice and hands-free dictation tools can improve efficiency and reduce repetitive strain injuries. This article also explores the use of smart home devices and programmable scripts using AutoHotKey to further streamline workflow and maximize the benefits of a remote workstation.

An integrated control strategy for simultaneous robot assignment, tool change and preventive maintenance scheduling using Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network

There has been a leap in the field of smart manufacturing with the advancement of automation systems, robotic technology, big data analytics, and state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. Three very important aspects of smart manufacturing systems are system productivity, product quality, and maintenance of machines and equipment. These three issues are strongly interrelated and collectively determine the performance of a smart manufacturing system. Although there has been significant studies in production control, quality control and maintenance scheduling to address each of these aspects individually, there has been a lack of sufficient studies taking all of them into consideration in one control scheme. In this paper, a mobile multi-skilled robot operated Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is considered and a model that integrates robots, individual workstation processes and product quality is developed using a Heterogeneous Graph Structure. Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network (HGNN) is used to aggregate local information from different nodes of the graph model to create node embeddings that represent global information. A control problem is then formulated in the Decentralized Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (Dec-POMDP) framework to simultaneously consider robot assignment, product quality and maintenance scheduling. The problem is solved using Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL). A case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the HGNN-MARL control strategy by comparing it to three baselines and the naive MARL policy without HGNN.

Lean Ergonomics—are relevant synergies of digital human models and digital twins defining a new emerging subdiscipline?

Manufacturing companies are facing new kinds of challenges. High cost and time pressure as well as the variety of product variants have added to supply chain issues due to unvorseeable major political, societal or natural events. This requires more than ever load optimization for all agents of a socio-technical system, to enable them to operate competitively and sustainably. Digital tools offer the possibility to proactively plan and analyze diverse processes. Recent developments indicat that human-centric (DHM) and process-centric (DT) tools are diverging rather than converging. The objective of this position paper is to analyze whether the vacuum created by human-centric and process-centric tools can be filled by the new subdiscipline of Lean Ergonomics (LE). LE is defined by synergies of production ergonomics and production management.Practical Relevance: By elaborating a methodological separation of Digital Twin (DT) and Digital Human Modeling (DHM), science and the economy shall be motivated to close the gap. Lean Ergonomics as an intersection of human-centered and system-centered engineering has the potential to incentivize companies to move towards sustainable ergonomics, as the company will directly benefit from this. Ergonomic methods and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) at the micro level of the individual workstation enable the ergonomic and psychophysiological assessment of the human being in digital and analogue form. This is mirrored on production-organizational methods and KPIs and thereby tested for dependencies and interactions, which enable a holistic optimization of the socio-technical system.

Rise and Recharge: Exploring Employee Perceptions of and Contextual Factors Influencing an Individual-Level E-Health Smartphone Intervention to Reduce Office Workers' Sedentary Time at Work.

This feasibility study explored the contextual factors influencing office workers’ adherence to an e-health intervention targeting total and prolonged sedentary time over 12 weeks. A three-arm quasi-randomized intervention included prompts at 30 or 60 min intervals delivered via a smartphone application, and a no-prompt comparison arm. Fifty-six office workers completed baseline (64% female) and 44 completed the 12 week follow-up (80% retention). Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) captured contextual data, with 82.8 ± 24.9 EMA prompt questionnaires completed weekly. Two focus groups with n = 8 Prompt 30 and 60 participants were conducted one-month post-intervention to address intervention acceptability and feasibility. Contextual findings indicate that when working on a sedentary task (i.e., reading or screen-based work) and located at an individual workstation, hourly prompts may be more acceptable and feasible for promoting a reduction in total and prolonged sedentary time compared to 30 min prompts. Interpersonal support also appears important for promoting subtle shifts in sedentary working practices. This novel study gives a real-time insight into the factors influencing adherence to e-health prompts. Findings identified unique, pragmatic considerations for delivering a workplace e-health intervention, indicating that further research is warranted to optimize the method of intervention delivery prior to evaluation of a large-scale intervention.

Balancing and Simulation Algorithm For Manual Assembly Line Operations.(Dept.M)

This work consists of a model which is based on a computerized algorithm and consists of two main parts namely balancing and simulation routines. This model was used to determine the buffer in-process units required between work stations along manual assembly lines. Since the task durations and deviations vary from assembly of one product to another and frum one task to another for the same product; this model was developed to handle different cases of wide and narrow Work variability according tu the type or assembly work. The model is capable of banding two different assembly line problem cases. Firstly in case of an assembly line production without balancing, the balancing routine is invited first to produce a balancing solution for the problem and then the simulation routine is Invited to determine the number of in-process units needed for each individual work station. Secondly in case of balanced assembly line production, the simulation routine is invited to simulate the work performance in each work station along the line and to determine the number of buffer in-process units needed for each individual work station. An assembly line problem consisting of fourteen tasks was used to test the balancing and simulation capability of the model. The problem was prepared to produce a perfect balancing solution of three work stations. The resultant balanced problem data was then used to Investigate the relationship between task variance, buffer in-process units between work stations and confidence level.

Implementation of an Office Ergonomics Program to Promote Musculoskeletal Health: A Case Study in Hong Kong

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS An office ergonomics program was implemented at a multinational company in Hong Kong. The FITS Model office ergonomics program included four components: (1) F: Furniture Evaluation and Selection, wherein the ergonomist conducted a walkthrough review of furniture and environmental settings; (2) I: Individual Workstation Assessment, in which the office ergonomics guideline and educational video were developed. An interactive individual ergonomics workstation assessment included a health survey, and the assessor provided immediate recommendations for changes to workstation setup; (3) T: Training and Education; and (4) S: Stretching Exercises and Rest Breaks, which entailed classroom training to promote office ergonomics principles and demonstrate office stretching exercises. A case study is described, included the steps to implement the program and highlights of the feedback from the project team gathered during mid-term and final evaluations. Lessons learned regarding program management and the limitations of the project intervention offer useful information for practitioners and companies.

UEMtomaton: A Source-Available Platform to Aid in Start-up of Ultrafast Electron Microscopy Labs

The steady rise in the number of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) labs, in addition to the opacity and lack of detailed descriptions of current approaches that would enable point-by-point construction, has created an opportunity for sharing common methods and instrumentation for (for example) automating data acquisition to assist in efficient lab start-up and to learn about common and robust protocols. In the spirit of open sharing of methods, we provide here a description of an entry-level method and user interface (UI) for automating UEM experiments, and we provide access to the source code and scripts (source-available) for ease of implementation or as a starting reference point for those entering or seeking to enter the field (https://github.com/CEMSFlannigan/UEMtomaton/releases/tag/v1.0). Core instrumentation and physical connections in the UEM lab at Minnesota are described. Interface communication schemes consisting of duo server-client pairs between critical components - the optical delay stage and the UEM digital camera - are presented, with emphasis placed on describing the logic and communications sequence designed to conduct automated series acquisitions. An application designed and programmed with C++/CLI as Windows Forms in Microsoft Visual Studio - dubbed UEMtomaton - is also presented. Key to the UI layout is centralization of the automation tasks and establishment of communication within the software rather than by interfacing with each individual workstation. It is our hope that this note provides useful insight for current and future UEM researchers, particularly with respect to generalizability and portability of the approach to emerging labs. We note that while this basic, entry-level approach is certainly not the most sophisticated or comprehensive of those currently in use, we feel there is nevertheless value in clearly communicating a proven straightforward method to hopefully lower the barrier to entry into the field.

Ergonomic Analysis of the Neck Posture in Computer Users and Identifying the Related Risk Factors

Background:Neck disorder is a common complaint in computer users which affects the task performance and fatigue. Several studies confirmed the relation between neck discomfort and working with a computer. But focusing on the root risk factors inducing neck discomfort can be applied for taking preventive measures and improving workstation design. So, the main purpose of this study was the neck posture analysis in computer users and identifying the related risk factors. Methods:This descriptive-analytical study was performed in 2018 on 169 administrative staff in one of the governmental hospitals in Qom. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to investigate neck discomfort and related risk factors. To determine the angle of the neck, photographic analysis method was used. Finally, SPSS software version 22 and appropriate statistical tests including the logistic regression model, two independent t-test, and chi-square test in contingency tables were used to determine the relationship between individual parameters and workstation with neck angles and neck pain. Results:The results showed that two factors of the height (p= 0.023) and the gender (p= 0.012) had a direct statistically significant association with neck disorder statistically. In addition, the anthropometric dimensions, monitor height from desk level was positively correlated with neck discomfort but sitting elbow to eye height was negatively correlated with neck discomfort (p<0.05). Odds Ratio analysis showed that moderate and severe monitor angle compared to neutral posture (monitor angle less than 10 °) can increase neck discomfort as 1.925 and 3.137, respectively. Conclusion: Generally, it can be concluded that workstation design can affect taking a posture in computer users. So, establishing correct workstation criteria such as eye height, monitor height from desk level and sitting elbow to eye height dimensions are very important. However, determination of the proportion of each parameter effect is strongly recommended for other investigations. This can develop preventive measures for reducing neck awkward postures.

Architectural Design Model for office interior to suit Personality types and to enhance Productivity

Preferred colour choices and pleasant lighting conditions makes the makes the office ambience conducive to work. Reaction of individuals to their ambience differ based on their personality types. Awareness about employee’s personality types will help the designer develop appropriate strategies for the office interior environment. These strategies and plans must meet the employee’s preferences of colour and lighting, particularly in their workstation. This study is based on the theoretical and empirical works. The study revealed the employee’s preferences about architectural elements – especially colour and lighting- to improve the Productivity in office atmosphere. The findings from this part were categorized based on four Personality groups as defined by Myers Briggs Types Indicators (MBTI). The conclusions of the study signified that there are preferences for each personality group in case of colour and lighting. Every employee in all personality groups identified a combination of architectural elements in his/her individual work station and mentioned that their productivity and quality of life in this desired work environment will significantly improve.

Safety of machinery: requirement specification based on functional need and work situations analysis

This paper describe the ongoing work jointly between INRS and LCFC/ENSAM to take risk prevention into account in the specification drawn up when considering buying or designing work equipment (special machine, individual workstation, assembly line, etc...). The methodology is based on the functional need analysis and the concept of work situations as defined by INRS in their previous research work. The aim is to bring together the “user” and the “designer” in a dynamic of dialogue, in order to define the main work situations and not only the technical system. An overview of the problem is first described, followed by a brief review of methods currently in use. We then describe the different steps involved in the proposed methodology, before examining the results of a case-study application to a milling machine in which the benefits of such an approach and its acceptability by SME/SMIs are assessed.

Throughput Enhancement of Car Exhaust Fabrication Line by Applying MOST

In the fiercely competitive world market of today, manufacturers are facing increasingly tougher challenges and are compelled to find ways for productivity enhancement wherever possible in the whole supply chain. Nevertheless there are many facets in business process which can be explored for possible improvement, an immediate focus goes for the involved processes to re-engineer the activities in different workstations for an efficient and balanced assembly or fabrication line. In this paper an industrial case on fabrication line of a car exhaust system is presented to illustrate the scope of improvement by applying the MOST (Maynard’s Operation Sequence Technique) in streamlining the activities followed by assembly line balancing (ALB). The whole process of conducting various tasks is investigated to find out the lapses or wastes, to search for better option and to set the standard times for the tasks. Then individual workstation time is worked out by summing up the standard times of the involved tasks or activities and the concept of ALB is attempted to balance the fabrication line. So by possible reduction or elimination of the identified wastes or lapses workstation times including the bottleneck station are lowered. As a result the throughput of car exhaust systems is enhanced. According to the current practice, the Takt time is set at 3 minutes. However, upon an analysis through use of the MOST, the bottleneck station time is found to be as low as 1.27 minutes. Thus an opportunity of meeting the current level of demand with significantly lower workforce (with 2 operators instead of 5) is revealed. Alternatively, if necessary, an increased workload can be assigned for the current level of workforce. Moreover, with proper distribution of activities among the workstations using the concept of ALB, the line efficiency is found to be improved. So the line balance loss in the current setup of production line is also possible to be largely reduced. Thus daily production of car exhaust, if modified with suggested changes with the current workforce, could be more than double compared to the current daily output. Hence, effectiveness of the MOST followed by ALB applications to expose and remove the operational wastes in the work flow is reiterated with enhanced throughput.

Up close and personal

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the drivers of computer-related sustainability behavior at a medium-sized US university and the extent to which an inexpensive energy-saving device installed on 146 administrator, faculty and general staff workstations achieved significant savings in kWh, CO2 kg and dollars. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-method approach was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data to inform the study, and an intervention was introduced to raise awareness of energy-saving initiatives on a medium-sized university campus at an individual level. A simple computer energy efficiency device to measure the kWh, carbon emissions and monetary savings was installed on office workstations of 146 administrator, faculty and general staff. The research design enabled analysis of university mitigation strategies along with energy-saving behaviors, attitudes and savings in CO2 kg and dollars resulting from the installation of the adaptation intervention. Findings – Extrapolating individual workstation savings over the eight-week study period suggests potential annual average savings of $122,087.21; 1,327,003 kWh of energy; and 577,044 kg CO2. Usage behaviors and attitudes of study participants toward green practices in general and the specific energy-saving device showed participants hold highly positive attitudes toward both. Themes that captured participants’ feeling toward the energy-saving device included: easy to use; enjoyment; feedback; habit and technical issues. Drivers that most highly motivated participants to save energy at work were participants’ sense of social responsibility and the recognition of the need to reduce energy at work. Practical implications – The implementation of a voluntary individual-level energy-saving adaptation has the potential to be more far effective than expensive mandated strategies imposed on university employees and the value of feedback in positively influencing sustainability behavior. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to report on the implementation of a voluntary individual-level climate change adaptation intervention on a university campus. The research addresses concerns voiced in previous literature that higher education is not stepping up the critical role in climate adaptation required of it and contributes to the sustainability in higher education literature by providing empirical evidence of the usefulness of implementing a simple adaptation technique. Specifically, it documents how increasing sustainability awareness in university employees can encourage socially responsible and energy conversation behaviors and achieve significant energy savings in dollars, kWh and CO2 kg.

Identifying behavioural predictors of small power electricity consumption in office buildings

It is widely accepted that there is a gap between design and real world operational energy consumption. The behaviour of occupants is often cited as an important factor influencing building energy performance. However, its consideration, both during design and operation, is overly simplistic, often assuming a direct link between attitudes and behaviour. Alternative models of decision making from psychology highlight a range of additional influential factors and emphasise that occupants do not always act in a rational manner. Developing a better understanding of occupant decision making could help inform office energy conservation campaigns as well as models of behaviour employed during the design process.This paper assesses the contribution of various behavioural constructs to small power consumption in offices. The method is based upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) which assumes that intention is driven by three factors: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, but we also consider a fourth construct: habit measured through the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI). A questionnaire was issued to 81 participants in two UK offices. Questionnaire results for each behavioural construct were correlated against each participant's individual workstation electricity consumption.The intentional processes proposed by TPB could not account for the observed differences in occupants' interactions with small power appliances. Instead, occupants were interacting with small power “automatically”, with habit accounting for 11% of the variation in workstation energy consumption. The implications for occupant behaviour models and employee engagement campaigns are discussed.

Knowledge-based ergonomic assessment of working conditions in surgical ward – A case study

This article aims at identifying the mechanisms of knowledge management in the selection and integration of ergonomic methods for the evaluation of working conditions of nursing staff and surgeons in surgical wards. The criterion for choice of given category of work was specified for individual workstation based on the results of empirical research taking into account a case study of trauma and orthopaedics.There were established procedures of ways for integrating methods and tools depending on appointed category of work. In the study there were used such ergonomic methods and evaluation factors as: OWAS, REBA, RULA, NIOSH, monotype tasks, energy expenditure and computing tools: 3D Static Strength Prediction Program 3D SSPP, Energy Expenditure Prediction Program EEPP, Anthropos ErgoMax, CAPTIV L2100. In addition, the tool of competence matrix and decision tables are used to identify the category of work as well as to select an integrated ergonomic assessment.The presented research methodology of ergonomic assessment has been performed along with continuation of works on the development project titled: Knowledge-based shaping of working conditions in health care units, funded by the National Centre for Research and Development in Poland. The aim of the project was to establish a computer system based on ICT technologies for supporting hospital processes, which was called “Virtual hospital”.

An improved peptide-spectral matching algorithm through distributed search over multiple cores and multiple CPUs

BackgroundA real-time peptide-spectrum matching (RT-PSM) algorithm is a database search method to interpret tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) with strict time constraints. Restricted by the hardware and architecture of individual workstation, previous RT-PSM algorithms either are not fast enough to satisfy all real-time system requirements or need to sacrifice the level of inference accuracy to provide the required processing speed.ResultsWe develop two parallelized algorithms for MS/MS data analysis: a multi-core RT-PSM (MC RT-PSM) algorithm which works on individual workstations and a distributed computing RT-PSM (DC RT-PSM) algorithm which works on a computer cluster. Two data sets are employed to evaulate the performance of our proposed algorithms. The simulation results show that our proposed algorithms can reach approximately 216.9-fold speedup on a sub-task process (similarity scoring module) and 84.78-fold speedup on the overall process compared with a single-thread process of the RT-PSM algorithm when 240 logical cores are employed.ConclusionsThe improved RT-PSM algorithms can achieve the processing speed requirement without sacrificing the level of inference accuracy. With some configuration adjustments, the proposed algorithm can support many peptide identification programs, such as X!Tandem, CUDA version RT-PSM, etc.

The FITS model office ergonomics program: A model for best practice

An effective office ergonomics program can predict positive results in reducing musculoskeletal injury rates, enhancing productivity, and improving staff well-being and job satisfaction. Its objective is to provide a systematic solution to manage the potential risk of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users in an office setting. A FITS Model office ergonomics program is developed. The FITS Model Office Ergonomics Program has been developed which draws on the legislative requirements for promoting the health and safety of workers using computers for extended periods as well as previous research findings. The Model is developed according to the practical industrial knowledge in ergonomics, occupational health and safety management, and human resources management in Hong Kong and overseas. This paper proposes a comprehensive office ergonomics program, the FITS Model, which considers (1) Furniture Evaluation and Selection; (2) Individual Workstation Assessment; (3) Training and Education; (4) Stretching Exercises and Rest Break as elements of an effective program. An experienced ergonomics practitioner should be included in the program design and implementation. Through the FITS Model Office Ergonomics Program, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users can be eliminated or minimized, and workplace health and safety and employees' wellness enhanced.

Ergonomics and Neuromusculoskeletal Discomfort among Office Workers

The progress and development in the 21st century has made technology to surround almost every aspect of our lives. The use of computers has made office works much easier but on the other hand it has also created an influx of new physical ailments in part of the workers. Because of this, the practice of office ergonomics has become an essential component of an organization to maintain the health of the workforce. This study aimed to determine the relationship between workplace ergonomics and occupational-related neuromusculoskeletal discomfort among office workers in Cagayan de Oro City. It utilized an observational analytic cross-sectional design. An actual interview and observation of workplace ergonomics and occupational-related neuromusculoskeletal discomfort among office workers. The indicators for workplace ergonomics are practiced among office workers on their individual workstation and implemented among office environment and organization. The office workers experienced occupationalrelated neuromusculoskeletal discomfort affecting the neck, shoulder, and the back characterized by aching/cramp, pain, and numbness/tingling type of discomfort, but was bearable in terms of intensity of discomfort, and majority of the respondents experienced the discomfort for 1 hour to 1 day which can be considered as quite of short duration. Among the workplace ergonomics indicators, workspace and organization has a significant bearing on the body area affected and type of discomfort respectively. Keywords - office ergonomics, office workers, occupational-related neuromusculoskeletal discomforts, individual workstation

Fine Tuning of Automated Assembly Machines Using Video Analysis

Human/machine interaction is of still importance in the age of automation. Automated assembling devices are customizable products that need basic settings before installation. Capabilities of operators have to be taken into consideration in this process. This paper presents a procedure based on video recording to determine time data for machine settings. It allows the engineers to forecast the expected capacity of individual workstation and the entire production line. A case study from industry is used to illustrate the application of the system.

Human habitation field study of the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU)

Landing and supporting a permanent outpost on a planetary surface represents humankind's capability to expand its own horizons and challenge current technology. With this in mind, habitability of these structures becomes more essential given the longer durations of the missions. The purpose of this evaluation was to obtain preliminary human-in-the-loop performance data on the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in a Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) configuration during a 14-day simulated lunar exploration field trial and to apply this knowledge to further enhance the habitat's capabilities for forward designs. Human factors engineers at the NASA/Johnson Space Center's Habitability and Human Factors Branch recorded approximately 96h of crew task performance with four work stations. Human factors measures used during this study included the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) and customized post questionnaires. Overall the volume for the PEM was considered acceptable by the crew; however; the habitat's individual work station volume was constrained when setting up the vehicle for operation, medical operations, and suit maintenance while general maintenance, logistical resupply, and geo science was considered acceptable. Crew workload for each station indicated resupply as being the lowest rated, with medical operations, general maintenance, and geo science tasks as being light, while suit maintenance was considered moderate and general vehicle setup being rated the highest. Stowage was an issue around the habitat with the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) resupply stowage located in the center of the habitat as interfering with some work station volumes and activities. Ergonomics of the geo science station was considered a major issue, especially with the overhead touch screens.

Computer workstation analysis: A case study of an occupational therapy intervention

This study was designed to determine the efficacy of the implementation of computer workstation recommendation by an occupational therapist and the satisfaction of employees with these recommendations. The original worksite analysis was performed to decrease pain symptoms and discomfort of employees whose work is at a computer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the participants' work environments with a follow-up questionnaire used. All participant responses underwent a cross-case comparison analysis to identify themes. Six of the seven participants reported experiencing a reduction in their musculoskeletal pain symptoms after implementing the ergonomic recommendations made following the computer station worksite analysis by an occupational therapist. The changes led to increased comfort and productivity. Compliance of the workers following through with the recommendations contributed to the improvement in musculoskeletal pain and discomfort for employees. Using a worksite analysis to provide customized ergonomic recommendations for an individual's computer workstation resulted in decreased upper extremity musculoskeletal pain and increased productivity for these employees.