Ergonomic Knowledge Research Articles

Antecedents of work related musculoskeletal disorders in software professionals

In this paper, the present Indian burden of work related musculoskeletal disorders are studied. Adult musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as neck and low back pain have been widely reported as being of significant health and economic concern due to increased globalisation and industrial advancements. This study is an attempt to find whether these disorders are also prevalent amongst Indian software professionals. The paper also reveals the role of gender differences in MSD. Neck pain is found to be the most prevalent pain. Posture, body fatigue, hours of computer usage and lack of ergonomic knowledge etc. are found to be causal factors determining work related MSD. A total of 355 software professionals were studied and the research draws conclusion that it is important to have conscientisation about the changing world and the increased need for ergonomics interventions in today’s work places.

The effect of interventions based on transtheoretical modelling on computer operators’ postural habits

Summary Objective To determine the effectiveness of ergonomic training on postural habits and computer operators’ psychosocial mediating variables based on the transtheoretical model (TTM). Design A prospective randomized controlled trial. Setting Departments of two universities in Qazvin, Iran. Participants One hundred and thirty-four of operators, mean age 31.0 ± 7.2 years, who worked at a computer for a minimum of 20 h per week. The subjects were divided into intervention (n = 67) and control (n = 67) groups. Intervention The intervention group received a TTM-based intervention involving eight 2-h sessions, which included 45–60 min stage-matched ergonomic counseling, ergonomic behavior training, and a package of training materials comprising a facilitator's handbook and a handout regarding computer ergonomic guidelines (Ergo-Guidelines). Outcome measures Ergonomic knowledge, stage of change, self-efficacy, pros and cons, preventive behavior and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) scores were measured at baseline, 3- and 6-month post-ergonomics training. Results Although both groups were homogeneous in all variables at baseline, the intervention group showed significant improvements in stages of change (P Conclusions Results from this study provide evidence that TTM-based ergonomic training among computer operators can improve postural risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain among Nurses in Africa: Nigerian and Ethiopian specialized Hospitals survey.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for low back pain (LBP) among nurses in two typical African Specialized Hospitals.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study designed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for LBP among nurses at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital [MMSH]), Nigeria and Jimma University Specialized Hospital [JUSH]) in Ethiopia. A department-to-department enquiry was conducted using a self structured valid and reliable questionnaire. Simple percentage (%) and Chi square were used to analyze variables of interest.Results: Five hundred and eight respondents (178 [35%] males and 330 [65%] females) participated in the study. The 12 month prevalence of low back pain (LBP) was 360 (70.87%). LBP was more prevalent among female nurses (76.07%) than the male nurses (59.55%). It was also associated with occupational hazard and poor knowledge of back care ergonomics. The prevalence of LBP was highest among nurses in Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit (26.67%) and least among tutors (4.17%). There was no significant difference between Nigerian and Ethiopian nurses' response in the etiology of LBP. However, there was a significant associationbetween gender, knowledge of back-care ergonomics and prevalence of LBP at p< 0.05. The prevalence of LBP at MMSH (Nigeria) and JUSH (Ethiopia) is comparable to levels recorded outside Africa. However, in this study, LBP did not feature as a major cause of sickness or absence from the work place contrary to those reported outside Africa.Keywords: Low back pain; nurses; ergonomics; Nigeria;Ethiopia.

Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Low Back Pain Among Nurses In Africa: Nigerian And Ethiopian Specialized Hospitals Survey Study

The mechanical hazards in the hospitals include low back pain (LBP) from manual lifting (lifting patients in particular) which makes nursing one of the occupations most affected by LBP. Nurses are required to lift and transport patients or equipments, often in difficult environment particularly in developing nations like Africa, where lifting aids are not always available or practicable. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of LBP among nurses in African. A cross-sectional study was designed and used to determine the prevalence and risk factors for LBP among nurses in a typical Nigerian (Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital [MMSHI) and Ethiopian (Jimma University Specialized Hospital [JUSH]) Specialized Hospitals. A department-to-department enquiry was conducted using a self structured valid and reliable questionnaire. Simple percentage (%) and Chi square were used to analyze variables of interest. Five hundred and eight respondents (178 [35%] males and 330 [65%] females) participated in the study. The 12 month prevalence of low back pain (LBP) was 360 (70.87%). LBP was more prevalent among female nurses (67.5%) than the male nurses (32.5%). It was also associated with occupational hazard and poor knowledge of back care ergonomics. The prevalence of LBP was highest among nurses in Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit (26.67%) and least among tutors (4.17%).There was no significant difference between Nigeria and Ethiopian nurses' responses in prevalence, etiology and knowledge of back care. However, there was a significant association between gender, knowledge of back-care ergonomics and prevalence of LBP at p< 0.05. The prevalence of LBP at MMSH (Nigeria) and JUSH (Ethiopia) is comparable to levels recorded outside Africa. However, in this study LBP did not feature as a major cause of sickness absence in the work place contrary to those reported outside Africa. Nurses only lost 202 days (0.15%) of the total working (131,400) days, this is considerably very low. Though, longer sick leaves (7563 days) were medically advised and applied for, However, only about 2.7% of the applied sick leaves was granted on technical or/and administrative grounds against medical recommendation and advices. It was concluded that poor back care ergonomics, duty stress and unavailability of lifting equipments are the major predisposing factors of LBP among nurses in Africa. It was recommended that regular refresher courses on back care ergonomics are essential.

Obesity effect on perceived postural stress during static posture maintenance tasks

Postural stresses related to manual work tasks may be significantly affected by the bodily condition of workers. One such condition is obesity, which is characterised by excess fat mass in the body. This study empirically examined the obesity effect on postural stress during static posture maintenance tasks. In total, 20 obese and 20 non-obese participants performed static box-holding for a set of 84 working postures defined based on the Ovako Working Posture Analysing System. The participants reported postural stresses using the rated perceived exertion scale. Obesity was found to significantly increase postural stress across the 84 working postures and, also, amplify the effects of postural changes on postural stress. The study findings suggest that ergonomic workplace/job design for obese workers would be a challenge requiring a proactive approach and creativity in problem solving. In addition, the use of ergonomic knowledge in design would be more critical when targeting obese than non-obese workers. The study findings are relevant to ergonomic workplace/job design for obese workers.

Sources and nature of secondary school teachers’ education in computer-related ergonomics

Teachers’ knowledge of computer-related ergonomics in education will have an effect on the learning process and the work practices of their students. However little is known about teacher education in this area. The study aimed to investigate the sources and nature of secondary school teachers’ education about computer-related ergonomics. It also investigated the use of computers by secondary school children. The study included all secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland. The findings suggest that computers are widely available and are used frequently by students and teachers. However, there is evidence that teachers are not receiving information on computer-related ergonomics. Teachers were generally dissatisfied with this and would welcome information on the subject. The study discusses the implications of the findings and makes recommendations to meet the needs of the teachers.

Entre contraintes ergonomiques, créativité et esthétique : rôle d'un système à base de connaissances sur l'activité des concepteurs web

RÉSUMÉ Les concepteurs de sites web doivent créer des sites qui répondent à la fois aux besoins du commanditaire du site et des futurs utilisateurs, ce qui se traduit, notamment, par la gestion de différentes contraintes liées à ces deux points de vue (commanditaire et utilisateurs). En ce qui concerne les besoins des utilisateurs, des recherches récentes ont montré que les concepteurs rencontrent des difficultés pour tenir compte des besoins des futurs utilisateurs. Pour aider les concepteurs à considérer le point de vue du futur utilisateur, nous avons mis à leur disposition un système à base de connaissances ergonomiques à la conception. Cette étude visait à déterminer l’impact de ce type d’aide sur l’activité cognitive des concepteurs ainsi que sur la qualité ergonomique et l’esthétique de leurs productions. Les résultats montrent que l’utilisation de l’outil encourage de façon indirecte les concepteurs à développer une activité créative centrée utilisateurs, sans pour autant nuire aux caractéristiques esthétiques et l’innovation de leurs productions.

The impact of training on construction ergonomics knowledge and awareness

The construction industry entails a wide range of activities, which expose workers to unfavourable ergonomic challenges. There is a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), which are associated with the following actions: frequent bending; bending and twisting of the body; working above shoulder height; working below knee level; lifting; manual handling of heavy and irregular-sized loads, and adopting awkward work postures. The exploratory phase of a Doctoral study included a questionnaire survey that investigated the perceptions of architectural technologists regarding various design, procurement, and construction management issues relative to construction ergonomics. Furthermore, a training intervention afforded the researchers the opportunity to investigate the impact thereof through the conducting of a pre-seminar and post-seminar survey. The findings provide documentary evidence of the need for and the value of improving knowledge and the raising of awareness relative to construction ergonomics among architectural technologists. Furthermore, the findings highlight the value of training. Keywords : work-related musculoskeletal disorders, construction, ergonomics

Human Factors and Education: Evolution and Contributions

The major contributions of human factors to education are highlighted. Over the past 50 years, the education of human factors specialists has evolved, as well as the application of human factors and ergonomic knowledge to education. Human factors and ergonomics professional documentation and literature were reviewed to identify major events relevant to human factors education or the application of human factors to education. Human factors education has evolved from training in experimental psychology to highly specialized accredited human factors programs and a number of undergraduate programs, leading to program accreditation and the certification of professionals. In addition, human factors specialists have applied their knowledge to human factors education and, more recently, to educational systems in general. The greatest focus has been on technology such as multimedia. Others have evaluated the design of the physical environment, focusing primarily on seating. The research also often targets undergraduate or graduate education. Therefore, it has been proposed that a greater focus is needed at the K-12 educational level, especially given the advancement and implementation of technology in the classroom. Human factors and ergonomic expertise can benefit the educational system. Yet, there is a need to constantly evaluate the benefits of new technology in the classroom as well as the environmental design aspects of the educational environment while considering learners of different age groups, ethnicities, and sexes. Better application of human factors and ergonomics to the learning environment could enhance the educational experience for all learners.

The effects of an office ergonomics training and chair intervention on worker knowledge, behavior and musculoskeletal risk

A large-scale field intervention study was undertaken to examine the effects of office ergonomics training coupled with a highly adjustable chair on office workers’ knowledge and musculoskeletal risks. Office workers were assigned to one of three study groups: a group receiving the training and adjustable chair ( n=96), a training-only group ( n=63), and a control group ( n=57). The office ergonomics training program was created using an instructional systems design model. A pre/post-training knowledge test was administered to all those who attended the training. Body postures and workstation set-ups were observed before and after the intervention. Perceived control over the physical work environment was higher for both intervention groups as compared to workers in the control group. A significant increase in overall ergonomic knowledge was observed for the intervention groups. Both intervention groups exhibited higher level behavioral translation and had lower musculoskeletal risk than the control group.

Evaluation of a participatory ergonomic intervention process in kitchen work

We evaluated a participatory ergonomic intervention process applied in 59 municipal kitchens. In groups of three to five kitchens, the workers participated in eight workshops, and generated and evaluated solutions to optimize musculoskeletal load in their work. An ergonomist initiated and supported the process. By the end, 402 changes were implemented. Evaluative data were collected using research diaries, questionnaires, and focus group interviews. The intervention model proved feasible and the participatory approach was mostly experienced as motivating. The workers’ knowledge and awareness of ergonomics increased, which improved their ability to tackle ergonomic problems by themselves. The changes in ergonomics were perceived to decrease physical load and improve musculoskeletal health. As hindering factors for implementation, lack of time and motivation, and insufficient financial resources were mentioned. In addition, the workers expressed a wish for more support from the management, technical staff, and ergonomists.

Participatory Ergonomics Intervention in an Industrially Developing Country—A Case Study

In industrially developing countries, a few ergonomists have directed great efforts towards developing ergonomics awareness among managers and workers in organizations. There is little research on the degree of their success, though. Furthermore, access of organizations to ergonomics knowledge is usually very difficult, especially in industrially developing countries. Thus, building ergonomics awareness is certainly the first phase of the process. Three companies from one industry (44 people: 14 females and 30 males) participated in a project aimed at improving their work system. At the beginning, we needed to create a common goal and ensure participation with appropriate ergonomics tools. The findings of this study were the key issue for the ergonomics intervention (i.e., a shared vision, awakened need of change and learning). Further, to build ergonomics awareness and develop a continuous learning process in the company, it was necessary to use more ergonomics tools through workers’ participation in different workplaces.

School children's use of computers and teachers' education in computer ergonomics

A national survey to investigate the education of teachers in computer-related ergonomics was carried out by postal questionnaire. The use of computers by primary school children (age 4–12 years) was also investigated. Data were collected from a random sample of 25% (n = 830) of primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Questionnaires (n = 1863) were returned from 416 schools giving a response rate of 50.1%. Almost all schools (99.7%) had computers for children's use. The computers were most often (69.8%) used in the classroom. The majority (56.3%) of children worked in pairs. Most teachers (89.6%) had received computer training, but few (17.6%) had received ergonomics information during the training. Respondents were not satisfied with their current knowledge of ergonomics. Over 90% stated that they would like to receive further information by printed format or during a training course, rather than by computer (web or CD-ROM).

Modular course provision for professional ergonomists with micro- and macro-ergonomic design competency in the system ‘human being–technology–organization’

Ergonomics intends to convey the fundamental knowledge which is necessary to utilize existing design possibilities in human–machine systems and human–computer interaction, whilst taking abilities and limitations of people into consideration. This is, of course, true for developers, designers and production engineers alike, since, e.g. mechanical engineers need to develop and design instruments and tools, devices and facilities, as well as production equipment and to carry the responsibility for the products they create. Even though within a ‘scientific community’, a canon of generally accepted knowledge and skills for a specific discipline exists—what is taught and which areas of research are followed at the diverse ergonomics divisions are, to some degree, matters of personal choice of the university professors. This may, on the one hand, lead to the consequence that the inter-disciplinary goal of ergonomics may be somewhat neglected. Additionally, the scope and importance of ergonomics in the curriculum vary from university to university, irrespective of how important ergonomics may be in the education. On the other hand, the possibility to combine the various strengths of differing centres of excellence offers an extraordinary opportunity for the development of a comprehensive qualification. In light of this rather heterogeneous situation in the ergonomics field, modular course offerings in the form of inter-university co-operation have been developed, enabling micro- as well as macro-ergonomic design competency in the system ‘human being–technology–organization’ to be able to be conveyed to the student. The first step was to define and describe core modules which, in terms of content and quantity of material, must be considered fundamental elements of a well-founded education in the subject. Dependent on an individual's needs and previous knowledge, optional specialization modules are then offered in addition to this foundation. Personal preferences or ‘schools’ should not play a major role in the design of individual modules, rather the defining factors should be the needs of the ergonomist in practice, as well as a certain ergonomic ‘self-confidence’ and a challenging systems ergonomic requirement, which must be based not solely on simple point-scoring improvements in a work system but rather on a holistic view of the problem. Circumspect action and often profound thought, in the sense of ‘human factors engineering’, is required in order to achieve an optimal solution for the use of human capital, given the typical complexity of the circumstances. Considering the rather strong legal-normative foundation of ergonomics which has developed, an increased demand from businesses for the availability of well-founded ergonomic knowledge and design competency can be assumed.

Ergonomics analysis in a virtual environment

Simulation can support the design of an ergonomic workplace by enabling early assessment of ergonomic conditions in a virtual environment. An important feature is the possibility to study alternative solutions or the effect of improvements from an ergonomics perspective. To be able to conduct an efficient and reliable evaluation in a virtual environment, an objective analysis method is essential. Such an analysis method should be integrated in the simulation software, and support a company's everyday ergonomics work process. In order to gain from existing ergonomics knowledge within a company, the possibility to implement such wisdom in the current simulation software becomes important. This paper presents an implementation work done with the purpose of integrating an established ergonomics work process into a virtual environment. It describes the benefits of an ergonomics work process where simulation and evaluation at early stages of a design process are key factors. The paper will also describe the integration process, i.e., the technical issues as well as the change in work methods.

A conceptual approach for ergonomic design of inspection tasks

Inspection tasks become more and more important for modern production and complex high reliability systems. A major particularity of inspection tasks is to be seen in the fact that the central work process cannot be observed externally. Although inspections tasks include physical activity, the inspection task itself is basically a perceptional and cognitive procedure. Due to the lack of accessibility of a 'work process' or an execution strategy it cannot be broken into separate work steps and cause-effect-relationships. Thus, common ergonomics intervention and design strategies as used for production and service tasks may not be applied similarly for inspections tasks. Requiring to anticipate the attributes of a potential work design variant without having a complete analysis option at hand, explains why engineering and design of work systems remains mostly an expert task. A conceptual model is required to constitute the application of ergonomics knowledge for the design of inspection tasks by delivering insight into the mechanisms contributing or impairing inspection performance. Therefore a work system model is proposed which aims to integrate the most relevant ergonomics concepts in a consistent frame, based on the formal principles of system theory. The linear combination of different approaches shall allow to represent and to explain the complexity of system behavior. This model is extended by a compatible design approach explaining a general structure of design processes and its relationship to the work system model. On the base of the proposed conceptual approach, the particularities of inspections tasks are outlined. This shall support a systematic design of inspection tasks which lack an objective control both on the working level and on the design level.

Office Ergonomics Intervention Study Panel

Ergonomic issues in the office environment affect both workplace health and productivity outcomes. Currently the office ergonomics intervention literature is underrepresented in research studies with rigorous study designs and analytical methods. Furthermore, there exist no published replication intervention studies. Panel members are part of a multidisciplinary inter-institutional research group that conducted the same office ergonomics intervention study at two different worksites (one public and one private sector). Office workers agreeing to participate were assigned to one of two interventions - a highly adjustable chair coupled with an office ergonomics training (chair-with-training group) or the office ergonomics training alone (training-only group) - or a control group receiving the training at the end. During this discussion panel the effects of the interventions on ergonomics knowledge and computing behaviors, biomechanical changes, individual components of musculoskeletal and visual symptoms and productivity will be presented.

Residential Wall Panel Designers' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Ergonomics

There is increasing use of panelized (prefabricated) wall systems in residential construction, requiring construction workers to handle larger and heavier components. Panel designers can make a substantial impact on ergonomic exposures of on site workers if ergonomics is considered in the design phase. A survey and a semi-structured interview were conducted to assess current knowledge and opinions of ergonomics among panel designers. Twelve panel designers from 11 different panel companies participated in the study. Results of the survey and the interview suggested that panel designers are rather resistant to the inclusion of ergonomics in their design, and they generally lack training in ergonomics. Designers considered themselves least responsible for construction worker safety and health, likely because they are disconnected from on site workers. Thus, it is essential that panel designers are supported with ergonomic assessment tools that can evaluate ergonomic exposures and provide alternative (improved) designs.

Safeguarding your back while working in practice

Back pain in the dental profession can sometimes be a result of poor awareness of working posture and basic ergonomic knowledge. This article by Richard Pilkington, Julie Miller and Dawn Johnson aims to help the dental nurse eliminate this occupational health problem.

High-demand jobs: Age-related diversity in work ability?

High-demand jobs include ‘specific’ job demands that are not preventable with state of the art ergonomics knowledge and may overburden the bodily capacities, safety or health of workers. An interesting question is whether the age of the worker is an important factor in explanations of diversity in work ability in the context of high-demand jobs. In this paper, the work ability of ageing workers is addressed according to aspects of diversity in specific job demands and the research methods that are needed to shed light upon the relevant associated questions. From the international literature, a body of evidence was elicited concerning rates of chronological ageing in distinct bodily systems and functions. Intra-age-cohort differences in capacities and work ability, however, require (not yet existing) valid estimates of functional age or biological age indices for the specific populations of workers in high-demand jobs. Many studies have drawn on the highly demanding work of fire-fighters, ambulance workers, police officers, medical specialists, pilots/astronauts and submarine officers. Specific job demands in these jobs can be physical, mental or psychosocial in origin but may cause combined task-level loadings. Therefore, the assessment of single demands probably will not reveal enough relevant information about work ability in high-demand jobs and there will be a call for more integrated measures. Existing studies have used a variety of methodologies to address parts of the issue: task analyses for quantifying physical work demands, observations of psychological and physiological parameters, measures of psychosocial work demands and health complaints. Specific details about the work ability of ageing workers in high-demand jobs are scarce. In general, specific demands are more likely to overtax the capacities of older workers than those of younger workers in high-demand jobs, implying greater repercussions for health, although these effects also vary considerably within age cohorts. Functional tests for job-specific work ability should be developed for high-demand jobs in order to monitor individual functional ageing and to facilitate well-timed intervention. It is concluded that a shift from ‘no-diversity thinking’ to ‘diversity thinking’ is needed in the context of deciding about the work ability of ageing workers in high-demand jobs.