Participatory Ergonomics Program Research Articles

Applying implementation science to evaluate participatory ergonomics program for continuous improvement: A case study in the construction industry

While participatory ergonomics (PE) presents numerous benefits, its empirical effectiveness remains elusive due to the lack of transparency in implementation contexts and processes. This hinders our ability to discern the reasons behind a program's success or failure and to determine optimization and adaptation strategies. To unravel this “black box,” we present a case study using implementation science to evaluate a PE program and illuminate the mechanisms linking process to outcome. The study examines a 4.5-year PE program at a construction company, targeting musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from material-cart handling. Using the RE-AIM framework and Implementation Causal Pathway Model, we evaluated implementation process and catalogued contextual factors through worker surveys (n = 106), safety document review (27 training sessions and 7 construction projects), and key informant observations. We assessed the program's impact using a 42-worker survey and an analysis of 8-year injury data, and determined the return-on-investment (ROI) by monetizing the collected data. The program achieved significant impact: Workers' ergonomic knowledge improved from 73% in baseline to 86% in follow-up; 97% of workers reported at least one positive change in their crews; and no cart handling injuries occurred after the first program change, resulting in a ROI rate of 1.99. Implementation process evaluation revealed that seamless integration, tailored intervention, and ongoing adjustments contributed to the success. Five organizational factors necessary for the effective functioning of these three strategies were identified, along with three moderators that amplified their influence. Finally, this case study demonstrates that implementation science offers a coherent structure for evaluating PE programs, uncovering mechanisms of change, and informing future improvements and adaptations. Our research facilitates knowledge transfer from implementation science to ergonomics, eventually leading to more cost-effective PE programs that are faithfully implemented across various industrial settings to prevent MSDs.

Innovative Macroergonomic Approaches: Responsibilities, Opportunities, and Challenges

Since the early 1980s, human factors professionals have leveraged macroergonomic approaches to build and design complex systems. Macroergonomics is of increasing relevance and interest to modern human factors experts working to address societal and organizational problems. New questions within existing domains necessitate development of new macroergonomic methods. Additionally, modern research needs drive the development of novel approaches in new domains. In this session, panelists will provide expert perspectives on the dynamic evolution of systems analysis, innovative implementation of participatory ergonomics programs, new hazard recognition approaches based on cognitive mnemonics, new applications of improvisation that enhance team performance, and a synthesized method seeking to elucidate micro to macro systems components. After each panelist has presented, we will then facilitate a discussion with the audience and panelists about the responsibilities and opportunities to derive human factors tools and methods that address the challenges and limitations of modern macroergonomics.

2SAFE: a health belief model-integrated framework for participatory ergonomics

Initiating ergonomics interventions in a business environment requires changes in the behaviour of relevant actors. When participating in an intervention, researchers need to collect and share information with practitioners to help them make better behaviour-related decisions. This paper describes the five-step 2SAFE (Surveillance, Screening, Assessment, Framing, and Evaluation) planning framework, which can be used to guide research-practice collaboration in participatory ergonomics programmes. This framework combines the understanding of work-related musculoskeletal disorders with the principles of the health belief model. This theoretical synthesis empowers the framework to address the following critical challenges: (1) how to make data collection processes attuned to the nature of ergonomic injuries; and (2) how to transform the data collected into immediately usable information for practitioners to change their behaviours. The framework is interdisciplinary and can facilitate transfer of knowledge between ergonomics and health behaviour science. The framework can enhance the ability of researchers to collaborate with practitioners and bring participatory ergonomics programmes closer to success. In the long term, we hope that this framework can lead to more high-quality interventions that are able to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders in various industrial settings.

Design, implementation and evaluation of a participatory ergonomics program among home-based Mapuche weavers

The Mapuche comprise 80% of the indigenous population of Chile. The Araucanía has the highest concentration of Mapuche peoples and is also the poorest region of the country. The region’s proximity to a large tourist sector provides opportunities for weavers to work from home and sell their products as a primary or secondary income source. The adverse health effects related to craft production and home-based work are significant and not well described in the literature. Participatory ergonomics (PE), an approach that emphasizes the input and participation of individuals directly impacted by the work being studied, is a strong fit for this population. This article describes a PE project among 33 Mapuche weavers that characterizes the hazards, risks and perceived adverse health effects associated with home-based weaving and the identification, implementation and evaluation of three ergonomic interventions. This project can inform the development of sustainable ergonomics health programs for home-based artisans.

Action inquiry and vocal ergonomics: A pilot study with sports coaches.

Coaches critically rely on voice for occupational functioning, which has associated risks to vocal health. However, vocal occupational health and safety (OHS) and vocal ergonomics are not typically considered for, by, or with coaches. This study piloted a participatory approach to vocal ergonomics, aiming to collaboratively (i) understand coaches' vocally reliant occupational participation, and (ii) consider vocal ergonomic factors. This research was undertaken at an international tournament for floorball (also known as 'Innebandy', 'Salibandy', or 'Unihockey'). Three national coaches (n = 3) and the lead researcher undertook cooperative action inquiry. This piloted a participatory vocal ergonomics programme. Action inquiry methods included fieldnotes, interviews, observations, a workshop, ergonomics approaches, and a focus group. Multi-level analyses supported the findings, including categorical aggregation, direct interpretation, and reflexive thematic analysis. Participants identified vocal ergonomic factors present at the tournament; including personal, activity, physical environmental, and organisational factors. Participants developed four vocal ergonomic approaches responsive to factors. These were: (1) player consultation, (2) ongoing feedback discussions, (3) movement and postural change, and (4) specific task adaptation. Approaches 1-2 directly supported coaches' voices. Coaches posited limitations to other strategies, but made recommendations for future use. Coaches also reflected that this collaboration provided actionable voice insights and opportunities to address vocal ergonomics. They advocated for extended engagement with coaches, increased focus on vocal health, and inclusion of early career coaches in future programmes. These findings support engagement of coaches, and other vocally reliant workers, in addressing voice use and vocal health at work.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomics risk assessment and implementation of participatory ergonomics program for pistachio farm workers.

Background and objectives: Pistachio farmers are exposed to a variety of risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). However, no study has been conducted to investigate MSDs in pistachio workers. Therefore, in the present study, besides investigating the prevalence of MSDs and their ergonomic risk factors, the participatory ergonomics (PE) method is used to provide an intervention program to reduce MSDs in this population in harvesting and processing pistachio. Methods: The present study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase 138 workers participated. The prevalence of MSDs was assessed with Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the ergonomic risk factors was identified with ManTRA method. In the second phase PE was used to perform ergonomic interventions for reducing MSDs and the effect of the intervention was investigated. Sixty-four workers participated in the second phase (32 in the case group and 32 in the control group). Results: The highest prevalence of MSDs was in shoulders (63.7%), followed by the lower back (63%) and wrists/hands (52.1%). The comparison showed that after implementing the PE intervention program, the prevalence of MSDs in the intervention group was not significantly different from that in the control group. However, in the reassessment by the ManTRA method for five tasks that were identified as high risk in the first phase, a decrease in ManTRA final score was observed for all the five tasks. Conclusions: MSDs were prevalent in all body regions of workers. After implementing PE interventions exposure to ergonomic risk factors decreased.

Leadership Styles in Participatory Ergonomics Programs: A Bibliometric Analysis

Workplace participatory ergonomics (PE) programs may foster the prevention of injuries and illnesses as well as promote healthier behaviors and productivity among employees. Facilitating leadership has been identified as a critical component to the implementation of PE programs. Several contemporary leadership styles and theories have been proposed in the Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology literature. A bibliometric mapping analysis was performed to assess the extent to which contemporary leadership styles have been studied in relation to PE programs in the ergonomics and public, environmental, and occupational health literature categories of the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (WoS). Results indicated that while production in the collective areas of PE programs and leadership has increased significantly in recent decades, the study of contemporary leadership styles and/or theories in PE programs has been limited. The results highlight an opportunity for additional interdisciplinary research that may lead to more effective PE program implementation.

A participatory ergonomics approach to prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in Portuguese small and medium enterprises: Ergo@Office

A participatory ergonomics program enables a company to engage employees in its preventive strategy. This paper presents [email protected], an integrated methodology devised for promoting continuous implementation of preventive measures while monitoring their effectiveness over time in a participatory manner. It consists of a straightforward and cost-effective resource which is primarily aimed at supporting the identification of the need for implementation of interventions for strategic prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. As a practitioner tool, [email protected] guides the deployment of a participatory approach to ergonomics in both the analysis as well as in the intervention phase. The implementation of the measures envisaged in this planning support framework result from teamwork between the OSHS (Occupational Health and Safety Services) and the employee whose work is under focus. The implemented measures should then be monitored, which will enable assessing their effectiveness and their adjustment to the labour setting in an up-to-date manner.

A participatory ergonomics approach to prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in Portuguese small and medium enterprises: Ergo@Office

A participatory ergonomics program enables a company to engage employees in its preventive strategy. This paper presents Ergo@Office, an integrated methodology devised for promoting continuous implementation of preventive measures while monitoring their effectiveness over time in a participatory manner. It consists of a straightforward and cost-effective resource which is primarily aimed at supporting the identification of the need for implementation of interventions for strategic prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. As a practitioner tool, Ergo@Office guides the deployment of a participatory approach to ergonomics in both the analysis as well as in the intervention phase. The implementation of the measures envisaged in this planning support framework result from teamwork between the OSHS (Occupational Health and Safety Services) and the employee whose work is under focus. The implemented measures should then be monitored, which will enable assessing their effectiveness and their adjustment to the labour setting in an up-to-date manner.

Processes, barriers and facilitators to implementation of a participatory ergonomics program among eldercare workers

This study aimed to investigate the processes of a participatory ergonomics program among 594 eldercare workers with emphasis on identified risk factors for low back pain and solutions, and reveal barriers and facilitators for implementation.Sixty-nine per cent of the identified risk factors were physical ergonomic, 24% were organisational and 7% were psychosocial risk factors. Most solutions were organisational (55%), followed by physical (43%) and psychosocial solutions (2%). Internal factors (e.g. team or management) constituted 47% of the barriers and 75% of the facilitators. External factors (e.g. time, financial resources, collaboration with resident or relatives) constituted 53% of the barriers and 25% of the facilitators.This study revealed the processes and implementation of a participatory ergonomics program among eldercare workers. The findings can be transferred to workers, workplaces, health and safety professionals, and researchers to improve future participatory ergonomics programs.

Functions of participatory ergonomics programs in reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are most commonly seen in all the occupational non-fatal injuries and illnesses for workers, especially those who are involved in labor-intensive industries. Participatory ergonomics is frequently used to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. This paper gives an overview of a historical perspective on the use of participatory ergonomics approach in reducing the health effects of labor-intensive industries. Progress, barriers and facilitators on the organization, implementation and evaluation of participatory ergonomics programs are studied. Participatory ergonomics seems a successful method to develop, prioritize measures to prevent MSDs. Participatory ergonomics can help industries reduce musculoskeletal injuries and disorders, improve workplace condition and promote health conditions of the workers.

Participación para mejorar las condiciones de trabajo: evidencias y experiencias

Participation of stakeholders is a key requirement for the success of public health programmes. Working and employment conditions are major determinants for people's health and wellbeing, and workplaces are ideal environments to implement programmes with a very direct level of participation. In Spain, the main regulatory framework for occupational health and safety, Law 31/1995, establishes the principles of “efficiency, coordination and participation” as a necessary basis for workers’ health protection. This same Law establishes the role of the health and safety workers’ representative, responsible for occupational risk prevention, and the occupational health and safety committee, a body with equal representation and the same objectives at the heart of the company. Among recent experiences of participation in occupational health, participatory ergonomics programmes have stood out. The aim of these programmes is to improve working conditions with a view to reducing musculoskeletal disorders, which is a very common and highly prevalent work-related injury in Spain. This study describes the characteristics and results of some experiences of participatory ergonomics carried out recently in Spain, from which relevant learning can be extrapolated about processes, facilitators and barriers in order to extend such programmes to other areas of occupational and public health.

Dissemination and use of a participatory ergonomics guide for workplaces

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) result in lost-time injury claims and lost productivity worldwide, placing a substantial burden on workers and workplaces. Participatory ergonomics (PE) is a popular approach to reducing MSDs; however, there are challenges to implementing PE programmes. Using evidence to overcome challenges may be helpful but the impacts of doing so are unknown. We sought to disseminate an evidence-based PE tool and to describe its use. An easy-to-use, evidence-based PE Guide was disseminated to workplace parties, who were surveyed about using the tool. The greatest barrier to using the tool was a lack of time. Reported tool use included for training purposes, sharing and integrating the tool into existing programmes. New actions related to tool use included training, defining team responsibilities and suggesting programme implementation steps. Evidence-based tools could help ergonomists overcome some challenges involved in implementing injury reduction programmes such as PE.Practitioner SummaryPractitioners experience challenges implementing programmes to reduce the burden of MSDs in workplaces. Implementing participatory interventions requires multiple workplace parties to be ‘on-board’. Disseminating and using evidence-based guides may help to overcome these challenges. Using evidence-based tools may help ergonomics practitioners implement PE programmes.

Applying a Logic Model to the Evaluation of a Participatory Ergonomics Program

Abstract Date Presented 4/16/2015 Despite misperceived beliefs regarding occupational therapists providing services to mechanically ventilated patients, early participation in daily functional activities increases independence while decreasing intensive care–acquired weakness and delirium.

Applying a Logic Model to the Evaluation of a Participatory Ergonomics Program

Abstract Date Presented 4/16/2015 This study evaluated the efficacy of a participatory ergonomics program led by occupational therapists for construction workers, with guidance by a logic model. Program evaluation using a logic model was an effective method that can be applied to a wide range of occupational therapy programs.

How compatible are participatory ergonomics programs with occupational health and safety management systems?

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a major cause of pain, disability, and costs. Prevention of MSD at work is frequently described in terms of implementing an ergonomics program, often a participatory ergonomics (PE) program. Most other workplace injury prevention activities take place under the umbrella of a formal or informal occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). This study assesses the similarities and differences between OHSMS and PE as such knowledge could help improve MSD prevention activities. Methods Using the internationally recognized Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18001), 21 OHSMS elements were extracted. In order to define PE operationally, we identified the 20 most frequently cited papers on PE and extracted content relevant to each of the OHSAS 18001 elements. The PE literature provided a substantial amount of detail on five elements: (i) hazard identification, risk assessment and determining controls; (ii) resources, roles, responsibility, accountability, and authority; (iii) competence, training and awareness; (iv) participation and consultation; and (v) performance measurement and monitoring. However, of the 21 OHSAS elements, the PE literature was silent on 8 and provided few details on 8 others. The PE literature did not speak to many elements described in OHSMS and even when it did, the language used was often different. This may negatively affect the effectiveness and sustainability of PE initiatives within organizations. It is expected that paying attention to the approaches and language used in management system frameworks could make prevention of MSD activities more effective and sustainable.

Development of a program logic model and evaluation plan for a participatory ergonomics intervention in construction

Intervention studies in participatory ergonomics (PE) are often difficult to interpret due to limited descriptions of program planning and evaluation. In an ongoing PE program with floor layers, we developed a logic model to describe our program plan, and process and summative evaluations designed to describe the efficacy of the program. The logic model was a useful tool for describing the program elements and subsequent modifications. The process evaluation measured how well the program was delivered as intended, and revealed the need for program modifications. The summative evaluation provided early measures of the efficacy of the program as delivered. Inadequate information on program delivery may lead to erroneous conclusions about intervention efficacy due to Type III error. A logic model guided the delivery and evaluation of our intervention and provides useful information to aid interpretation of results.

Intervención de ergonomía participativa en una empresa del sector químico

We describe a participatory ergonomics program that started in April 2010 in a chemical company located in the autonomous region of Valencia, Spain. The program was introduced in the company, the intervention level was agreed (two working lines, 24 workers) and a working group was established (Ergo Group, including managers, technicians and safety representatives in the company) with the aim of leading the intervention. A questionnaire was applied to collect information on ergonomic injuries and exposures in workers at the selected working lines. This information was analyzed by the Ergo Group and was later discussed at prevention circles with the direct participation of affected workers. When the present article was being drafted, 16 improvements to working conditions had already been proposed. Some of these improvements had been implemented and, in the opinion of some of the participants, were effective. To develop this kind of program, which could benefit a substantial number of workers in Spain, a firm commitment to prevention by companies is required.

The economic evaluation of a Participatory Ergonomics programme to prevent low back and neck pain

This study was an economic evaluation conducted alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial with a follow-up of 12 months. The aim was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of the Stay@Work Participatory Ergonomics programme (PE) compared to a control group (no PE). In total, 37 departments (n=3047 workers) were randomised into either the intervention (PE) or control group (no PE). During a meeting, working groups followed the steps of PE, and composed and prioritized ergonomic measures aimed to prevent low back pain (LBP) and neck pain (NP). Working groups had to implement the ergonomic measures within three months in their department. Cost data included those directly related to LBP and NP. Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) and cost-benefit analyses (CBA) were performed. After 12 months, health care costs and costs of productivity losses were higher in the intervention group than in the control group (the mean total cost difference was $/euro$127; 95% CI $/euro$-164 - $/euro$418). From a societal perspective, the CEA showed that PE was not cost-effective compared to control for LBP and NP prevalence, work performance, and sick leave. The CBA from a company perspective showed a monetary loss of $/euro$78 per worker. The PE programme was neither cost-effective nor cost-beneficial on any of the effect measures.

Participatory ergonomics and new work: reducing neck complaints in assembling

A participatory ergonomics approach is used to create a new work environment, which is aimed at reducing neck complaints in a cell phone assembly. The participatory ergonomics program included an initiative, problem identification, a selection of solutions, an implementation and evaluation. Twenty-eight women, all operators on an assembly line of cell phone boards, voluntarily participated in the design and evaluation of a device before implementing the device to all 215 employees performing that job. Prior to and after the intervention, RULA, comfort experiences and interviews were used. After introducing an adjustable angled small counter, these measurements showed both posture and comfort improvements. 90% of the 215 workers preferred the new work station and the neck complaints were reduced in 75% of the group. It also showed that the initial prototype needed to be modified as to reduce its sharp edges/compression points for the forearm. This project shows the importance of iterative testing and that an initiative by workers enlarges the chance of successful implementation.