Biomedical subjects

Peter Vink

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Vink.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Positive outcomes of participatory ergonomics in terms of greater comfort and higher productivity.

UNLABELLED: Ergonomics sometimes has a negative connotation, as it is seen to be connected to illness or guidelines that limit innovations. This paper is focused on the positive aspects of ergonomics in improvement of the working environment. It consists of a part that studies the literature on success factors in the process towards higher productivity and greater comfort, the formulation of a model and a hypothesis, which is illustrated by four cases. The model distinguishes the success factors in 'goal', 'involvement' and 'process'. GOALS: evidence is found in the literature that a positive approach has benefits in terms of shareholder value and productivity, and for comfort. Involvement: the literature shows that participation of end-users and management contributes to success. PROCESS: in the process it is essential to have a good inventory of the problems, a structured approach, a steering group responsible for the guidance, and end-users involvement in testing of ideas and prototypes. It is hypothesized that the chance of success increases by empowerment (making the end-user responsible for deciding on the next step in the process) and positive experiences of end-users with the potential improvement (end-users feel or see the benefits). The four cases illustrate that the hypothesis can be used in evaluating cases.

Community Participation↗

PubMed2005

Ergonomics and safety of manual bag sealing.

A variety of seals is used to close bags. Each seal has advantages and disadvantages. For shop assistants sealing bags could be a repetitive physically demanding action. Opening and closing the bags again can cause some discomfort or annoyance for consumers. Besides, it is an activity which can endanger safety, i.e., knives being used in opening, children swallowing the systems of sealing. To prevent these problems a new sealing system was developed. In this paper the opinion of shop assistants, consumers and experts on several bag sealing systems was studied. It appeared that for sealing plastic bags, adhesive tape with paper is the best out of 4 systems, closely followed by adhesive tape. It is discussed that for the elderly, there is still room for improvement in opening bag seals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Implementation of participatory ergonomics intervention in construction companies.

OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of the implementation of participatory ergonomics intervention to reduce physical work demands in construction work was studied. METHODS: In a cluster randomized controlled trial, 10 bricklaying companies were randomly assigned either to an intervention group (N = 5) or a control group (N = 5). The intervention strategy used a consultant-guided six-step approach in which company stakeholders participated. Bricklayers and bricklayers' assistants in the intervention group (N = 65) and the control group (N = 53) were followed for 6 months, and their use of four ergonomic measures (adjusting work height when picking up bricks and mortar, adjusting work height for bricklaying at a wall side, mechanizing brick transport, and mechanizing mortar transport) was compared. The use of the ergonomic measures was assessed from worksite observations and questionnaires at baseline and after 6 months. The workers' and employers' behavioral change phases were determined by questionnaires and interviews, respectively. Performance indicators were assessed for the intervention from the researchers' observations during the implementation process and through questionnaires completed by the workers. RESULTS The strategy had no statistically significant effect on the use of any of the four ergonomic measures, at either the cluster or the individual level. None of the companies in the intervention group passed through all six steps of the intervention. Process outcomes suggest that the ability to use ergonomic measures increased. In bricklaying, self-efficacy and skills to adapt the work height on the scaffolding improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention did not lead to greater use of ergonomic measures in bricklaying or the transport of materials. Performance indicators of intervention and the corresponding behavioral change phases of stakeholders can help to detect essential elements of such intervention.

Construction Materials↗

PubMed2005

Effectiveness of measures and implementation strategies in reducing physical work demands due to manual handling at work.

This review aimed at producing insight into the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the physical work demands associated with manual (materials) handling in the work situation and musculoskeletal symptoms in the longer-term. A systematic electronic literature search between 1990 and February 2003 was performed in the following databases: Embase, Medline, HSE-line, Nioshtic, and Nioshtic-2. Three inclusion criteria were applied, and altogether 44 studies were included for review. The interventions were divided into two categories, (ergonomic) measures and implementation strategies. One randomized controlled field study was found that established a causal effect for a combination of implementation strategies in reducing the physical work demands associated with manual handling and reducing acute musculoskeletal symptoms. All four of the controlled field studies showed a significant reduction in the physical work demands when lifting devices were part of the intervention. Two of these studies measured a significant reduction in low-back disorders in the longer term. Several uncontrolled pre-post studies showed effects in the same direction. Of the 26 implementation strategies, 21 that measured an improvement in the process variables (eg, aimed behavioral variables) used a participatory ergonomics approach, an education (or training) program or both with the direct involvement of workers. It was concluded that significant reductions in physical work demands and musculoskeletal symptoms were found when (mechanical) lifting devices were part of the intervention. The higher quality studies that showed improvement in behavior indicate the importance of using facilitating and educational strategies in the implementation of ergonomic measures.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Conceptual framework for the implementation of interventions in the construction industry.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore the necessary steps to define the implementation of interventions aimed at reducing physical work demands due to manual materials handling in the construction industry. METHODS: A theoretical structured framework of six steps is outlined as a method for developing the implementation of interventions. In this framework, both the proposal for implementing the intervention measures and the context analysis are conditional. RESULTS: Application of the framework in the development of the implementation of interventions to reduce the physical work demands for bricklayers and bricklayers' assistants has been presented. CONCLUSIONS: The framework was found appropriate for defining implementation strategies and (ergonomic) measures in the construction industry.

Facility Design and Construction↗

PubMed2004

One set of pliers for more tasks in installation work: the effects on (dis)comfort and productivity.

In installation work, the physical workload is high. Awkward postures, heavy lifting and repetitive movements are often seen. To improve aspects of the work situation, frequently used pliers were redesigned to make them suitable for more cutting tasks. In this study these multitask pliers are evaluated in comparison to the originally used pliers in a field study and a laboratory study. For the field study 26 subjects participated divided into two groups according to their type of work. Ten subjects participated in the laboratory study. The multitask plier appeared to result in more comfort during working, more relaxed working and more satisfaction. No differences in productivity were found. In conclusion, the multitask pliers can replace the originally used pliers and are suitable for more tasks than the original pliers. The installation workers have to carry less pliers by using the multitask pliers.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Maternal health factors and early pediatric antiretroviral therapy influence the rate of perinatal HIV-1 disease progression in children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of maternal health factors and infant antiretroviral treatment to the risk of pediatric disease progression to AIDS or death by 24 months of age. DESIGN: Prospective perinatal HIV-1 transmission and pediatric natural history study. SETTING: Urban medical centers in four cities in the USA. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2656 pregnant and postpartum HIV-infected women enrolled in the Perinatal AIDS Collaborative Transmission Study (PACTS) and 360 children determined to be HIV-infected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pediatric AIDS or death by 24 months of age. RESULTS: Children born to mothers with class C disease, CD4 cell count < 200 x 106/l, or HIV-1 RNA viral load > 100 000 copies/ml progressed more rapidly than children born to mothers with less advanced disease. In a multivariate analysis, there was an increased risk of progression if mothers had Class C disease [relative risk (RR), 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-2.7] or HIV-1 RNA > 100 000 copies/ml (RR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2-4.6) controlling for child antiretroviral therapy and year of birth. Earlier years of birth significantly increased the likelihood of rapid progression (P = 0.01) in this multivariate model. Children who received combination antiretroviral therapies with a protease inhibitor or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor were significantly less likely to progress compared with those receiving no therapy (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-1-infected infants born to women with advanced HIV-1 disease were at increased risk for rapid disease progression. More recent birth year and early treatment with potent antiretroviral therapy significantly diminished the likelihood of developing AIDS or dying during early childhood.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2003

Quantitative RNA testing for diagnosis of HIV-infected infants.

Quantitative HIV RNA testing was used for diagnosis in 156 HIV-exposed non-breast-fed infants at less than 6 months of age (54 infected, 102 uninfected) enrolled in the Perinatal AIDS Collaborative Transmission Study. Sensitivity was 29% in the first week, 79% at 8 to 28 days of age, and >90% at 29 days of age and thereafter; specificity was 100% in all periods, except at 29 to 60 days of age, when specificity was 93%. Neither sensitivity nor specificity was significantly affected by maternal or infant zidovudine (ZDV) treatment, even though infant viral loads were lower during the first 6 weeks in infants who received perinatal ZDV prophylaxis ( p=.005). Paired analysis of DNA and RNA measurements revealed no advantage for either test. Quantitative RNA testing can be used for diagnosis in HIV-exposed infants, recognizing the chance for a false-positive test result. It may be most useful as a confirmatory test in infants with another positive diagnostic test result.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

PubMed2003

Reasons for applying innovations for scaffolding work.

In this paper reasons for applying and for not applying technical and organisational innovations in scaffolding work are studied. In a participatory ergonomic approach these innovations were developed to reduce problems concerning physical load of scaffolders. In this study reasons for the adoption of the innovations in the scaffolding sector are evaluated in 2 studies, in 48 companies. More than half of the scaffolding sector in the Netherlands adopted the innovations. Reasons for applying innovations concerned improvement of work and health and satisfaction with usage. The reason for not applying the innovations concerned specific situations, such as offshore work, in which innovations were not applicable.

Architecture↗

PubMed2003

Safety and immunogenicity of a heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in infants with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

OBJECTIVE: Heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has been shown to be safe and effective in healthy infants and children. However, little is known about its use in children who have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and are known to be at increased risk of developing pneumococcal infections. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of heptavalent PCV in infants with HIV infection. METHODS: The Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 292 Team randomized infants with HIV infection 2:1 to receive heptavalent PCV or placebo in a double-blinded manner. Infants were vaccinated with 3 doses at 2-month intervals, starting at ages 56 to 180 days. A booster dose was given at 15 months of age. Immunogenicity was evaluated after the third dose of vaccine, before and after the booster dose, and at 24 months of age. RESULTS: Thirty infants with HIV infection received PCV, and 15 received placebo. No differences in baseline characteristics were found across arms. Five severe acute reactions were experienced by 4 subjects: 3 in the PCV arm and 1 in the placebo arm; all occurred among subjects with symptomatic disease at study entry. No differences were found in the 2 arms with respect to the number or timing of new diagnoses through 24 months of age, including diagnoses of otitis media. However, when symptomatic subjects were examined separately, the first new diagnosis occurred more rapidly among PCV recipients. Three deaths, all judged to be unrelated to study vaccine, occurred during follow-up: 2 in the PCV arm and 1 in the placebo arm. The primary immunogenicity measures were based on composites of 4-fold changes in serotype-specific immunoglobulin G titers from preimmunization levels. We found a highly significant difference between the vaccine and placebo arms, with the PCV arm showing higher rates of response. Asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects who received PCV had similar immunologic responses for all serotypes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that heptavalent PCV was well tolerated and not associated with vaccine-associated adverse reactions. Most important, this vaccine was immunogenic in the infant with HIV infection. However, additional studies of this vaccine (or others) must pay special attention to patients with symptomatic HIV disease, as they seem to be at higher risk for adverse events to any antigen.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

PubMed2002

Participatory ergonomics applied in installation work.

UNLABELLED: This paper evaluates a step-by-step participatory approach to better work, applied in reducing the musculoskeletal workload in installation work. To arrive at a reduction in workload, a steering group led the project through the following steps: 1. INTRODUCTION: defining the goal and informing all 7000 employees. 2. ANALYSIS: finding major loading tasks. 3. Solution phase: creating solutions in group sessions and prioritise. 4. TESTING: promising solutions were tested during real operations. 5. Implementing: spreading the knowledge through the whole company and asking for additional solutions. 6. EVALUATION: the effect and process were evaluated. The result was that 138 devices were bought. Seven out of nine devices were used daily. Users reported a good or very good reduction in musculoskeletal loading and were satisfied. The project was cost-effective within 1 year. Adding organizational measures or system solutions could have increased the effect, and more direct participation could have increased the impact. The first steps (introduction, analysis of work, solution generation and user tests) were well organized and contributed to the success. The processes in the last steps were unstructured and the evaluation was not representative. Sixty additional devices were suggested by employees of which 12 were selected. These devices seemed a success, but no data could be obtained on the use and experience with these solutions.

Ergonomics↗

PubMed2002

Physical effects of new devices for bricklayers.

Bricklaying is a physically demanding job. Bricklayers frequently flex their trunk to pick up bricks and mortar and position these in a wall. The experienced workload is highest working with bricks at 0 to 50 cm from the floor. In this study the effects of 2 devices that have proven to be feasible in practice are evaluated. The 50 cm raise due to the 2 devices is experienced as comfortable, the estimated lumbar compression force was reduced, and observations indicate likewise. It is discussed that the field experiments have many drawbacks. Nevertheless, based on this study in combination with other literature the improvements could be recommended.

Construction Materials↗