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At least 1,207 records · Page 67Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Assessment of workload from measurements of stature.

The height of the body in the erect position varies by about 1% during the course of the day. It decreases rapidly after getting up and, depending on the pattern of work and rest, continues to reduce during the day; then overnight, it recovers. These changes result from changes in the height of the intervertebral discs. With conventional methods of measuring stature, these changes would go unrecognised. Apparatus has therefore been developed, allowing measurement to an accuracy of at least 1 mm. Studies have been made of static loading, dynamic lifting, running, in different types of seating and in resting postures. In general, height losses are proportional to the magnitude of lumbosacral compression, to the perception of exertion during physical exercise and to the levels of postural discomfort. Gains in height in positions of rest are proportional to the ratings for relaxation and comfort. For the ergonomist, therefore, the method offers a reliable means of assessing the effects on the spine of both physical work and rest-pauses.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

When is light work heavy? Components of the physical workload of sewing machine operators working at piecework rates.

Epidemiologists have associated the job of sewing machine operators with a high incidence of musculoskeletal and other health problems, despite its classifications as light work according to energy expenditure criteria. An ergonomic analysis was undertaken in a trouser factory in order to describe components of the physical load of this work: force exerted, repetitions, time allocation and postures. Work activity of ten operators was observed and timed in situ, and forces were measured with a dynamometer. The time required to sew one seam is very short, 10-15 s per trouser leg. This short cycle is repeated more than 1500 times during the work day, involving quasi-continuous movements of the same parts of the body. The fact that movements are repeated so many times means that small details of the task assume a great importance. During the work day, a substantial force is exerted, only part of which can be measured with current technology. By these measurements, operators lift an average 406.1 kg of trousers per day and exert an average total force of 2858.4 kg with the upper limbs and 24 267.9 kg with the lower limbs. The work posture is static: seated with upper back curved and head bent over the sewing machine. Movements of the upper limbs involve abduction and adduction of the shoulders while exerting a force. For the same task, there is considerable variation in the dimensions of workstations. Interviews were conducted to determine the types of musculoskeletal complaints. The components of work activity could be treated to these complaints and to existing epidemiological data on musculoskeletal problems among sewing machine operators. This type of detailed examination can be applied by health and safety personnel to identify task components which could be changed to minimize the probability of musculoskeletal problems.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Direct measurements and systematic observations of physical workload among medical secretaries, furniture removers and male and female reference populations.

The aim of this investigation was to collect quantitative information about the occurrence of manual materials handling and working postures in working life. Direct technical recordings and systematic observations by trained ergonomists were used throughout a whole working day on 12 male furniture removers, 13 female medical secretaries, 27 males and 45 females randomly sampled from the working population in the Stockholm area. A quantitative job exposure profile was obtained by weighting together exposure data obtained by observation of tasks occurring during a normal working week. The results showed no major differences in physical exposures between the male and female reference populations. The medical secretaries spent less time than the female population kneeling/squatting and longer time than any other group with repetitive hand movements. Exposure data for task and job should be clearly distinguished.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Major trauma workload within an English Health Region.

The incidence, distribution and clinical patterns of life-threatening and multiple injuries were evaluated within an English Regional Health Authority area. Cases of major injury were identified retrospectively for the 12 month period October 1988 to September 1989 using data from the 16 Accident and Emergency (A&E) units within the Yorkshire Health Region, and coroners' records. There were 968 cases of fatal and serious injury, meeting the criterion of an injury severity score greater than 15, 67 per cent (645) being due to road traffic incidents. Thirty-five per cent (337) died at the scene or before reaching hospital, whilst 65 per cent (631) survived to reach an A&E unit (0.082 per cent of the Region's annual A&E case load), 75 per cent arriving outside of normal office hours. Eleven per cent (72) died prior to ward admission and 34 per cent (213) were immediately transferred to a secondary medical referral centre. Three hundred and sixty-seven patients (38 per cent) survived to be discharged from acute hospital care whilst 188 (19 per cent) died as in-patients. Major injuries were found to be distributed throughout the Authority area in rough proportion to district population density with a regional incidence of 27 cases per 100,000. This study has quantified a group of patients with very specific and specialized needs, but further research and debate is required to decide how these needs are best met.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1984

Use and workload factors in dental radiation-protection design.

A dosimetric and photographic record of the pattern of radiation on the walls of a dental x-ray operatory was obtained. This indicates that there is an overlap of the radiation fields with "hot spots" on the side wall opposite the patient's head, with the rest of the room receiving minimal exposures. In the course of this investigation, it was found that use of the long-cone x-ray machine resulted in less radiation reaching the walls of the room. The presently accepted concept of mAs per week proves to be less relevant than the number of films being taken.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1983

Women physicians during residency years: workload, work satisfaction and self concept.

Fifteen women pediatric residents, 15 non-medical women academicians similar in age and marital status and 15 women pediatricians at least 10 years past residency were surveyed. Subjects were asked to estimate the amount of time they devote to their professional work, domestic work and the degree to which they feel overworked. Subjects were also questioned regarding their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of their life-style and their self-concept as a women and as a professional. The results of this study show that residents, who work significantly more hours per week, have a significantly lower level of work satisfaction than do women in the other two groups. It also suggests the fact that the stress of the residency years affects not only the residents' work satisfaction but their entire self-concept as well. The paper offers possible suggestions the medical profession can take in order to help physicians better cope with their professional stress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Bicycle seat interface pressure: reliability, validity, and influence of hand position and workload.

Bicycle seat pressure is often examined by researchers exploring solutions for reducing seat injuries as it is thought a critical determinant; however, a reliable and valid methodology for this undertaking has not been reported. The current study was designed to address this shortcoming and to establish baseline interface pressure measurements for females and males. Participants completed two separate identical bicycle ergometer trials at 118 W in the tops and drops and at 300+/-82.4 W in top handlebar positions. Seat pressures were quantified from a pressure-sensing mat and the validity of the pressure system was examined through the relationship between known seat weights and the sum of seat pressures. Within trial intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged between 0.90 and 0.99 and the between trial ICC values ranged between 0.02 and 0.96. The relationship (Pearson correlation coefficient) between seat weight and the sum of pressures was 0.97. Significant peak pressures were 39% greater in the 118 W top than 300 W top handlebar condition and 29% greater than the 118 W drop handlebar condition (p < 0.05). The gender comparison revealed that significant male peak pressure values were greater (24%) and that female values were less influenced by the hand position factor. Select within trial pressure measurements were found to be reliable during pedaling and valid statically. Additionally, the results indicated that workrate and hand position were factors influencing seat pressure and that males and females responded differently to adjustments of these factors.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Environmental surveillance of wild poliovirus circulation in Egypt--balancing between detection sensitivity and workload.

Examination of sewage specimens for poliovirus (environmental surveillance) was adopted as a supplementary tool in the surveillance of poliomyelitis in Egypt. Sewage samples were concentrated about 50-fold using a simple two-phase separation technique, and inoculated in cell cultures in two collaborating laboratories in parallel. All but 9 of the 293 (97%) samples collected from January 2001 to December 2002 contained poliovirus and/or other enteroviruses, with polioviruses being detected in 84% of the samples. The proportion of specimens containing type 1 wild poliovirus (PV1W, the North-East African (NEAF) genotype) was less in 2002 (16%) than in 2001 (57%), and further decreased in 2003. While the overall sensitivity to detect PV1W was similar in the two collaborating laboratories, the specimens scored positive were not identical. Parallel cultures inoculated with aliquots of a given specimen very frequently resulted in isolation of different viruses. Moreover, partial sequence analysis occasionally revealed representatives of different genetic lineages of PV1W in a given specimen. These results emphasize the need to use intensive laboratory analysis to optimise sample sensitivity in environmental poliovirus surveillance, and the difficulties in reproducing the isolation results by simple re-inoculation of samples containing a mixture of different viruses.

Animals↗