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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

[Ergonomics in the industrial environment and ergonomic community activities of the European Coal and Steel Community].

The author stresses the permanent evolution of the working conditions in the industry. He pays a particular attention to the changes which were experienced in this regard since two decades in the coal mines. The ergonomist tries to give an impartial answer to the new problems by means of a scientific approach in order to help those who are responsible for the social and technical progress. The author reminds the principles of this approach. He analyses the definition of ergonomics and shows how this discipline may be applied in the coal mines. He reminds the important role played in this regard by the ECCS, and the realizations which could be performed in the coal industry as well. A comment on the objectives and means of the 4th research ergonomic programme of the European Communities is presented.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1976

Application of ergonomic principles in the factories of a developing country.

Several examples of the need for the application of sound ergonomic principles in Singapore factories are presented. Emphasis is laid on the necessity to consider local habits and customs in the devising of ergonomic solutions to occupational health problems. Examples are given concerning vehicle cabin design, difficulties due to climate differences in applying personal protective equipment or in building design, inadequate displays warning dangers, and health consequences of technical improvements, safety measures, or measures to achieve greater efficiency. Sometimes ergonomic practices may promote productivity but be prejudicial to health. In rapidly-changing and cosmopolitan Singapore, ergonomic principles are vital to all facets of manufacturing processes and the transportation and distribution of goods, but ergonomic practice can be complicated by several factors as indicated by such examples.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1992

Prevention of low back pain: basic ergonomics in the workplace and the clinic.

Redesigning the job is a strategy for preventing low back injuries at work or for accommodating injured employees who return to work. An evaluation of the physical job demands is necessary in either strategy. Several job demands are associated with low back pain and injury--heavy physical work, static or postural effort, dynamic work-load and exposure to wholebody vibration. Traditional work measurement studies emphasize a rigorous task analysis. By adding biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical measurements, a comprehensive evaluation is possible. There is no standard scheme for a workplace evaluation. The method depends on the end use of the analysis. Job evaluation for workplace design requires an emphasis on equipment and work conditions; evaluation for placement of injured employees should emphasize the operational demands of the tasks. Few studies considered the multifactorial aetiology of low back pain. Most studies that measured the magnitude of biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical stresses attempted to define peak work-loads. The attempt to evaluate the effects of subacute cumulative traumas is only in the beginning. Most ergonomic intervention programmes modify the loads, the design of objects handled, lifting techniques, workplace layout and task design. The effectiveness of these interventions in controlling medical costs or morbidity has not been clearly demonstrated. Consequently, occupational risk factors may be more important for evaluating disability. Job familiarity is the key to effective medical management. Ergonomic analysis procedures may be useful within rehabilitation settings that also provide placement services. The reason is that they facilitate communication between all elements involved in the rehabilitation process. Proper communication procedures are also crucial in implementing ergonomic interventions in the workplace. A health care provider should be part of a task force that oversees these interventions. Future effort should be directed to finding a method that health care practitioners could be competent to carry out effectively in a clinical setting. Expert systems offer promising results in disseminating ergonomic knowledge in primary and secondary health care facilities.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed1976

Ergonomics in traditional Iranian industries.

It is an acknowledged fact that Iranian carpet weavers are subject to excessive fatigue. Earlier investigation has shown this to be largely due to a non-ergonomic body position while working at a traditional loom. It would appear that significantly increased production could be achieved by eliminating or reducing this fatigue. An Iranian engineer has attempted to do this by inventing a metal loom which takes ergonomic factors into consideration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the new loom by comparing the productivity of two groups in Kerman, Iran: one using the new ergonomic loom and the other using the traditional loom. In preliminary investigations various factors were taken into account so that the two groups might be considered comparable. After several observations the average productivity of each weaver was calculated (according to knots per day). The results showed that the ergonomic loom had the highest productivity figures for both sexes and that increased productivity was directly related to the degree of comfort of the carpet weavers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Some observations on the needs of ergonomics in industries in Hong Kong.

The author's interest in ergonomics lies in the common ground it shares with occupational health, since ergonomics aims to make work easier, safer, and more productive and to promote efficiency, comfort, and health. In Hong Kong, owing to lack of natural resources and guaranteed markets, industrialization has not taken a smooth course. Only light industries exist, and one industry flourishes after another. Occupational health and safety tends to be neglected not only by the employers but by the employees. The government becomes the promoter of labor legislation. There is almost no information on occupational diseases. There are some elementary official statistics on occupational accidents. There is practically no research activities on this area going on. There is a very critical lack of occupational health, workers in Hong Kong. Ergonomics may help in improving the present situation because its aims are more positive to the industrialists and the workers who should be converted into educated consumers of ergonomics. In the long run, advancement in occupational health and safety practice will be made.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1976

Ergonomics for occupational hygienists in developing countries with examples from Sri Lanka.

Occupational health problems in developing countries, especially those situated in the tropical zone, are difficult to define. The conditions are more adverse in unorganized small-scale industries. The application of ergonomic principles in the practice of occupational health in developing countries must be subject to all aspects of community health and impact of industrialization as well. Ergonomics offers a broad concept to health scientists in developing countries. "Systems ergonomics" is not applicable. On the contrary, the fact that ergonomics conveys a different meaning to those in developing countries is highlighted by a few examples from Sri Lanka. The author presents his view for consideration in the development of international instruments to prescribe the sale of guarded machinery to developing countries and the limitation of incentive schemes for performing arduous tasks leading to occupational illnesses.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1992

Logistical and ergonomic transportation capacity for refuse collection workers: a work physiology field study.

In a work physiology field study, the work flow and the electrocardiogram were recorded throughout whole shifts for six male refuse (garbage) collection workers who transported and emptied 1.1 m3 refuse containers. The work rate (WR), indicated by the number of 1.1 m3 containers emptied per unit of time, and the work pulse rate (WPR) were determined in the data evaluation. The work pulse rate increases with the work rate. The functional relationship can be approximated by a linear regression function (WPR = 20.9 + 35.8.WR). The work pulse rate reaches such high values that it must be assumed that the work cannot be performed continuously throughout the whole working day. Consequently, regular breaks should be provided. When determining the necessary duration of the breaks, it was assumed that an equilibrium between fatigue and recovery should be maintained during the working day. The recovery breaks should be at least long enough for the heart rate to return to the resting level. The necessary duration of the breaks was determined on the basis of the present field study and the laboratory investigations described in the literature. A minimum duration of 10 min per working hour results from the calculations. The breaks should be taken regularly at about hourly intervals. A transportation-capacity model is provided for the planning of the deployment of refuse workers. It permits calculation of the number of 1.1 m3 containers a three-man crew, comprising the refuse collection truck driver and two loaders, can empty during one shift. Both the logistical and ergonomic transportation capacities can be determined using the model. The logistical transportation capacity (TCL) indicates the number of containers which can be emptied per shift by a crew when only criteria such as the optimal utilization of the working time are considered. The ergonomic transportation capacity (TCE) is understood as the number of containers which can be emptied per shift taking into consideration the workers' strain and the recovery breaks they require. TCE amounts to between about 140 and 160 containers per shift depending on the type of city district. TCL is higher by between 20 and 30 containers per shift. In order to meet the demand of protecting workers' health, the number of containers to be emptied per shift by a three-man crew should not exceed the ergonomic transportation capacity.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Reducing back stress to nursing personnel: an ergonomic intervention in a nursing home.

A prospective epidemiologic study was conducted in two units (140 beds and 57 nursing assistants) of a nursing home to demonstrate the efficacy of an ergonomic intervention strategy to reduce back stress to nursing personnel. The total programme involved the following: determining patient handling tasks perceived to be most stressful by the nursing assistants (NAs); performing an ergonomic evaluation of these tasks; and conducting a laboratory study to select patient transferring devices perceived to produce less physical stress than existing manual patient-handling methods. The intervention phase included training NAs in the use of these devices, modifying toilets and shower rooms, and applying techniques to patient care. Immediately after completing the intervention programme, a post-intervention analysis (which lasted eight months in unit 1 and four months in unit 2) was performed. A biomechanical evaluation of the physical demands required to perform stressful patient-handling tasks showed that the mean compressive force on the L5/S1 disc, the mean hand force required to make a transfer, and the strength requirements (expressed as percentage female population capable) were 1964 N, 122 N, and 83% after intervention as compared to 4751 N, 312 N, and 41% before intervention. Subjectively, the mean rating of perceived exertion was less than 'very light' after intervention as compared to between 'somewhat hard' and 'hard' before intervention. Overall, the mean acceptability rates for the walking belt and the mechanical hoist were 81% and 87% for patient transfers. The incidence rate for back injuries prior to the intervention, 83 per 200,000 work-hours, decreased to 47 per 200,000 work-hours after the intervention. There were no injuries resulting in lost or restricted work days during the last four months of the post-intervention. It is concluded that an appropriate ergonomic intervention programme offers great promise in reducing physical stress and risk of low-back pain to nursing personnel. However, large-scale studies in different nursing homes are needed to confirm the above findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

The industrial back problem: role of the industrial hygienist and ergonomics.

This article discusses a major and costly problem in industry today--the industrial back problem. What does industrial hygiene have to do with back accident problems? This article relates the problem to the basic philosphy of industrial hygiene and ergonomics. Information is provided to give the reader a better understanding of the back problem. The role of industrial hygiene and ergonomics is explained as a help to industry in curbing the high costs and workdays lost due to perplexing back problems in industry.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Ergonomic workplace assessment in a health care context.

Nurses, together with other groups in the caring professions, show a high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries as a consequence of the handling of equipment and patients. This is an internationally recognized consequence of the work in these professions, and studies worldwide have investigated these problems. The UK Health and Safety Executive, as well as the European Community (EC) Directives, require workplaces to be assessed for their hazardousness. Ergonomics is the recognized discipline in relation to assessing whether the work, equipment, or environment match the capacities of the people concerned. An assessment procedure is presented, together with proposals for its use, which can form the basis for the ergonomic assessment of workplaces in health care, and give guidance for their improvement.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1992

Musculoskeletal discomfort in grocery express checkstand workers. An ergonomic intervention study.

An intervention study of cashiers at a large grocery store was begun in response to employee symptoms of musculoskeletal discomfort, primarily shoulder, neck, and upper back pain, after introduction of a new express checkstand. The grocery company then instituted workplace changes directed at reducing stressful postures and the discomfort in the anatomical sites of primary concern. These changes were placement of a physical barrier to reduce trunk flexion from overreaching, installation of an adjustable keyboard to reduce static shoulder stress, and education of employees about good workplace practices to reduce musculoskeletal stress and fatigue. There was a statistically significant reduction in neck, upper back, or shoulder discomfort but not arm, forearm, or wrist discomfort. There was also a significant reduction in employee use of medication and days to recovery from discomfort but not in overall number of employees with symptoms or in hours able to operate the checkstand without discomfort. We found that ergonomic interventions, directed to the anatomical site of greatest employee concern, are likely to be effective, that employees were a good source of information on the ergonomic problems and solutions in their workplace, but that the overall approach must be iterative to achieve the maximum effect.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Ergonomic design of machinery for use in the cold. A review based on the literature and original research.

The main purpose of this paper is to identify some important problems associated with ergonomics of the human-machine-task-environment system under cold conditions. Practical examples of stress, strain and accident risks based on the literature and original research are given, and needs and possibilities for improving the ergonomic design of machinery are described. The awareness of designers to the demands set by cold conditions should be increased. Both the need for better operability and the need for better maintainability of machinery in the cold argue for the development of a new, systematic engineering design methodology.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Toward an understanding of dynamic variables in ergonomics.

Although researchers have shown that dynamic activity may greatly increase the predicted loading experienced by a joint, most ergonomic assessments in the workplace have focused on the postures of the workers and the loads imposed on a joint due to these postures, ignoring the influence of dynamic motion on joint loading. Current technologic advancements now allow the performance of dynamic ergonomic assessments that were impossible a few years ago. This chapter reviews the recent efforts to understand how occupational settings influence the joint motions and subsequent risk of suffering an injury or illness, including the effect of trunk motion on the reaction of joint-supporting structures and the subsequent loading of the spine and wrist. The back appears to be sensitive to the velocity component of motion, and the wrist to acceleration.

Ergonomics↗
PubMed1992

Psychological and ergonomic aspects of work with video display terminals.

Forty-nine operators of video display terminals were administered a questionnaire on subjective complaints in connection with work conditions. Measurements of non-ionizing and ionizing radiation emissions during normal operation of video display terminals showed them to be within permissible levels. A detailed ergonomic analysis of equipment and workstations was also performed. Results showed a high occurrence of subjective complaints, significant differences between age subgroups in a few variables, and significant correlation between sets of variables of some perceived ergonomic features and subjective complaints.

Adult↗