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ERGONOMICS
ASYSTEMSAPPROACH
EditedbyIsabelL.Nunes
ERGONOMICS–
ASYSTEMSAPPROACH
EditedbyIsabelL.Nunes
Ergonomics – A Systems Approach
Edited by Isabel L. Nunes
Published by InTech
Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Copyright © 2012 InTech
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Publishing Process Manager Martina Blecic
Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic
Cover Designer InTech Design Team
First published April, 2012
Printed in Croatia
A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com
Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com
Ergonomics – A Systems Approach, Edited by Isabel L. Nunes
p. cm.
ISBN 978-953-51-0601-2
Contents
Preface IX
Chapter 1 Work-Related Musculoskeletal
Disorders Assessment and Prevention 1
Isabel L. Nunes
and Pamela McCauley Bush
Chapter 2 Work-Related Musculoskeletal Discomfort
in the Shoulder due to Computer Use 31
Orhan Korhan
Chapter 3 Ergonomic Impact of Spinal Loading and Recovery
Positions on Intervertebral Disc Health: Strategies
for Prevention and Management of Low Back Pain 51
S. Christopher Owens, Dale A. Gerke and Jean-Michel Brismée
Chapter 4 A Comparison of Software Tools for
Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomic Research 65
Pamela McCauley Bush, Susan Gaines,
Fatina Gammoh and Shanon Wooden
Chapter 5 Measurement Instruments for Ergonomics
Surveys – Methodological Guidelines 119
Marina Zambon Orpinelli Coluci
Chapter 6 Biomechanical Assessment of Lower
Limbs Using Support Moment Measure
at Walking Worker Assembly Lines 131
Atiya Al-Zuheri, Lee Luong and Ke Xing
Chapter 7 Usability of Interfaces 155
Mário Simões-Marques and Isabel L. Nunes
Chapter 8 User Experience Design:
Beyond User Interface Design and Usability 171
Wei Xu
VI Contents
Chapter 9 Higher Efficiency in Operations Can Be
Achieved with More Focus on the Operator 193
Per Lundmark
Chapter 10 Critical Thinking Skills
for Intelligence Analysis 209
Douglas H. Harris and V. Alan Spiker
Preface
Ergonomics, alsoknownasHuman Factors,isarecentscientificdiscipline,curiously
with a well‐defined and official date and place of birth, July 12, 1949, in England.
HoweverthetermErgonomics,wasproposedin1857,by thePolishphilosopherand
naturalistWojciechJastrzebowskiandfellintooblivionfornearly
acentury.Theword
Ergonomics results from joining the Greek words ergon meaningʺworkʺ and nomos
meaningʺnatural lawsʺ, and conveys the concern of understanding the relationships
betweenhumansandtheirworkenvironment.
Ergonomics in spite of its short existence, gathers a broad body of knowledge from
different disciplines in
order to fit the workplace conditions and job demands to the
capabilities of workers. Its main goal is to ensure humans well‐being, health, and
safetywhilemaximizingtheperformanceofproductionsystems.Productionsystems,
however, are a complex combination of physical, organisational and psychosocial
dimensions. Therefore Ergonomics offers principles and methods to analyse and
improve this multitude of interactions. Despite production systems being the main
focusofErgonomics,itsinterventionextendsbeyondworksystems,tootheraspectsof
ourdailylives,likeproductdesign,leisureorsport.
This book isthe resultof an InTech initiativetobring together reputable
researchers
fromdifferentcountriesthatcouldprovideaninterestingandup‐to‐dateoverviewof
different Ergonomic research applications, practices and methodologies. The 10
chapterspresenttheresearchworkof 19authorsfrom 6differentcountries,andthey
cover the following themes: work related musculoskeletal disorders; methods in
Ergonomics;usability
anduser‐experiencedesign;efficiencyinoperations,andcritical
thinkingskills.Abriefoutlineofthevolumeispresentedhereafter.
Chapter1offersanoverviewonwork‐relatedmusculoskeletaldisorders(WMSD).The
recognition that the wor k may adversely affect health is not new, since
musculoskeletal disorders have been diagnosed for many
years in the medical field.
WMSDarerelatedwithrepetitiveanddemandingworkingconditionsandcontinueto
representoneofthebiggestproblems inindustrializedcountries.WMSDarea group
of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the locomotion system, which result
fromoccupationalriskfactorssuchasrepetition,forceorawkwardpostureaswellas
individual and psychosocial risk factors. This chapter presents WMSD causes,
X Preface
pathophysiological mechanisms, characterization of the principal disorders and
proceduresforworkplaceanalysisanddesign.
Chapter 2 presents the risk factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders in
shoulders resulting from intensive us e of computers. The ri sk factors of
musculoskeletal disorders were revealed by assessing and analyzing workplace
ergonomics, worker attitudes and experiences
on the use of the computer keyboard
and mouse. This was followed by an experimental data collection of muscle load,
muscleforceandmuscularfatiguefromtheshoulderbySurfaceelectromyographyto
validateandverifytheproposedmathematicalmodel.
Chapter3recognisesthatthemanagementoflowbackpain,particularly
workrelated
injuries,isverycontroversialandthatmanydifferenttreatmentapproacheshavebeen
tried, ranging from osteopathic manipulations to work hardening programs. This
chapter addresses low back pain reviewing the anatomical, biomechanical, and
physiological mechanisms that contribute to the health of the lumbar spine with
particularemphasisontheintervertebral
disc(IVD);consideringthemechanismsthat
maycausepainanddysfunctioninthelumbarspine;andpresentingspecificstrategies
for prevention and management of work related low back pain based on the
biomechanicalandphysiologicalresponseofthelumbarIVD.
Chapter 4 is devoted to the comparison of software tools
for occupational
biomechanicsandergonomicresearch.Itprovidesasurveyonselectedbiomechanical
software tools and gives a detailed analysis and a comparison of two specialized
packages, 3DSSPP and JACK as well as examples of applications where one or the
othermaybebettersuited.
Chapter5presentsadescription of
methodologicalguidelinesusedtoprepareanew
questionnaireortoadaptanexistingone.Ergonomicsurveysareveryimportanttools
to evaluate and identify problems in workplaces (such as industries, hospitals, and
laboratories),sincestrategiestotackletheergonomicissuescanbederivedfromtheir
results.Therefore,thesurveysshould
becarefullypreparedtoobtaininformationina
clear and reliable way. Usually, ergonomic surveys are based on measurement
instruments (questionnaires) that are applied to workers on the workplace to collect
thenecessaryinformation.
Chapter 6 discusses the need for dynamic, flexible and reconfigurable assembly
systems, which are able to respond
adequately to changes in the characteristics and
demandsofthemarket.ThechapterpresentstheWalkingWorkerAssemblyLine,in
which each worker utilizes various skills and functions by travelling along the
manufacturing line to carry out all the required tasks. The authors argue that this
flexible manpower line (or
flexible assembly line) approach is one of the promising
techniques for configuring effective and productive assembly systems, responding
welltothechallengesofthemanufacturingindustry.
Preface XI
Chapter 7 is dedicated to usability. In recent years the knowledge media support
migrated from “pen and paper” to computer‐based Information Systems. This
evolutionintroducedsometechnological,organizational,andmethodologicalchanges
affectingthedemand,workloadandstressovertheworkers,manytimesinanegative
way. Due to this fact
usability assumed an increasing importance. This chapter
presentsanoverviewofthegeneralprinciplestoobservewhena user‐centreddesign
isadopted,providesasummaryofmethodsandtoolsthatareavailabletosupportthe
design and evaluation of products with good usability, and offers examples of
guidelinesand
goodpracticesthatcanbeadopted.
Chapter 8 discusses major challenges faced by current user‐centred design practices,
proposesauserexperiencedesign(UXD)frameworktoaddressthesechallenges,and
analyses three case studies to illustrate the UXD approach and formalize the UXD
processes.
Chapter 9 discusses how human operators are
an integral part of automated control
systemsandusingasystematic designapproach presentsanewcontrol roomthatis
operator‐focused, in order tocreatea safer and securerenvironment, contributingto
efficiencyinoperations.
Chapter 10 is devoted to critical thinking skills for intelligence analysis, focusing on
that
aspect of ergonomics research that seeks to understand how people engage in
cognitiveworkandhowtodevelopsystemsandtrainingthat bestsupportthatwork.
Adefinitionandamodelofcriticalthinkingarepresented.
I hope this book will encourage readers, namely academic researchers and company
managers interested in Ergonomics and its applications, to pursue the challenge of
transformingworkplacesintosaferandhealthierplacestoworkwhileoptimizingthe
worksystemperformance.
I would like tothankInTechforthe invitationtobe aneditor and toMartina Blecic,
Publishing ProcessManager,for organizing thisbook.I would
also liketothank the
authorsandotherpersonswhohelpedandencouragedmetomakethisbookareality.
IsabelL.Nunes,M.S.,Ph.D.
CentreofTechnologiesandSystems,
FaculdadedeCiênciaseTecnologia,
UniversidadeNovadeLisboa,Caparica,
Portugal
[...]... over affected area Same symptoms as tendonitis Pain, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, wasting of muscles at base of thumb, dry palm Pain at the base of thumb Pain, numbness, swelling of the hands Pain Table 4 Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, Symptoms and Risk Factors (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2011) 18 Ergonomics – A Systems Approach 3 Procedure for workplace analysis... the categories (or modules) were compared, analytic Hierarchy Processing (AHP) analysis was conducted to determine the relative significance of each of the modules: task, personal and organizational characteristics The relative significance (priority weights) obtained for the task, personal, and organizational characteristics are listed in Table 11 The task characteristics module received a relative... each other The psychological strain may impact physical strain by increasing the muscle tension, while the physical strain can influence psychological strain Individual characteristics such as physical and psychological tolerance to fatigue and resistance to stress may moderate many of the above relationships Thus: ‘14’ physical capacity may moderate the relationship between the physical work demands... work demands and physical strain; ‘15’ coping mechanisms may moderate the relationship between psychological work demands and physiological strain; ‘16’ capacity and internal tolerances can impact the extent to which physical and psychological strain affect each other; ‘17’ and ‘18’ indicate that the physical and psychological strain can cause changes in physiological responses, which can provide new... to changes in work style, increased muscle tension or psychological stress ‘11’ and ‘12’ show that the physical and psychological demands of work can have a direct impact on the individual characteristics of workers, through mechanisms of adaptation such as improving their physical or psychological capacity; ‘13’ is a reciprocal pathway that shows that the physical and psychological strains can influence... intended for use as a method obtain the likelihood for WMSD risk for a specific individual performing a task at a given organization The research identified three broad categories (modules) for WMSD risk factors as task-related, personal-related and organizational-related classifications Within each of these categories, additional factors were identified The items identified as risk factors for each of the... countries (EU27, Norway, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo) concluded that European workers remain exposed to physical hazards, which means that many Europeans’ jobs still involve physical labour For instance, 33% of workers carry heavy loads at least a quarter of their working time, while 23% are exposed to vibrations About half of all workers (46%)... Ergonomics – A Systems Approach Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Assessment and Prevention 13 As referred non-professional activities can also contribute to the development of WMSD, thus we can add to this model a pathway ‘36’ that represent sport or domestic activities The pathway should impact the ‘physical strain’ box 2.3 The most relevant WMSD and risk factors WRMD are classified according to the affected... suggested to be related to increased fatty tissue within the carpal canal or to increased hydrostatic pressure throughout the carpal canal in obese persons compared with slender persons (Werner et al, 1994) Carpal tunnel canal size and wrist size has been suggested as a risk factor for CTS; however, some studies have linked both small and large canal areas to CTS (Bleecker, et al., 1985; Winn & Habes, 1990)... personal characteristics module had a relative weight of 0.258, less than half of the relative weight of the task characteristics module Finally, the organizational characteristics module received the smallest relative weight, 0.105 Ranking Module Relative Weight 1 Task 0.637 2 Personal 0.258 3 Organizational 0.105 Table 11 AHP Results: Module Risk Comparison Determination of Aggregate Risk Level After . Disorder Japan, Sweden
Occupational Overuse Syndrome Australia
Repetitive Strain Injury Australia, Canada, Netherlands
Work-Related Neck and Upper Limb. load,
muscleforceandmuscularfatiguefromtheshoulderbySurfaceelectromyographyto
validateandverifytheproposedmathematicalmodel.
Chapter3recognisesthatthemanagementoflowbackpain,particularly
workrelated
injuries,isverycontroversialandthatmanydifferenttreatmentapproacheshavebeen
tried,
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