Ergonomics

Buscando verificar os constrangimentos sofridos pelos trabalhadores rurais que operam máquinas agrícolas motorizadas realizou-se a Análise Ergonômica do Trabalho (AET) em uma instituição de ensino da rede federal. Como ferramenta de avaliação das condições físicas do operador foi aplicado o Questionário Nórdico Padrão. Como protocolos de observação empregaram-se Moore e Garg e o Rapid Upeer Limb Assessment (Rula). Os programas computacionais que apoiaram o estudo foram o Ergolândia® (aplicação da equação do National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Niosh), Antroprojeto® (estimativa de comprimentos de partes do corpo) e Kinovea® (edição de vídeo para análise biomecânica). Contatou-se, pelos protocolos aplicados, que as atividades de condução do motocultivador, levantamento das tampas da carroceria e partida manual do motor apresentam necessidade de intervenção ergonômica imediata.

Social Networking sites has become an integral part of communication; through which people stay in touch, keep themselves aware of new developments and connect with the world around them. IT professionals observed this pattern of behavior in regards to the usage of social Networking sites as tools among employers and inculcated innovativeness in the process. As a result social Networking sites got introduced into the world of IT Sector and other inter disciplines. Such practices of social Networking Sites applications were captured and categorized them under various functions performed in IT Sector. With the world in the midst of a social networking, it is more important that social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, orkut, MySpace, Skype etc., are used comprehensively for the purpose of communication. One of the most important advantages of the use of social networking sites is to share knowledge and information among the different groups of people. This manner of sharing inf...

Migration is feared to be associated with abandonment and depression in older parents "left behind" in rural areas of low-and middle-income countries. Objective: To test for prospective associations between (1) out-migration of all children and subsequent depression in parents and (2) having a child move back and an improvement in parents' depression. Design: A cohort study with a 1-year follow-up. Setting: A population-based study nested in a demographic surveillance site of 100 villages in rural Thailand. Most out-migration is to the capital city. Participants: A stratified random sample of 1111 parents 60 years and older (1 per household) drawn from all 100 villages, of whom 960 (86%) provided depression data at follow-up. Main Outcome Measures: Scoring 6 or more on the Thai version of the EURO-D depression scale at follow-up. Results: Depression prevalence was 22%. At baseline, 155 (16%) had all their children migrated from the district and 806 (84%) had at least 1 child living in the district. Having all children out-migrated at baseline, compared with having none or some children out-migrated, predicted a smaller odds of depression, after controlling for baseline sociodemographic and health measures (odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20-0.92). Having a child move back in the study year was associated with greater odds of depression at follow-up when adjusted for baseline measures (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.04-2.94), although this was no longer significant after adjusting for changes in disability and marital status since baseline (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 0.99-2.98). Conclusions: Contrary to our hypothesis, parents whose children are not migrants may be at greater risk of depression than those with migrant children. More understanding is needed about the risks for depression in older rural populations and about the effectiveness of interventions.

Abstract. The FP7 EU project ISi-PADAS aims at conceiving an intelligent system, called PADAS, to support drivers, which intervenes continuously from warning up to automatic braking in the whole longitudinal control of the vehicle. However, such supporting systems can have some unwanted sideeffect: due to the presence of automation in the driving task, less attention and reaction are needed by the drivers to intervene in the longitudinal control of the vehicle. Such a paper aims at investigating the effects of the level of automation on drivers, in particular on their Situation Awareness, when the user is supported by a specific PADAS application, integrated with a driver’s distraction classifier.

Research on human factors related to railway operation and maintenance has, to an extent, been the neglected branch of transport ergonomics. Despite the numerous reports of ergonomics programs in a variety of industries, no examples of implementing ergonomics interventions in the railway vehicle maintenance workshop have been reported. In this study, a maintenance process at a railway workshop was studied and analyzed with special reference to working posture and maintenance repair time. The working postures of two maintenance personnel were obtained and analyzed using OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysis System). From the results, it was clearly indicated that poor working posture was a frequent occurrence during the maintenance activities. It can be concluded that the introduction and implementation of ergonomics principles at the railway maintenance workshop must be considered in order to reduce the poor working postures, maintenance repair time and to improve maintainability and productivity.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate chronicity (frequency) in different abuse types (e.g. psychological) and overall abuse (all abuse types) by severity (minor, severe, total) in seven European cities, and scrutinize factors associated with high chronicity levels (frequency on the median and higher) in psychological and overall abuse by severity. Design/methodology/approach – The study design was cross-sectional. The sample consisted of 4,467 randomly selected women/men (2,559 women) aged 60-84 years from seven European cities, and data were analysed with bivariate and multivariate methods. Findings – Chronicity varied across country and by abuse type. For instance, Germany had the highest chronicity means in physical and sexual abuse; Greece in physical, injury, sexual and overall abuse; Lithuania in physical, injury, financial and overall abuse; Portugal in physical abuse; Spain in physical, sexual and financial abuse; and Sweden in psychological, injury, financi...

Background and objective: Abuse and pain complaints are common among older persons. However, little is known about relationships between abuse (e.g. psychological) and pain complaints (e.g. backache) among older persons while considering other factors (e.g. depression). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine these relationships. The design was cross-sectional. A total of 4467 women and men aged 60-84 years from Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden answered questionnaires regarding various areas such as abuse, mental health (e.g. anxiety) and pain complaints (e.g. backache). The data were examined with bivariate (analyses of variance) and multivariate methods (linear regressions). The bivariate analyses showed that psychological abuse was connected with all pain complaints; physical with headache and head pressure; sexual with neck or shoulder pain and headache; injury with all complaints (except pain in joints or limbs); financial with pain in joints or limbs and head pressure; and overall abuse (one or more types) with all complaints (except headache). The regressions showed that psychological abuse increased Peer review under the responsibility of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.

El proyecto AreYouFine? ha promovido el desarrollo de un curso online sobre nuevas metodologias de analisis biomecanico para la mejora de la evaluacion clinica de los principales trastornos musculoesqueleticos prevalentes en Europa y su adaptacion a las diferentes realidades profesionales y medico-legales en diversos paises de la UE. Los profesionales que han participado en el curso AreYouFine? destacan su utilidad e idoneidad.

A good work posture is one of vital contributors to occupational health and to increase the efficiency of industrial workers. Recently, numerous research works have developed an Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system for work posture assessment; however, usability of the developed system remains unknown. The objective of this study was to develop a prototype of Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system. Additionally, this study performed usability testing on the Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system and RULA Employee Assessment Worksheet to determine feedbacks and reactions from the potential users. A focus group session was conducted among eight potential users, which divided into 2 groups (novice and expert). The results of the focus group session revealed that both novice and expert users agreed that the Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system is easy to use compared to RULA Employee Assessment Worksheet. This study concluded that the Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system is able to counter some limitations of the RULA Employee Assessment Worksheet.

Resumen La cuarta revolucion industrial tiene gran relevancia para la ergonomia en el lugar de trabajo. Estos dos temas estan estrechamente entrelazados. Este proyecto tiene como objetivo realizar una primera evaluacion para dar a conocer si se cuenta con ergonomia aplicada, en las operaciones de una maquiladora. Se aplico una encuesta tipo Likert considerando cinco variables mas recurrentes para identificar areas de oportunidad de manera oportuna. Se llevo a cabo la prueba de hipotesis, aceptando la HI: Mas del 80% de las operaciones utilizadas en produccion laser, de una maquiladora de Piedras Negras, Coahuila cuenta con ergonomia aplicada. Esto se realizo con la finalidad de crear un programa de mejora continua en la observacion de los procesos, identificando los factores de riesgo.

Ao meu orientador, Antônio Tarcísio da Luz Reis, pela dedicação, criteriosa orientação, ensinamentos e apoio em todos os momentos. Ao Émerson, meu amor, pela compreensão, paciência, apoio, carinho e ajuda imprescindível, especialmente nos questionários e na revisão dos textos. Aos meus pais e irmãs pelo exemplo, incentivo, ajuda, confiança e amizade. Aos sogros, cunhadas e familiares, pela compreensão e apoio. À Magali, pelo apoio imprescindível nesta caminhada. À querida amiga Ingrid, pela ajuda técnica e pela amizade sempre presente. Às amigas Albanisa e Mariana pelo apoio e disponibilidade em ajudar. À amiga Doris, incentivadora da minha trajetória na pesquisa acadêmica. Aos meus chefes Debora e Custódio, pela compreensão em relação às ausências e solicitações. Aos colegas da Prefeitura Municipal de Porto Alegre, especialmente aos da Equipe do Patrimônio Histórico e Cultural (EPAHC), da Secretaria Municipal de Gestão (SMGAE), da Empresa Pública de Transporte e Circulação (EPTC), da Secretaria do Planejamento (SPM) e da Secretaria de Acessibilidade (SEACIS), pela contribuição e prontidão em ajudar sempre que solicitado. Aos respondentes dos questionários e àqueles que contribuíram na sua divulgação, especialmente: às arquitetas Flávia e Regina; ao conselheiro do COMDEPA e colega da SEACIS William; ao organizador da ONG Caminhadores, Rotechild; ao Sr. Guacir, da ASASEPODE; ao Marcelo da Egalitê; ao Sr. Roberto, do COEPEDE. Ao PROPUR, especialmente à Mariluz, pela solicitude e apoio. Aos colegas do PROPUR pela troca de experiências e pela amizade, em especial às queridas Márcia, Patrícia e Elenice. À UFRGS pela oportunidade. Esta pesquisa aborda, embasada na percepção dos usuários, o mobiliário urbano e a sua relação com a estética da paisagem e com o uso dos espaços abertos públicos. Com relação à estética, foram investigados diferentes modelos de abrigos de transporte, cabines telefônicas e bancas de serviços, considerando os elementos individualmente e inseridos em cenas urbanas. As avaliações foram realizadas com arquitetos, não-arquitetos com curso superior e pessoas sem formação universitária, com o objetivo de verificar as possíveis diferenças nas interpretações desses grupos. Com relação ao uso, foi desenvolvida uma análise relativa ao posicionamento de abrigos de ônibus em diferentes dimensões de calçadas, considerando a percepção de usuários em cadeiras de rodas, pois tais respondentes apresentam maior necessidade de espaço para a sua locomoção. A coleta dos dados foi realizada por meio de levantamentos de arquivo e levantamentos de campo, através da aplicação de questionários pela Internet. A análise dos dados utilizou testes estatísticos não-paramétricos e avaliações qualitativas. Os resultados relativos à estética, de maneira geral, evidenciaram que as características formais do mobiliário urbano mais satisfatórias à maioria das pessoas relacionam-se à neutralidade, a pouca variação entre elementos compositivos e à configuração geométrica simples. Tais constatações foram encontradas na análise dos elementos quando considerados isoladamente e quando inseridos na paisagem. Em relação aos grupos de respondentes, embora tenham sido verificadas diferenças nas avaliações, a pesquisa demonstrou que a formação acadêmica não interfere a ponto de apresentar divergências relevantes quanto às preferências estéticas. A investigação também constatou que as cenas em que o mobiliário se constitui em barreira visual tendem a ser julgadas negativamente. Os resultados relativos ao uso, por sua vez, indicaram que o posicionamento dos abrigos de ônibus que tende a ser mais satisfatório às pessoas em cadeiras de rodas é junto às fachadas das edificações, mantendo uma faixa livre de circulação entre o abrigo e o meio-fio. Por fim, a pesquisa permitiu enaltecer a importância de considerar as opiniões dos usuários no projeto e na implantação do mobiliário urbano para que tais elementos sejam satisfatórios quanto à estética e ao uso.

Ao meu orientador, Antônio Tarcísio da Luz Reis, pela dedicação, criteriosa orientação, ensinamentos e apoio em todos os momentos. Ao Émerson, meu amor, pela compreensão, paciência, apoio, carinho e ajuda imprescindível, especialmente nos questionários e na revisão dos textos. Aos meus pais e irmãs pelo exemplo, incentivo, ajuda, confiança e amizade. Aos sogros, cunhadas e familiares, pela compreensão e apoio. À Magali, pelo apoio imprescindível nesta caminhada. À querida amiga Ingrid, pela ajuda técnica e pela amizade sempre presente. Às amigas Albanisa e Mariana pelo apoio e disponibilidade em ajudar. À amiga Doris, incentivadora da minha trajetória na pesquisa acadêmica. Aos meus chefes Debora e Custódio, pela compreensão em relação às ausências e solicitações. Aos colegas da Prefeitura Municipal de Porto Alegre, especialmente aos da Equipe do Patrimônio Histórico e Cultural (EPAHC), da Secretaria Municipal de Gestão (SMGAE), da Empresa Pública de Transporte e Circulação (EPTC), da Secretaria do Planejamento (SPM) e da Secretaria de Acessibilidade (SEACIS), pela contribuição e prontidão em ajudar sempre que solicitado. Aos respondentes dos questionários e àqueles que contribuíram na sua divulgação, especialmente: às arquitetas Flávia e Regina; ao conselheiro do COMDEPA e colega da SEACIS William; ao organizador da ONG Caminhadores, Rotechild; ao Sr. Guacir, da ASASEPODE; ao Marcelo da Egalitê; ao Sr. Roberto, do COEPEDE. Ao PROPUR, especialmente à Mariluz, pela solicitude e apoio. Aos colegas do PROPUR pela troca de experiências e pela amizade, em especial às queridas Márcia, Patrícia e Elenice. À UFRGS pela oportunidade. Esta pesquisa aborda, embasada na percepção dos usuários, o mobiliário urbano e a sua relação com a estética da paisagem e com o uso dos espaços abertos públicos. Com relação à estética, foram investigados diferentes modelos de abrigos de transporte, cabines telefônicas e bancas de serviços, considerando os elementos individualmente e inseridos em cenas urbanas. As avaliações foram realizadas com arquitetos, não-arquitetos com curso superior e pessoas sem formação universitária, com o objetivo de verificar as possíveis diferenças nas interpretações desses grupos. Com relação ao uso, foi desenvolvida uma análise relativa ao posicionamento de abrigos de ônibus em diferentes dimensões de calçadas, considerando a percepção de usuários em cadeiras de rodas, pois tais respondentes apresentam maior necessidade de espaço para a sua locomoção. A coleta dos dados foi realizada por meio de levantamentos de arquivo e levantamentos de campo, através da aplicação de questionários pela Internet. A análise dos dados utilizou testes estatísticos não-paramétricos e avaliações qualitativas. Os resultados relativos à estética, de maneira geral, evidenciaram que as características formais do mobiliário urbano mais satisfatórias à maioria das pessoas relacionam-se à neutralidade, a pouca variação entre elementos compositivos e à configuração geométrica simples. Tais constatações foram encontradas na análise dos elementos quando considerados isoladamente e quando inseridos na paisagem. Em relação aos grupos de respondentes, embora tenham sido verificadas diferenças nas avaliações, a pesquisa demonstrou que a formação acadêmica não interfere a ponto de apresentar divergências relevantes quanto às preferências estéticas. A investigação também constatou que as cenas em que o mobiliário se constitui em barreira visual tendem a ser julgadas negativamente. Os resultados relativos ao uso, por sua vez, indicaram que o posicionamento dos abrigos de ônibus que tende a ser mais satisfatório às pessoas em cadeiras de rodas é junto às fachadas das edificações, mantendo uma faixa livre de circulação entre o abrigo e o meio-fio. Por fim, a pesquisa permitiu enaltecer a importância de considerar as opiniões dos usuários no projeto e na implantação do mobiliário urbano para que tais elementos sejam satisfatórios quanto à estética e ao uso.

Organisational competence in Human Factors and UX (user experience) has not been looked at before despite its relevance to project success. We define organisational competence as the collective competence of the individuals, bringing together their complementary abilities to deliver an outcome that is typically more than the sum of its parts. Twenty-two UX and Human Factors practitioners were interviewed about their project work in two contrasting domains: web design and safety-critical systems to explore organisational competences. Through doing a FRAM analysis, 29 functions and 6 main areas of competences were identified: the central project process; the process of learning about the problem; maintaining and developing client relations; staff development; evolving practices; and the management of documentation for audit and quality control. These dynamic and situated competences form a web of interactions. Managing competences is essential for project success. Implications for managing careers, project tactics and organisational strategy are discussed.

In the area of the design and physiotherapy, the using of virtual technologies for immersion of users are spreading. And this affirmation extends to several areas of knowledge. In games, the quote is, resources are being used to work cognitive skills, attention, memory, among other factors beside the children. Currently, at the expense of usability, low cost, virtual technologies of perception and interaction, as Nintendo Wii, X-Box 360, among others, arises therefore a new class of games called Exergames, which is the union of physical activity the game. This fact gives users the development of sensory and motor skills through virtual reality mechanisms suitable for certain needs. This literature review aimed to provide an overview of the current context of Exergames, especially in use for controlling childhood obesity, which is growing alarmingly, with some features, applications and possibilities for use at the design and other areas such as physiotherapy.

UKM Dian Handycraft terletak di Desa Sentolo merupakan UKM yang memproduksi berbagai kerajinan tangan yang berbahan baku serat alam. Serat alam yang digunakan berupa, serat agel, enceng gondok, pandan, dan rami. Salah satu proses produksi yang dilakukan adalah proses pemintalan. Proses ini masih dilakukan secara manual dan postur kerja yang kurang ergonomis. Hasil observasi awal menunjukkan bahwa terdapat keluhan pada bagian-bagian tubuh tertentu pekerja. Berdasarkan kondisi tersebut diperlukan pengadaan mesin pemintal untuk memperbaiki postur kerja operator sehingga dapat mengurangi keluhan musculoskeletal serta melakukan analisis untuk mengetahui perbandingan sebelum dan sesudah menggunakan mesin. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah Rapid Upper Limb Assesment (RULA). Hasil penelitian ini adalah Skor RULA. Implementasi mesin yang dilakukan menunjukkan bahwa skor action level sebelum menggunakan mesin adalah 3, sedangkan skor action level sesudah menggunakan mesin adalah 2 yang be...

A sustentabilidade ambiental e um aspecto crucial para o projeto de equipamentos de mobiliario urbano, tendo em vista a reducao dos impactos nas diversas fases do ciclo de vida, como extracao de materias-primas, fabricacao, transporte, montagem, manutencao e destinacao final apos o periodo de vida util. Este artigo apresenta a avaliacao dos aspectos de sustentabilidade ambiental relacionados a um novo modelo de abrigo de onibus desenvolvido para a cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais – Brasil, no qual se percebe a ausencia de integracao dos aspectos de ecoeficiencia do produto. Para uma possivel melhoria dos resultados ambientais, algumas prioridades sao apontadas e devem ser consideradas no projeto de design. Os metodos utilizados para avaliacao foram as ferramentas Diagrama de Estrategias de Ecodesign (DEE); Listas de Verificacao para Design do Ciclo de Vida; e Matriz MET (Materiais, Energia, Toxicidade). Um ponto importante observado e a capacidade de reciclabilidade do aco que...

To determine the workload and adequacy of sleep of personnel serving on Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines. Workload (watch standing, off watch work, and study) averages about 12 hours a day, with considerable individual variation. The smallest 30day average recorded was 7.4 hours,-the largest was 15.6 hours. For all ranks, study constituted a significant proportion of recorded work. Sleeping habits were affected by the 18-hour activity cycle created by the 6-hours-on, 12-hours-off watch schedule. Sleep may be considered mildly fragmented in that men averaged 1.3 sleep episodes of somewhat less than 6 hours duration in 24 hours, but the total daily quantity of sleep was judged adequate. Subjective sleep quality was slightly lower on patrol than in a post-patrol period. This report gives the most detailed description of the submarine work day available and may be of use in manpower management.

Objective: This paper describes the development and application of a novel multi-axis hand dynamometer for quantifying 2D grip force magnitude and direction in the flexion-extension plane of the fingers. Methods: A three-beam reconfigurable form dynamometer, containing two active beams for measuring orthogonal forces and moments regardless of point of force application, was designed, fabricated and tested. Maximum grip exertions were evaluated for 16 subjects gripping cylindrical handles varying in diameter. Results: Mean grip force magnitudes were 231 N (SD ¼ 67.7 N), 236 N (72.9 N), 208 N (72.5 N) and 158 N (45.7 N) for 3.81 cm, 5.08 cm, 6.35 cm and 7.62 cm diameter handles, respectively. Grip force direction rotated clockwise and the centre of pressure moved upward along the handle as handle diameter increased. Conclusions: Given that the multi-axis dynamometer simultaneously measures planar grip force magnitude and direction, and centre of pressure along the handle, this novel sensor design provides more grip force characteristics than current sensor designs that would improve evaluation of grip characteristics and model-driven calculations of musculoskeletal forces from dynamometer data.

Background-Hospital workers are a diverse population with high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The risk of MSD leading to workers' compensation (WC) claims is likely to show a gradient by socioeconomic status (SES) that may be partly explained by working conditions. -A single community hospital provided workforce demographics and WC claim records for 2003-2005. An ergonomic job exposure matrix (JEM) was developed for these healthcare jobs from direct observation of physical workload and extraction of physical and psychosocial job requirements from the O*NET online database. Occupational exposures and SES categories were assigned to workers through their O*NET job titles. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to estimate the propensity to file an injury claim in relation to individual factors, occupational exposures, and SES. Results-The jobs with the highest injury rates were nurses, semi-professionals, and semiskilled. Increased physical work and psychological demands along with low job tenure were associated with an increase in risk, while risk decreased with psychosocial rewards and supervisor support. Both occupational and individual factors mediated the relationship between SES and rate of injury claims. Conclusions-Physical and organizational features of these hospital jobs along with low job tenure predicted WC injury claim risk and explained a substantial proportion of the effects of SES. Further studies that include lifestyle risk factors and control for prior injuries and co-morbidities are warranted to strengthen the current study findings.

It is with deep gratitude that I would like to acknowledge the contributions, support, wisdom, forgiveness, and guidance that I have received from so many people that enabled me to get here. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of my father, Peter for his support, and tireless encouragement, my mother, Miriam for her wise counsel, and the design of the frontispiece of this dissertation, my partner, Julia for her understanding and encouragement, my uncle Martin J. Nathan for his support throughout my life, and the rest of my family who have served as role models of informed citizenry. My Advisor, Dr. Yili Liu has provided me honest, often poetic advice, for which I am very thankful. In addition to his advice, I appreciate his work and support throughout my dissertation. I would also like to acknowledge my dissertation committee, Dr. Jarod Kelly, for his assistance with Interactive Genetic Algorithms, Dr. Bernard Martin, for his training on biomechanics and feedback on my work, and Dr. Roman Kapuscinski for his support and advice throughout my graduate career. There have been a number of teachers who have had an impact on my pursuits that went far beyond their courses, including Mr.

It is with deep gratitude that I would like to acknowledge the contributions, support, wisdom, forgiveness, and guidance that I have received from so many people that enabled me to get here. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of my father, Peter for his support, and tireless encouragement, my mother, Miriam for her wise counsel, and the design of the frontispiece of this dissertation, my partner, Julia for her understanding and encouragement, my uncle Martin J. Nathan for his support throughout my life, and the rest of my family who have served as role models of informed citizenry. My Advisor, Dr. Yili Liu has provided me honest, often poetic advice, for which I am very thankful. In addition to his advice, I appreciate his work and support throughout my dissertation. I would also like to acknowledge my dissertation committee, Dr. Jarod Kelly, for his assistance with Interactive Genetic Algorithms, Dr. Bernard Martin, for his training on biomechanics and feedback on my work, and Dr. Roman Kapuscinski for his support and advice throughout my graduate career. There have been a number of teachers who have had an impact on my pursuits that went far beyond their courses, including Mr.

ÖZET Kurumlarda özellikle hizmet gereksinimlerinin karşılandığı bürolar, fiziksel ortamın düzenlenmesi verimlilik açısından önem kazanmaktadır. Fiziksel çevrenin kalitesi arttıkça çalışanların daha istekli olarak işe yöneldikleri, iş başarısının arttığı ve işlerin amaçlar doğrultusunda mobilize olmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, konu teorik boyutta değerlendirilip, bürolarda fiziksel çevre ortamının temel boyutları üzerinde durularak, olumsuz çevre faktörlerinin çalışanların verimlilikleri üzerindeki etkileri ortaya konulmaya çalışılacaktır. ABSTRACT In business, specially offices that meet to their service needs, physical environment is important for productivite. When physical environment quality rises, workers are more willing and rise their success and tend business goals. This research is about physical environment components and examine to influence upon workers this factors.

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to evaluate subjective hand discomfort in female production assembly workers. Thirty-seven females, working as assembly workers, aged from 22 to 54 years (with mean ± SE age of 36.4 ± 10.4 years) participated in this study. The mean (± SE) height, body mass and body mass index of the subjects were 166.8 ± 4.2 cm, 61.04 ± 9.5 kg and 21.9 ± 3.7 kg (m2)-1, respectively and their general employment stage as manufacturing worker was 7.35 ± 5.5 years. Thirty-five workers were right-handed. In the chosen factory was implemented the Lean manufacturing production together with a number of ergonomically designed work places. For the most part of the workday assembly workers sit on a chair or stand behind their working desk, driving screws into an aluminium plate with a pneumatic screwdriver. Discomfort in six regions of the hand, both right and left, was subjectively estimated by the Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaire. Total discomfort score was calc...

The aim of this study was to evaluate tile layers workload at a construction site and its influence to their working ability. The subjects (n = 8) were male tile layers (mean ± SE) age of 36 ± 3.6 years. First the subjects completed a questionnaire and thereafter they performed before and after the working day a test of tile setting on a special wall, where was 3 stages and every stage they must set correctly 14 tiles. In the course of test the electromyographical (EMG) power spectral median frequency (MF) of biceps brachii, trapezius, deltoideus and erector spinae muscles was measured (both sides). The results of questionnaire indicate that the tile layer's most burdened parts of the body were knees, lower back and upper back. Workers complained most about tiredness, skin irritations, dyscomfort in eyes, knee, leg, lower back and neck/shoulder pain. It is important emphasis that all tile layers were taking tiles from a left side. Objectively estimated muscle fatigue emerged before and after the working day when comparing EMG power spectral MF measured at the beginning and end of the tile setting test. The results indicated that the most burdened muscle was right erector spinae for all 3 stages. In case of physical work, it is advisable to make short breaks every hour, so as to avoid the problems caused by overload. The results of this study can be used by specialists of ergonomics and production managers.

Objective: The aim of this work is to assess how adding a driving-related task affects the detection of objects in peripheral vision, under mesopic conditions. Background: The main index used to assess the quality of road lighting installations refers to simple detection tasks in foveal vision, which raises methodological and practical questions. Method: The experimental design consisted of a three-phase experiment. In the first phase, two groups (control and experimental) performed a peripheral detection task (simple task). Based on these results an individual detection threshold was computed for each participant and eccentricity. A tracking task was performed in Phase 2 for both groups (steering a tracking target along a circuit, on a screen). In the third phase, the control group performed the same task as in Phase 2. The experimental group performed a double task, with a tracking (primary) task and a peripheral detection (secondary) task. Results: The data show an effect of the ...

Maintenance tasks, especially in heavy maintenance, may not be completed in a single shift. Aircraft maintenance technicians often take work in progress by colleagues, and spend the incomplete work for a change of team. The need for accuracy and efficiency of information transfer in many cases, without having time to have a meeting to pass the service is a crucial aspect of maintenance work. The ideal shift change can occur normally before delivery and continues to proceed normally after delivery. Although a shift change create challenges for communication, they also offer opportunities to detect and correct errors, where the task of delivery is an opportunity to identify the problem and fix it. In this case, the task was done correctly the first round, however, a problem began when the second round took. One example is a case in which the first round have removed a defective part for replacement and let the component of aircraft at end of turn with problems. Instead of ordering and...

In accordance with the general principles of prevention, developed within the legislative framework of the protection of workers in the case of a technology transfer, an analysis of the risks must be carried out in all the industrial facilities. In the company COTITEX of Batna in Algeria, this principle of prevention is scarcely implemented and one can partly attribute this gap to the fact that the recommended methods of analysis are not adapted to the culture of the company. A similar study is more successfully carried out in oil industry (SONATRACH). To assess the degree of adequacy of these various methods and to observe blockings occurring during the application of technology transfer, we carried out first an ergonomic analysis using the RENAULT method to show the difficult conditions generated by the technology transfer. In a second step, a study of various risk analysis methods compared with our criterion of engagement, namely the triptych: man-installation-environment lead us to choose the systemic method named MOSAR (Méthode Organisée et Systémique d'Analyse des Risques). In a third step we carry out a study dealing with the human capital and the adaptation to the working post. The so-called "Human-side" approach is mainly characterized by the use of a psychotechnical test related to the working post. Finally a global approach by means of cindynics analysis situates the problem in a societal and economical context. During the experimental phase, many difficulties and blockings appeared that find mainly their causes in a conflict of values between the company and the institutions of prevention. The tracks of evolution which we propose should lead to a perennial reduction of the frequency and gravity of the accidents related to the impact of the technology transfer.

In accordance with the general principles of prevention, developed within the legislative framework of the protection of workers in the case of a technology transfer, an analysis of the risks must be carried out in all the industrial facilities. In the company COTITEX of Batna in Algeria, this principle of prevention is scarcely implemented and one can partly attribute this gap to the fact that the recommended methods of analysis are not adapted to the culture of the company. A similar study is more successfully carried out in oil industry (SONATRACH). To assess the degree of adequacy of these various methods and to observe blockings occurring during the application of technology transfer, we carried out first an ergonomic analysis using the RENAULT method to show the difficult conditions generated by the technology transfer. In a second step, a study of various risk analysis methods compared with our criterion of engagement, namely the triptych: man-installation-environment lead us to choose the systemic method named MOSAR (Méthode Organisée et Systémique d'Analyse des Risques). In a third step we carry out a study dealing with the human capital and the adaptation to the working post. The so-called "Human-side" approach is mainly characterized by the use of a psychotechnical test related to the working post. Finally a global approach by means of cindynics analysis situates the problem in a societal and economical context. During the experimental phase, many difficulties and blockings appeared that find mainly their causes in a conflict of values between the company and the institutions of prevention. The tracks of evolution which we propose should lead to a perennial reduction of the frequency and gravity of the accidents related to the impact of the technology transfer.

The purpose of the following project is to measure the level of ergonomic culture of a manufacturing company that is dedicated to the development of cables, fiber optics, cabling systems and related services for the automotive sector and cable systems; To carry out this study, the ergonomic culture questionnaire in work centers (CCE-T) was used as a tool and it was applied to a sample of 26 people between supervisors and managers. This questionnaire made it possible to measure the level of development of ergonomic culture in work centers from the perspective of supervisors and senior management (managers) and to know their perception of the development and application of ergonomics in their company. Therefore,

Modern societies are pervaded by computerized, heterogeneous devices designed for specific purposes, but also more and more often capable of interacting with other devices for entirely different purposes. For example, a cell phone could be used to purchase a train ticket on-line that could later be printed by a vending machine at the train station. This type of open environment is what we call a society of digital systems. In this paper, we outline the characteristics of societies of digital systems, and argue that they call for a new approach to cope with unforeseen interactions, possible incompatibilities, failures, and emergent behaviors. We argue that designers can not assume a closed or homogeneous world, and must instead naturally accommodate dynamic adaptations. Furthermore, self-adaptability, that is, the ability to adapt autonomically to a changing environment, also poses problems, as different adaptation strategies may interfere negatively, leading to unstable behaviors. As an initial concrete contribution to solve this problem, we propose a method to support the graceful integration of devices and software systems in an open environment. The method uses management information, and is specifically centered on the idea of expressing self-adaptation operations as change sets over the management information base.

Various characteristics of floors and floor coverings are well established as injury hazards. Loose carpeting, such as rugs, is often cited as a hazard leading to injury. To describe the epidemiology and patterns of rug, mat, and runner-related injuries in patients seeking emergency treatment. Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 1990 through 2009 were investigated. Sample weights were used to calculate national estimates. US Census Bureau data were used to calculate injury rates per 100 000 individuals. Linear regression and computation of relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed. An estimated 245 605 patients were treated in US emergency departments for rug-related injuries during the study period, with an average of 12 280 cases per year. Females (72.3%) and individuals older than 64 years (47.1%) sustained the largest number of injuries. Patients younger than 6 years were more likely to injure the head or neck region (R...

This study is to determine the prevalence and the associated factors of low-back pain (LBP), which has multifactorial causes, among ambulance workers in Kelantan, Malaysia. The cross-sectional study involved ambulance workers in the emergency department in all government hospitals in Kelantan. Those who did not consent, complete or return the questionnaire as well as having rheumatic diseases were excluded from the study. The participants were asked to answer a self-administered questionnaire in English. Descriptive analyses and Chi-square test were used. A total of 168 respondents had completed the questionnaires with a response rate of 85.0%. Questionnaires with more than 95.0% items completed were included in the analysis (n=143). The respondents had a higher proportion of male than female (63.6% versus 36.4%). Assistant Medical Officer comprised of 60.0% of all respondents and the rest were nurses. The respondents' age ranged between 23 to 58 years old with a mean age of 38.27 and standard deviation (SD) of 7.27. The mean duration of involvement in ambulance service was 9.68 years (SD 6.97). The majority (98.5%) of the respondents were Malay. Gender, smoking status and hobbies were the associated factors of LBP among ambulance workers. The modifiable risk factors should be emphasized to the ambulance workers as a measure to prevent the development of LBP.

C oncussion is defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain that is induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. Sport-and recreation-related concussions are conservatively estimated at 1.6 to 3.8 million cases each year in the United States alone. The wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan have had the distinction of producing the greatest number and percent of mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs; concussion) that have ever been documented in a major war owing to roadside explosions. Whether occurring from sports collisions or bombings, concussion can result in both short-term and long-term impairment of neurological function and the possibility of significant neuropathological changes. A smaller percentage of cases can exhibit signs and symptoms referred to as postconcussive syndrome (PCS), which may be prolonged or permanent. In sports-related concussion, most physical signs and symptoms such as nausea, visual disturbances, headache, and balance changes will resolve within 2 to 7 days. Longerlasting complaints such as fatigability, poor concentration, behavior changes, sleep pattern changes, and mood alterations that last beyond this time frame are considered PCS. Often, PCS will result in significant disruption of school, work, and other activities and in the need for further medical evaluation. The military has seen an increased incidence of depression and other symptoms often referred to as posttraumatic stress disorder in many of the soldiers who have suffered from mild TBIs.

hab. inż. Bogdan Branowski dr hab.inż. Ewa Górska dr hab. inż. Iwona Grabarek prof. dr hab. inż. Ryszard Grądzki dr hab. inż. Magdalena Grębosz-Krawczyk dr inż. arch. Anna Jaglarz prof. dr hab. inż. Joanna Lecewicz-Bartoszewska prof. dr hab. inż. Jerzy Lewandowski dr hab. n. med. Teresa Makowiec-Dąbrowska dr hab. sztuki Anna Miarka dr hab. inż. Dariusz Plinta dr hab. Dorota Podgórska Jachnik dr inż. Aleksandra Polak-Sopińska dr inż. Andrzej Romanowski prof. dr hab. inż. Paweł Strumiłło dr inż. Maciej Sydor dr hab. inż. Grzegorz Szymański dr hab. Joanna Truszkowska dr hab. Bogusława Urbaniak prof. dr hab. inż. arch. Maciej Złowodzki dr hab. Hanna Żuraw

Research conducted in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks (9/11) suggests that, except for those who directly witnessed or suffered loss from the attacks, for most children the emotional impact was relatively transitory. We review this literature as well as consider other ways in which the attacks may have played a role in the development of adolescents and young adults as they came of age in the shadow of 9/11 in the United States. Specifically, we discuss the potential impact of the collective trauma of 9/11 on children's coping and emotional regulation, their sociopolitical attitudes, and their general beliefs about the world. Developmental issues and the role of parents in shaping their children's responses to 9/11 are also addressed. Researchers interested in children's social, emotional, and psychological development have much to learn about children's reactions to events like 9/11 and factors that might mitigate the negative consequences of such events on children's development.

Construction workers often operate at great heights, relying heavily on their muscles to support work-related weight. Over time, this leads to fatigue, and in worst-case scenarios, accidents occur when workers drop heavy objects due to exhaustion. This study then focuses on designing and implementing a passive upper limb exoskeleton to enhance worker performance and reduce fatigue in industrial environments. The exoskeleton utilizes a rack-and-pinion mechanism synchronized with natural arm movements to provide gravitational support. Key features include an adjustable range screw for easy disengagement and a ball-and-socket joint for arm dexterity. The exoskeleton is customizable through torque adjustment, ensuring user-specific support. Three different designs were created in SolidWorks and evaluated in Ansys simulation to select the best one. These designs incorporated materials such as carbon fiber and nylon. Loading tests were conducted on the designs, and for the best design, the maximum deformation for carbon fiber was 0.8mm, while for nylon, it was 1.17mm. The maximum stress for carbon fiber was 11.9 MPa, while for nylon, it was 18.16 MPa. The factor of safety for the carbon fiber material was 2.1, while for nylon, it was 1.38.

Introduccion Los trastornos musculoesqueleticos son un problema de salud importante entre los trabajadores sanitarios, siendo la movilizacion de pacientes una tarea asociada frecuentemente a la siniestralidad laboral. Objetivos Estudiar la siniestralidad laboral y evaluar el riesgo por movilizacion de pacientes en el Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruna. Metodologia Estudio descriptivo de los accidentes por movilizacion de pacientes en el periodo 2010-2014. Estudio ergonomico de evaluacion del riesgo por movilizacion de pacientes en salas de hospitalizacion aplicando el metodo MAPO. Resultados Los accidentes por movilizacion de pacientes suponen un 24% del total de los accidentes de trabajo, en su mayoria causados por sobreesfuerzos que han afectado a espalda (44%) y extremidades superiores (35%), siendo celadores y auxiliares de enfermeria los trabajadores con mayor tasa de incidencia. Los niveles de riesgo, segun metodologia MAPO, fueron: "alto" en Medicina Inter...

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Alcohol consumption is prevalent among college students and can become problematic for some. Numerous randomized controlled trials have evaluated the efficacy of individual preventive interventions in reducing alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in college student populations. Consistent with earlier reviews, the balance of the evidence from studies conducted during the past 3 years strongly supports the efficacy of brief motivational interventions combined with personalized feedback interventions (PFIs) and personalized normative feedback (PNF), as well as of stand-alone PFI/PNF interventions. Recent analyses also continue to support the efficacy of alcohol expectancy challenge interventions, although the findings are less consistent. In addition, recent analyses offer mixed support for feedback-based interventions focused solely on blood alcohol concentration and for multicomponent, alcohol education-focused interventions that include elements of PFI/PNF. No evidence of effic...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors and clinical features of upper extremity MSDs in hand-held device users. A retrospective report analysis was conducted on 59 subjects (47 males and 12 females) between the age of 5 to 56 (Median -34) years, who were diagnosed to have a MSD affecting the upper extremities. Medical records of the subjects from a tertiary level rehabilitation centre in India from 2005-2012 were analyzed. All the subjects reported pain in their upper extremities following extensive usage of hand held devices and were examined and diagnosed to have MSD by an experienced Orthopaedic Physician. After the assessment and diagnosis, all the patients underwent rehabilitation using a sequenced protocol. All the subjects reported pain in the thumb and forearm with associated burning, numbness and tingling around the thenar aspect of the hand, and stiffness of wrist and hand. 34 subjects had symptoms on the right side, 12 on left side and 13 had bilateral symptoms. Correlation was found between hand dominance and the occurrence of upper extremity MSDs. All the subjects were diagnosed to have tendinosis of Extensor Pollicis Longus and Myofascial Pain Syndrome affecting the 1st interossei, thenar group of muscles and Extensor Digitorum Communis. Co-morbidities were Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the neck and upper back and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. 23 of the subjects were senior executives. All the subjects recovered completely following the rehabilitation. Hand-held devices, that promotes the predominant usage of thumb while texting are associated with a higher prevalence of MSDs and thereby the users are advised to select phones that are designed to permit typing with all the fingers. Treatment using a sequenced protocol showed significant level of improvement in this condition.

The paper proposes a Situated Activity Theory view of collaborative knowledge work. Activity Theory is argued to be particularly relevant in the context knowledge work since the body of knowledge is a historically accumulated social construction. Situated Activity Theory makes a distinction between activity, tasks and encounters, the first two following the traditional distinction between activity and action in Activity Theory. Encounters are incorporated to model explicitly the temporal organisation of work. Referring to the high variety of knowledge work, Situated Activity Theory suggests an instansiation process in which an activity is instansiated into an action working on a single object of work. The culturally developed activity system is seen to serve as a significant resource and constraint in the process. Influenced by the ideas of situated action the instansiation process is viewed as continuous process that takes place in a close concert with the action as it unfolds.

Sp=ad and combustion is under way in a variety of fire ~emch mstltutlons throughout the world. (Examples of such research include boundary layer analyses and experiments with flame spread on idealized materials and geome-~es; and flame spread tests and rate of heat release tests on ~m~l samples of real material composites.) However, for the ~msent and the foreseeable future, it is beyond the state-of-~e-art of fire. technology to make the required fire growth prediction with any generality. This situation leads to a dflemma for the modeler of compartment fire environments,