On the relevance of qualitative methods for ergonomics

The application of qualitative methods to ergonomics research and practice offers us a new window on the nature of the interaction between humans and technology. The method discussed by Hignett and Wilson () exemplifies this potential by applying their method to explicate the attitudes of practitioners and academic researchers toward qualitative methodology itself. Their specific findings, however, may be due in part to differences between the institutional structures in which they work as well as the attitudes of the specific individuals surveyed. Here, we offer a commentary on their work and reinforce the importance of qualitative research in ergonomics, while discussing the philosophical empirical, and theoretical issues raised by the introduction of these methods. We conclude that the fundamental problems inherent in qualitative approaches are limitations on quantitative methods also, being inherent to all forms of observation. While supportive of the general thesis proposed and especially appreciative of the authors’ focus on purpose, we point to the problem of integrating different orders of knowledge as a significant barrier to future progress towards a comprehensive theory for ergonomics.     

Understanding maintenance work in safety-critical organisations – managing the performance variability

Human and organisational performance variability has been identified as a cause of many latent and active failures in maintenance. Seldom has the variability been considered as an integral and inherent part of the maintenance activity to be managed by organisational means. The article deals with the challenge of understanding maintenance work in safety-critical organisations. The aim is to review the current literature on maintenance work and illustrate the organisational research challenges of managing performance variability in maintenance. This article presents six major research challenges in managing performance variability in maintenance. The article concludes by noting that a holistic theory on maintenance work is needed to manage the variability and turn it into a positive force. Maintenance has the potential to produce positive performance variability and guard against negative instability in complex sociotechnical systems.     

Reaction on the paper ‘Reliability and validity of findings in ergonomics research’ of Kanis (2013)

In this paper, a reaction on the proposed flowchart of Kanis is given by applying it to a new case. The flowchart seems valuable in starting the discussion on how to improve the reliability and validity in experimental human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) research. However, it is unsure whether it is the golden standard.     

Additional effort estimation due to ergonomic conditions in order picking systems

Within a warehouse, the picking activity often relies on human operators. Therefore, when designing and evaluating a manual picking system, it is important to consider that, besides the high flexibility the pickers are able to warrant, they inevitably require an additional effort due to their ergonomic working conditions. In this paper, the authors propose a new model to consider such additional effort, starting from the concepts of human availability and rest allowance. The new method allows the evaluation of the current configuration of a certain warehouse, considering two different operative situations (directly employed operators and indirectly employed ones). Moreover, it makes it possible to estimate and to understand the benefits that can be achieved by introducing some ergonomic improvements. The proposed procedure has also been applied to a real industrial case study.     

Integrating human factors into discrete event simulation: a proactive approach to simultaneously design for system performance and employees’ well being

The aim of this research is to: (1) Develop an approach to integrating both human fatigue-recovery patterns and human learning into Discrete Event Simulation models of a production system to predict productivity and quality; (2) Validate the predicted fatigue against operators’ perceived fatigue; and (3) Demonstrate how this Human Factors-enabled simulation approach can be applied in a case study comparing two manufacturing line designs in the context of electronics assembly. The new approach can predict the accumulation of operator fatigue, fatigue-related quality effects and productivity changes based on system design configurations. In the demonstration comparison, fatigue dosage was 7–33% lower in the proposed system where HF was taken into consideration at the engineering design (ED) stage. In the existing system, the fatigue dose measure correlated with quality deficits with 26% of the variance accounted for – a large portion given the multi-causal nature of production deficits. ED models that do not include human aspects may provide unreliable results in terms of productivity and quality estimates. This research shows that it is possible to design production systems that are more productive while being less hazardous for the system operator.     

The French-speaking ergonomists' approach to work activity: cross-influences of field intervention and conceptual models

French-speaking ergonomists generally consider the concept of activity to be central in their approach to work and to changing it. However, their understanding of the term developed in a specific context, combining the influence of Soviet psychology with that of other forms of thinking already developed in France. Since then, the notion has received considerable input. The concept of activity as it has been developed in French-speaking countries (and thereafter in others like Brazil as it has spread) is not exactly identical to that developed by Engeström, even if there are obviously many common points. The aim of this article is not to make a systematic international comparison of approaches all referring to the concept of activity. Rather, the author's objective is limited to explaining the emergence of the concept as it is taught in France with its theoretical and methodological consequences. The reader should, therefore, not be unduly surprised by the focus on French-speaking ergonomists; this is not testimony to ignorance of the international literature, but constitutes the specific nature of this essay. If other authors attempt a similar clarification of thought at a later date, it will be easier for the international ergonomic community to distinguish the resemblances and differences between the approaches on an international level.     

产品设计中的人性因素和人体工学

以产品设计中如何在遵循人体工学的情况下,实现产品的人性化、个性化、情感化等人性因素为启示,分析了传统产品中人性因素与人机尺寸之间的协调关系,并结合现代一些产品案例,论述了现代设计中人性化因素与人体尺寸之间的协调关系及表达方式。最终认为人体工学在特定环境下是产品设计的基本条件,只有满足了最基本的人体工学标准,产品才能达到人类使用产品的基本需求。     

基于表面肌电信号的人因与工效学评估研究综述

目的 对使用表面肌电信号技术评估人因与工效学问题相关研究进行分析与梳理,促进表面肌电信号技术在人因与工效学领域的创新与发展。方法 首先,概述人因与工效学的定义、发展历程与研究方法。然后,从数据采集方式、数据预处理、特征选择与提取、训练及分类器选择这4个实验流程归纳表面肌电信号技术的研究方法与研究进展,并对目前该领域的研究热点与研究趋势进行详细总结。结论 表面肌电信号技术仍是人因与工效学领域的重要评估方法,随着创新技术与深度学习算法的不断发展,从多模态、多方法交叉融合的角度构建大规模可公开数据集与创新智能化评估系统在未来将成为表面肌电信号在人因与工效学领域的重点研究方向。     

Resilience thinking improves SEA: a discussion paper

Strategic environmental assessment is often referred to as a tool for predicting the consequences of planned development. The assumption of predictability of outcomes is inconsistent with reality which is characterised by uncertainty and complexity. Furthermore, the capacity of our life support systems to absorb disturbance and re-organise without changing into undesirable states appears to be of critical importance. Resilience thinking provides a structured way of looking at complexity, uncertainty and interrelatedness of systems and processes, and above all, provides us with new ways of dealing with planning and more effective use of SEA. Resilience thinking provides inspiration for those who want to extend their thinking about sustainability, but it also challenges some ideas underpinning the impact assessment profession (the future is unpredictable; change is inevitable; increasing stability leads to vulnerability). This paper is the result of a lively and well-visited workshop on resilience thinking and SEA at the 2010 IAIA conference in Geneva. It introduces the basic concepts of resilience thinking, and develops ideas for its integration within SEA practice.