Participatory ergonomics intervention for improving human and production outcomes of a Brazilian furniture company

This article presents a participatory intervention in a furniture manufacturing company in Southern Brazil aiming to improve both ergonomic and production outcomes. The existing Tayloristic model was replaced by a cellular teamwork model. Work enlargement and enrichment, and the improvements in workstation design and process flow increased worker satisfaction and reduced postural risk, fatigue, body pain and production waste. Workload was reduced by 42% and productivity increased by 46% (25% being attributable to unnecessary load handling, waiting and transportation, and 21% attributable directly to manufacturing times). Workers' participation in the stages of problems identification, design and evaluation of solutions played a major role in these outcomes.Relevance to industryThis study indicates that it is possible to balance ergonomics and production demands, and that it is necessary to make it clear to management. The integration of macroergonomics and production management principles increases both worker well-being and productivity levels, thus leading to a more sustainable system.     

Design and ergonomics

Using both Japanese and American annual design reports the latest industrial product designs are reviewed. The paper concludes that ergonomics plays an important role in unifying high-technology mass products with design for human use and in creating an aesthetic value in products.     

Nanomaterials in the field of design ergonomics: present status

Application of nanotechnology and nanomaterials is not new in the field of design, but a recent trend of extensive use of nanomaterials in product and/or workplace design is drawing attention of design researchers all over the world. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to describe the diverse use of nanomaterials in product and workplace design with special emphasis on ergonomics (occupational health and safety; thermo-regulation and work efficiency, cognitive interface design; maintenance of workplace, etc.) to popularise the new discipline ‘nanoergonomics’ among designers, design users and design researchers. Nanoergonomics for sustainable product and workplace design by minimising occupational health risks has been felt by the authors to be an emerging research area in coming years.

Practitioner Summary: Use of nanomaterials in the field of design ergonomics is less explored till date. In the present review, an attempt has been made to extend general awareness among ergonomists/designers about applications of nanomaterials/nanotechnology in the field of design ergonomics and about health implications of nanomaterials during their use.     

A strategy for human factors/ergonomics: developing the discipline and profession

Human factors/ergonomics (HFE) has great potential to contribute to the design of all kinds of systems with people (work systems, product/service systems), but faces challenges in the readiness of its market and in the supply of high-quality applications. HFE has a unique combination of three fundamental characteristics: (1) it takes a systems approach (2) it is design driven and (3) it focuses on two closely related outcomes: performance and well-being. In order to contribute to future system design, HFE must demonstrate its value more successfully to the main stakeholders of system design. HFE already has a strong value proposition (mainly well-being) and interactivity with the stakeholder group of 'system actors' (employees and product/service users). However, the value proposition (mainly performance) and relationships with the stakeholder groups of 'system experts' (experts fromtechnical and social sciences involved in system design), and 'system decision makers' (managers and other decision makers involved in system design, purchase, implementation and use), who have a strong power to influence system design, need to be developed. Therefore, the first main strategic direction is to strengthen the demand for high-quality HFE by increasing awareness among powerful stakeholders of the value of high-quality HFE by communicating with stakeholders, by building partnerships and by educating stakeholders. The second main strategic direction is to strengthen the application of high-quality HFE by promoting the education of HFE specialists, by ensuring high-quality standards of HFE applications and HFE specialists, and by promoting HFE research excellence at universities and other organisations. This strategy requires cooperation between the HFE community at large, consisting of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), local (national and regional) HFE societies, and HFE specialists. We propose a joint world-wide HFE development plan, in which the IEA takes a leadership role. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: Human factors/ergonomics (HFE) has much to offer by addressing major business and societal challenges regarding work and product/service systems. HFE potential, however, is underexploited. This paper presents a strategy for the HFE community to strengthen demand and application of high-quality HFE, emphasising its key elements: systems approach, design driven, and performance and well-being goals.     

Nature: a new paradigm for well-being and ergonomics

Abstract

Nature is presented as a new paradigm for ergonomics. As a discipline concerned with well-being, the importance of natural environments for wellness should be part of ergonomics knowledge and practice. This position is supported by providing a concise summary of the evidence of the value of the natural environment to well-being. Further, an emerging body of research has found relationships between well-being and a connection to nature, a concept that reveals the integrative character of human experience which can inform wider practice and epistemology in ergonomics. Practitioners are encouraged to bring nature into the workplace, so that ergonomics keeps pace with the move to nature-based solutions, but also as a necessity in the current ecological and social context.

Practitioner Summary: Nature-based solutions are coming to the fore to address societal challenges such as well-being. As ergonomics is concerned with well-being, there is a need for a paradigm shift in the discipline. This position is supported by providing a concise summary of the evidence of the value of the natural environment to well-being.     

Developing measures for information ergonomics in knowledge work

Information ergonomics is an evolving application domain of ergonomics focusing on the management of workload in the real-world contexts of information-intensive tasks. This study introduces a method for the evaluation of information ergonomics in knowledge work. To this end, five key dimensions of information ergonomics were identified: contextual factors of knowledge work, multitasking, interruptions at work, practices for managing information load, and perceived job control and productivity. In total, 24 measures focusing on the above dimensions were constructed. The measures include, for example, the number of fragmented work tasks per work day. The measures were preliminarily tested in two Finnish organisations, making use of empirical data gathered by interviews, electronic questionnaires and log data applications tracking work processes on personal computers. The measures are applicable to the evaluation of information ergonomics, even though individual measures vary with regard to the amount of work and time needed for data analysis.

Practitioner Summary:

The study introduces a method for the evaluation of information ergonomics in knowledge work. To this end, 24 measures were constructed and tested empirically. The measures focus on contextual factors of knowledge work, multitasking, interruptions at work, practices for managing information load, and perceived job control and productivity.     

Dependence of grip strength on shoulder position and its implications for ergonomics practice

Grip strength (GS) variability due to positional changes in the upper extremity joints is of importance while designing workstations and work methods. This study was conducted to analyze the GS variations due to positional changes at shoulder joint when some important variables were under control. The GSs of dominant and nondominant hands were measured in eight shoulder (0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° of flexion and abduction) and standard test positions (STP). One hundred and thirteen subjects 20–30 years old completed the study. At the dominant side, no significant difference was observed in the pairwise comparisons between STP and the others. Maximum and minimum GSs were obtained in 0° abduction and 45° flexion and abduction, respectively. At the nondominant side, GSs were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the corresponding test positions and demonstrated more variability. The findings of this study can contribute to the available knowledge to guide occupational ergonomists in their practices.     

Green ergonomics: challenges and opportunities

Addressing the causes and consequences of environmental degradation presents significant challenges for humankind. This paper considers what ergonomics/human factors (E/HF) professionals can contribute to understanding and tackling some of the issues that arise through the movement towards a more environmentally sustainable economy. These issues are considered in relation to work in green industries (specifically, sustainable energy production, recycling and organic food production), and there is a need to ensure that these jobs are safe and healthy; the design of products and systems that are ‘environmentally friendly’ to facilitate their acceptability and use and how E/HF professionals can contribute to understanding and promoting behavioural change relating to environmental choices. The activities of some international organisations in this area are identified and the potential for E/HF involvement is considered. The implications for the E/HF profession are discussed.

Practitioner summary: This paper considers how ergonomics/human factors professionals can contribute to the movement towards more sustainable and ‘environmentally friendly’ design and work. Potential challenges and opportunities are discussed in relation to jobs in green industries, products and systems and behaviour change.     

Participatory ergonomics applied in installation work

This paper evaluates a step-by-step participatory approach to better work, applied in reducing the musculoskeletal workload in installation work. To arrive at a reduction in workload, a steering group led the project through the following steps: 1. Introduction: defining the goal and informing all 7000 employees. 2. Analysis: finding major loading tasks. 3. Solution phase: creating solutions in group sessions and prioritise. 4. Testing: promising solutions were tested during real operations. 5. Implementing: spreading the knowledge through the whole company and asking for additional solutions. 6. Evaluation: the effect and process were evaluated. The result was that 138 devices were bought. Seven out of nine devices were used daily. Users reported a good or very good reduction in musculoskeletal loading and were satisfied. The project was cost-effective within 1 year. Adding organizational measures or system solutions could have increased the effect, and more direct participation could have increased the impact. The first steps (introduction, analysis of work, solution generation and user tests) were well organized and contributed to the success. The processes in the last steps were unstructured and the evaluation was not representative. Sixty additional devices were suggested by employees of which 12 were selected. These devices seemed a success, but no data could be obtained on the use and experience with these solutions.     

Corporate-internal vs. national standard – A comparison study of two ergonomics evaluation procedures used in automotive manufacturing

Manufacturing corporations sometimes use corporate-internal procedures to evaluate and monitor the ergonomic status of the workplace. This article describes an industrial case study in the Swedish automotive sector, where an internally developed evaluation procedure was compared with a procedure based on a Swedish national standard provision.It was found that the national standard procedure tended to give more severe ratings and statistical support shows that the two evaluation procedures are not equivalent. The ability of the methods to identify body segments at risk was also compared.The quantitative comparison was followed up with interviews, where the influence of professional tasks and objectives became evident, as well as the fact that evaluation criteria are quantified differently by the two procedures. The main finding is that unforeseen differences in analysis procedure, criteria of acceptability and levels of detail can cause use-related difficulties for different professional groups when methods are used interchangeably.

Relevance to industry

Industrial corporations wishing to monitor ergonomics consistently are advised by the authors to ensure that ratings from internal evaluations are interpreted the same way by all involved personnel, and that they at least have criteria levels equivalent to those of a national standard.     

Cognitive diversity and team performance in a complex multiple task environment

This article examines the multiple effects of cognitive diversity in teams operating complex human-machine-systems. The study employed a PC-based multiple-task environment, called the Cabin Air Management System, which models a process control task in the operational context of a spacecraft's life support system. Two types of cognitive diversity were examined: system understanding and team specialization. System understanding referred to the depth of understanding team members were given during training (low-level procedure-oriented vs. high level knowledge-oriented training). Team specialization referred to the degree to which knowledge about system fault scenarios was distributed between team members (specialized vs. non-specialized). A total of 72 participants took part in the study. After having received 4.5 h of training on an individual basis, participants completed a 1-h experimental session, in which they worked in two-person teams on a series of fault scenarios of varying difficulty. Measures were taken of primary and secondary task performance, system intervention and information sampling strategies, system knowledge, subjective operator state, communication patterns and conflict. The results provided evidence for the benefits of cognitive diversity with regard to system understanding. This manifested itself in better primary task performance and more efficient manual system control. No advantages were found for cognitive diversity with regard to specialization. There was no effect of cognitive diversity on intra-team conflict, with conflict levels generally being very low. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for the engineering of cognitive diversity in teams operating complex human-machine-systems.     

Determinants of business sustainability: An ergonomics perspective

There is a need to integrate both macro- and micro-ergonomic approaches for the effective implementation of interventions designed to improve the root causes of problems such as work safety, quality and productivity in the enterprise system. The objective of this study was to explore from an ergonomics perspective the concept of business sustainability through optimising the worker–work environment interface. The specific aims were: (a) to assess the working conditions of a production department work process with the goal to jointly optimise work safety, quality and quantity; (b) to evaluate the enterprise-wide work process at the system level as a social entity in an attempt to trace the root causes of ergonomic issues impacting employees throughout the work process. The Work Compatibility Model was deployed to examine the experiences of workers (that is, effort, perceived risk/benefit, performance and satisfaction/dissatisfaction or psychological impact) and their associations with the complex domains of the work environment (task content, physical and non-physical work environment and conditions for learning/growth/development). This was followed by assessment of the enterprise system through detailed interviews with department managers and lead workers. A system diagnostic instrument was also constructed from information derived from the published literature to evaluate the enterprise system performance. The investigation of the production department indicated that the stress and musculoskeletal pain experienced by workers (particularly on the day shift) were derived from sources elsewhere in the work process. The enterprise system evaluation and detailed interviews allowed the research team to chart the feed-forward and feedback stress propagation loops in the work system. System improvement strategies were extracted on the basis of tacit/explicit knowledge obtained from department managers and lead workers. In certain situations concerning workplace human performance issues, a combined macro–micro ergonomic methodology is essential to solve the productivity, quality and safety issues impacting employees along the trajectory or path of the enterprise-wide work process. In this study, the symptoms associated with human performance issues in one production department work process had root causes originating in the customer service department work process. In fact, the issues found in the customer service department caused performance problems elsewhere in the enterprise-wide work process such as the traffic department. Sustainable enterprise solutions for workplace human performance require the integration of macro- and micro-ergonomic approaches.     

The application of ergonomics in the design of automotive displays

Ergonomics can play an important role in the design and evaluation of novel display concepts. The rapid growth in the application of new technology has posed as many queries for the designer and engineer as it has provided design opportunities. Car dashboard displays are an example of such an ara of growth. Ergonomists have addressed the queries arising from the interface between the display and the user and can work with the designers and engineers towards solutions.     

A survey of anthropometry and physical accommodation in ergonomics curricula

The size and shape of users are an important consideration for many products and environments. Designers and engineers in many disciplines must often accommodate these attributes to meet objectives such as fit and safety. When practitioners have academic training in addressing these issues, it is typically through courses in Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E). This paper investigates education related to physical accommodation and offers suggestions for improvement. A survey was conducted wherein 21 instructors at 18 universities in the United States provided syllabi for 29 courses, which were analysed to determine topics related to anthropometry and resources used for the courses. The results show that within the US, anthropometry is covered in the majority of courses discussing physical ergonomics, but important related concepts were often omitted (e.g. digital human modelling, multivariate accommodation and variability across global populations). Curricula could be improved by incorporating more accurate anthropometry, multivariate problems and interactive online tools.

Practitioner Summary: This paper describes a study investigating collegiate ergonomics courses within the US in the area of physical accommodation. Course schedules and texts were studied for their treatment of several topics related to accommodating the spatial requirements (anthropometry) of users. Recommendations are made for improving course curricula.     

A systems ergonomics analysis of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells infection outbreaks

This paper describes a systems ergonomics analysis of the recent outbreaks of Clostridium difficile, which occurred over the period 2005–07 within the UK Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The analysis used documents related to the outbreak, alongside the construction of a system model in order to probe deeper into the nature of contributory factors within the Trust. The findings from the analysis demonstrate the value of looking further at cross-level and whole-system aspects of infection outbreaks. In particular, there is a need for further study of the causal relationships that exist between hospital management and clinical management levels within the system. Finally, the paper discusses ways forward and strategies that could be adopted in order to limit the outbreak of hospital-related infections and shape future research. The approach used for the system analysis described in the paper could be used by healthcare practitioners and ergonomists to probe deeper into the causes of infection outbreaks and to extend the scope of interventions aimed at preventing their occurrence.     

A discussion of simultaneous engineering and the manufacturing supply chain, from an ergonomics perspective

This paper discusses some of the ergonomics issues involved in Simultaneous Engineering from the perspective of supply chains. To be competitive in future markets, manufacturing companies must make greater use of the expertise and knowledge that is available from outside the company. This paper discusses some of the ergonomics issues involved in Simultaneous Engineering from the perspective of supply chains. It outlines some of the generic attributes of supply chains, and discusses some concepts of federated control systems as applied to supply chains. The implications of these for information flows and the management of distributed knowledge are then discussed. Most of this knowledge is human knowledge; consequently, the structure of supply chain teams is then discussed. Finally, some of the support requirements for such teams are listed, making the link to current ergonomics knowledge. Relevance to industry

The paper discusses some of the deeper issues in the use and operation of supply chains for product introduction, looking particularly at the control and information-handling aspects from an ergonomics viewpoint. It also discusses the organisational aspects of operating such supply chains, discussing the infrastuctural issues of expertise, training, and job support necessary for efficient, effective control of these supply chains.     

Nonlinear dynamical systems for theory and research in ergonomics

Abstract

Nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) theory offers new constructs, methods and explanations for phenomena that have in turn produced new paradigms of thinking within several disciplines of the behavioural sciences. This article explores the recent developments of NDS as a paradigm in ergonomics. The exposition includes its basic axioms, the primary constructs from elementary dynamics and so-called complexity theory, an overview of its methods, and growing areas of application within ergonomics. The applications considered here include: psychophysics, iconic displays, control theory, cognitive workload and fatigue, occupational accidents, resilience of systems, team coordination and synchronisation in systems. Although these applications make use of different subsets of NDS constructs, several of them share the general principles of the complex adaptive system.

Practitioner Summary: Nonlinear dynamical systems theory reframes problems in ergonomics that involve complex systems as they change over time. The leading applications to date include psychophysics, control theory, cognitive workload and fatigue, biomechanics, occupational accidents, resilience of systems, team coordination and synchronisation of system components.     

Reliable exposure assessment strategies for physical ergonomics stressors in construction and other non-routinized work

The objective of this research was to provide guidelines for the reliable assessment of ergonomics exposures in non-routinized work. Using a discrete-interval observational sampling approach, two or three observers collected a total of 5852 observations on tasks performed by three construction trades (iron workers, carpenters and labourers) for periods of several weeks. For each observation, nine exposure variables associated with awkward body postures, tool use and load handling were recorded. The frequency of exposure to each variable was calculated for each worker during each of the tasks on each of the days. ANOVA was used to assess the importance of task in explaining between-worker and within-worker variability in exposures across days. A statistical re-sampling method (bootstrap) was used to evaluate the reliability of exposure estimates for groups of workers performing the same task for different sampling periods. Most exposures were found to vary significantly across construction tasks within trade, and between-worker exposure variability was generally smaller than within-worker exposure variability within task. Bootstrapping showed that the reliability of the group estimates exposure for the most variable exposures within task tended to improve as the assessment periods approached 5 – 6 d, with marginal improvements for longer assessment periods. Reliable group estimates of exposure for the least variable exposures within task were obtained with 1 or 2 d of observation. The results of this study demonstrate that an initial estimate of the important environmental or task sources of exposure variability can be used to develop an efficient sampling strategy that provides reliable estimates of ergonomics exposures during non-routinized work.     

Performing ergonomics analyses through virtual interactive design: Validity and reliability assessment

Virtual interactive design methodology was initially proposed as an integrated environment for digital human model–based ergonomics analysis of human–machine interactions, which uses a motion capture system and virtual environment to realize task simulation. The validity and reliability of this analysis methodology has not been systematically studied. In this article, potential errors are first investigated based on the technology used in the system structure and work process; then, three experimental integration levels are proposed to use different resources for creating manikin postures. Validity and reliability to use this integrated environment for static ergonomics analysis are then assessed by comparing the ergonomics analysis outputs achieved based on the three integration levels. The results indicate that the reliability of this methodology is good; however, the validity of the integrated system is affected by the limitation of the virtual environment used in the testing. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Multi-segment trunk kinematics during a loaded lifting task for elderly and young subjects

The trunk is frequently modelled as one fixed segment ignoring possible multi-segmental contributions during manual handling. This study compared segmental trunk motion in a young and older population during a lifting task. Twelve elderly and 19 young subjects repeatedly lifted a 5 kg box from bench to shelf under two stance conditions. Displacement and angular trunk segment kinematics were recorded with an electromagnetic tracker system and then analysed. The elderly subjects displayed significantly increased pelvic and trunk displacement and significantly reduced pelvic and lower thorax (T10–L1) range of motion in both stance conditions. Upper thorax (C7–T10) motion was at times greater than lumbar motion and opposite to the lower segments and was related to the task while the lower segments contributed to both equilibrium and task requirements. Decreased segmental trunk angular kinematics may contribute to increased displacement kinematics and place the elderly at increased risk of injury and falling. The pelvis, lumbar spine, low thorax (T10–L1), upper thorax (C7–10) contributed uniquely and synchronously to trunk (C7–S2) mechanics during a lifting task. Reduced angular kinematics of the pelvis and low thorax contributed to increased displacement kinematics and hence increased the risk of falling in the elderly compared to the young. Investigations of trunk mechanics should include multi-segment analysis.