• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.90-96
• /
• 2015

Background: The physical work demands of construction work can be reduced using ergonomic measures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ergonomic measures related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among construction workers. Methods: A questionnaire was sent at baseline and 2 years later to 1,130 construction workers. We established (1) the proportion of workers reporting an increase in their use of ergonomic measures, (2) the proportion of workers reporting a decrease in MSDs, (3) the relative risk for an increase in the use of ergonomic measures and a decrease in MSDs, and (4) workers' knowledge and opinions about the use of ergonomic measures. Results: At follow-up, response rate was 63% (713/1,130). The proportion of workers using ergonomic measures for vertical transport increased (34%, 144/419, p < 0.01); for measures regarding horizontal transport and the positioning of materials, no change was reported. The proportion of workers reporting shoulder complaints decreased (28%, 176/638, p = 0.02). A relationship between the use of ergonomic measures and MSDs was not found; 83% (581/704) of the workers indicated having sufficient knowledge about ergonomic measures. Lightening the physical load was reported to be the main reason for using them. Conclusion: Only the use of ergonomic measures for vertical transport increased over a 2-year period. No relationship between the use of ergonomic measures and MSDs was found. Strategies aimed at improving the availability of ergonomic equipment complemented with individualized advice and training in using them might be the required next steps to increase the use of ergonomic measures.

• IE interfaces
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.125-137
• /
• 1998

A new vehicle design approach coupled with an ergonomic human model was proposed in the study. The seating package layout of a vehicle is very important to the driving comfort, and it has been one of the primary ergonomic research areas since the past 30 years. The diverse and interrelated design factors of seating package layout in the limited workspace make designers often neglect many parameters related with drivers which differ in their anthropometric characteristics. It is due to the lack of the proper tools by which the designer can easily apply several ergonomic design guidelines to the vehicle design. In this study. an iterative package layout procedure was developed, and the effectiveness of an ergonomic human model was examined in this procedure. A discomfort function was developed for the quantitative evaluation of the driving posture. This study clearly demonstrates that the package layout using an ergonomic human model is very helpful to improve the usability and driving comfort of the drivers or passengers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.131-135
• /
• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to gain an overview of the ergonomic research trends in the shipbuilding industry. Background: The number of ergonomic studies on the shipbuilding industry has increased significantly in recent years. Method: Various ergonomic papers on the shipbuilding industry have been reviewed to find ergonomic research trends. Results: The tendency observed in these studies shows that the work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) is the most important research subject in the shipbuilding industry. Conclusion: The previous studies, focused on the physical aspects of the work, are now replaced by studies such as organizational and psychophysical studies. Application: These results can be used to provide baseline information for ergonomic research in the shipbuilding industry.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
• /
• 1993.04a
• /
• pp.10-17
• /
• 1993

An object-oriented database was developed as a framesork for integrating into ergonomic interface models data for workplace modelling and ergonomic evaluation functions as well as basic anthropometric data required to construct a man model. In order to develop an ergonomic man model representing operators that interact with his working evnironments, not only anthro- pometric data but also efficient handling of such data and accurate representation of the work- space are needed as a prerequistite to proper ergonomic evaluation. Most existing man models are not, however, capable of fully utilizing these data due to the lack of a generallized formalism of data handling, which results in system performance degradation or a potential difficulty when the system is upgraded. In this research, these three sets of data with distinct characteristics were incorporated into a comon integrated database required to manipulate an ergonomic interface model fully coupled with the man model itself. An object- oriented scheme was sued for the database design Specifically, UniSQL/X, an object-oriented database management system and the X-window system on SPARC workstation were used for implementation. The ergonomic man model generated from the object-oriented database is found to possess great flexibility and performance compared to existing ergonomic interface models or ergonomic CAD systems.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Medicine & Therapy Science
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2018

Objective: We developed an ergonomic pruning shears that allows the user to freely adjust the width of the grip and conducted this study to examine the effects of the pruning shears on grip strength and the fatigue of the fingers. Method: The maximum grip strength was first measured with an digital dynamometer, and the maximum grip strength was measured again after the subjects repeated scissoring 100 times using general pruning shears or ergonomic pruning shears. Borg's CR-10 scale was used to measure subjective fatigue after using the two pruning shears. Results: When the grip strength values after using the two pruning shears were compared with each other the mean grip strength after using ergonomic pruning shears was 27.69 kg, which was higher than that after using general pruning shears, 25.73 kg (p<.05). The subjective fatigue when the two pruning shears were used was shown to be 3.6 points for general pruning shears and 1.73 points for ergonomic pruning shears (p<.05). Conclusion: After repeating scissoring 100 times, the fatigue of the fingers was lower when ergonomic pruning shears were used than when general pruning shears were used and grip strength was higher when ergonomic pruning shears were used than when general pruning shears were used.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.465-472
• /
• 2011

Objective: The aim of this paper is to introduce ergonomic evaluation methods for agricultural work. Background: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders(WMSDs) became a major problem in agriculture industry recently. A number of ergonomics evaluation methods have been developed in order to evaluate the work load for preventing WMSDs. The workload evaluation methods were developed for manufacturing industry. Therefore, these ergonomic evaluation methods were used carefully in agriculture industry because work type in agriculture different from work type in manufacturing. Method: Various references of ergonomic evaluation methods such as OWAS, REBA, RULA, NLE and Snook table have been reviewed for agricultural work. Results: This paper presents the characteristics, the selection and application procedure of ergonomic evaluation methods for agricultural work. Application: These results can be used to provide baseline information for ergonomic evaluation methods.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 2001

This paper investigate and compare the appraisement methods and programs are related in Ergonomic, which in foreign country are approved to appraise worker's posture and environment. First, Search the appraisement program to need and develop the program. Second, Design and develop the standard model that easy and accurate, and apply to our country workstation. To response above mention, we made the EWAP(Ergonomic Workplace Analysis program) and purpose of EWAP is assisting the activity of safety management to assess more detail and delicate through quantitative methodology in which operated the Ergonomic Workplace safety management. EWAP can provide the more convenience where need to analyze their Ergonomic Workplace problem and developed by the algorithm of Ergonomic Workplace Analysis management.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.437-445
• /
• 2015

Objective: The aims of this study are to investigate the trends of intellectual property in order to identify the ergonomic approaches on musculoskeletal disorders, harmful factors of musculoskeletal disorders, and to find the potential applicability of motion capture technology. Background: Ergonomic posture assessment tools often showed interrater variance, though the usage is easy and practical in industrial fields. Moreover new technologies such as motion capture showed the potential applicability in posture assessment. So ergonomists and practitioners became interested in the intellectual properties on musculoskeletal disorder and motion capture technology. Method: Intellectual properties were collected with the combination of keywords such as ergonomic, musculoskeletal disorder, and motion capture using the KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service). Collected intellectual properties were classified into ergonomic area and non-ergonomic area, except unexamined intellectual properties. This study investigated the trend of application of intellectual properties and the probability of using motion capture technology. Results: Few intellectual properties with ergonomic approach on musculoskeletal disorders were founded, despite many products for rehabilitation and sports. One hundred twenty five patents in 1105 patents on musculoskeletal disorders and 138 patents in 1908 patents on motion capture technology were classified into the patents that ergonomic approach can be applied. The patents related to ergonomics area are rapidly increasing after 2010, and there are good opportunities for ergonomists to apply the patents. Conclusion: This study found opportunities on novel methodology in detecting the harmful factors of musculoskeletal disorders, and that the motion capture technology is applicable in ergonomic posture assessment. Application: The results of this study can help ergonomists prepare the ergonomic patents, and can show the potential use of motion capture technology in detecting the harmful posture of musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.88-95
• /
• 2009

There are many assessment techniques used for occupational risk factors of MSDs in the workplaces. However, because all ergonomic assesment techniques or tools are based on theoretical background derived from workphysiology, biomechanics, psychophysics, industrial hygiene, work system, and etc, it is impossible to compare the assessment techniques. This study was conducted to compare the excess rates of risk factors among ergonomic assessment techniques and to make alternative methods. Site-visits to 6 automobile products and parts company provided data for process repeated work where the produced data was examined for evaluating the relationship between workplace lay-out and work posture by using ergonomic assessment techniques. We evaluated 157 jobs for simple repeated work and 37 jobs for manual materials handling (MMH). In simple repeated work, the exceeded rates of AC were 36.3% in OWAS method and 93.0% in RULA method. The exceeded rate for RULA method was significantly higher than those for OWAS method (p<0.05). In MMH, the exceeded rates of AC were 80.0% in NLE method and 76.5% in WAC method. Statistically significant differences were not identified in the exceeded rates for NLE and MAC methods (p<0.05). The analyzed results among ergonomic assessment techniques (OWAS, RULA, NLE/WAC) were applied to the same work places performing simple repeated work and manual materials handling simultaneously. The applied results showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) among ergonomic assessment techniques (OWAS, RULA, NLE/WAC). Exceeded rates of four ergonomic assessment techniques in decreasing order was "RULA>NLE>WAC>OWAS". The RULA method was the strongest assessment technique for automobile products and parts company. We discovered that the results could easily be overestimated or underestimated when the ergonomic assessment techniques were not applied correctly during the evaluation process. Therefore, we recommend using at least 2 methods when evaluating and analysing the results.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.91-96
• /
• 2010

Purpose: Among computer users, the awkward posture and workstation setups of workers contribute to work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a traditional physical therapy and ergonomic intervention by physical therapists in 4 computer users. Methods: After checking Visual Analogue Scores (VAS), four subjects who were treated by physical therapy for neck and shoulder problems related to VDT syndrome were enrolled in the study. All subjects spent at least 40 hours per week at a computer workstation. All subjects had pain and ergonomic states evaluated using methods such as VAS, Neck Disability Index (NDI), Workstyle short form, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and OSHA VDT checklist (Occupational Safety and Health Administration video display terminal) before a physical therapy + ergonomic intervention. Participants were re-evaluated 1 month later. Results: Participants showed more improvement of their neck pain after being treated with a physical therapy plus ergonomic intervention than when treatment consisted only of physical therapy. Improvements in RULA, Workstyle short form, and OSHA VDT checklist also were achieved. Conclusion: This case study suggests the importance of examining the work habits and work-related postures of subjects who complain of neck and shoulder pain that is exacerbated by computer use. Personalized ergonomic interventions and physical therapy can lead to improvement of patients with VDT syndrome.