Search

The use of material conveyances that are not in accordance with the concept of ergonomics harm the human body. Repair of work brushes by applying ergonomics to material conveyances can reduce the risk category. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of material conveyance on reducing workload, musculoskeletal disorders, increasing productivity and performance. The study was conducted using the same subject design method with a sample of 16 workers. The data were analyzed by paired t-test with a significant level of p

Robert J Weinstock,1 Margaret H Ainslie-Garcia,2 Nicole C Ferko,2 Rana A Qadeer,2 Leighton P Morris,3 Hang Cheng,3 Justis P Ehlers4,5 1Eye Institute of West Florida, Largo, FL, USA; 2Eversana, Burlington, ON, Canada; 3Alcon Vision LLC, Fort Worth, TX, USA; 4Tony and Leona Campane Center for Excellence in Image-Guided Surgery and Advanced Imaging Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; 5Vitreoretinal Service, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, OH, USACorrespondence: Justis P EhlersCole Eye Institute, 9500 Euclid Ave/I32, Cleveland, OH, USATel +1 216-636-0183Email ehlersj@ccf.orgPurpose: Musculoskeletal pain issues are prevalent in ophthalmic surgeons and can impact surgeon well-being and productivity. Heads-up displays (HUD) can improve upon conventional microscopes by reducing ergonomic stress. This study compared ergonomic outcomes between HUD and a conventional optical microscope in the operating room, as reported by ophthalmic surgeons in the US.Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to a sample of surgeons who had experience operating with HUD. The questionnaire captured surgeon-specific variables, the validated Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and custom questions to compare HUD and conventional microscope. A multivariable model was built to identify variables that were likely to predict improvement in pain-related issues.Results: Analysis was conducted on 64 surgeons (37 posterior-segment, 25 anterior-segment, and two mixed) with a mean 14.9 years of practice and 2.3 years using HUD. Most surgeons agreed or strongly agreed that HUD reduced the severity (64%) and frequency (63%) of pain and discomfort, improved posture (73%), and improved overall comfort (77%). Of respondents who experienced headaches, or pain and discomfort during operation, 12 (44%) reported their headaches improved and 45 (82%) reported feeling less pain and discomfort since they started using HUD. The multivariable model indicated the odds of reporting an improvement in pain since introducing the HUD in the operating room were 5.12-times greater for those who used HUD in > 50% of their cases (P=0.029).Conclusion: This study indicates that heads-up display may be an important tool for wellness in the operating room as it can benefit ophthalmic surgeons across several ergonomic measures.Keywords: heads-up display, microscope, ergonomic, musculoskeletal disorders, ophthalmology, surgery

Purpose:To survey the work-related risk from wood carving and preliminarily assess the effectiveness of an ergonomic implementation program among wood carvers. Methods:A survey on musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) was conducted by using unstructured conversation, observation, and a focus group. The nature and opinion of the workers, using tools, work station, postures, environment and opinion on adapting to ergonomic factors were investigated and developed for an ergonomic implementation program. Work-related MSD was assessed by the Rapid Upper Limbs Assessment (RULA) at before and after implementation for three weeks. Moreover, the knowledge and, satisfaction on implementation program, and pain sensation were evaluated. Results from the survey result from 25 male wood carvers aged 45.76±8.3 years old showed that. The size, dimension and design of the devices affected to MSD. Most of the wood carvers had low back pain. After ergonomic program was implemented by educated and trained in 14 wood carvers, the knowledge score improved significantly, except total RULA and total pain scores of all regions. But the RULA and pain scores at low back region showed significant improvement. Conclusion:Low back pain was predominantly in wood carvers and a specific ergonomic implementation program can improve posture and reduce pain. Keywords:Ergonomic; Wood carving; Work-related musculoskeletal disorder

Objectives The article presents the results of selected pilot studies conducted in medical ambulances. Their aim was to determine the working conditions and identify troublesome factors accompanying the performance of basic medical procedures by rescue teams. Material and Methods The study of working conditions was carried out in Mercedes-Benz ambulances, type S and P. Fifty-one paramedics of the Emergency Medical Rescue Service in Siedlce took part in the research. The questionnaire expert survey method and the direct observation method were used. Results As a result of the applied research methods, knowledge was gained on the irregularities and difficulties that occur at the workplace of a paramedic, i.e., in an ambulance, including the lack of access to essential elements of medical equipment and their different location inside the vehicle, and the diversity of solutions for the spatial structure of ambulances, which all cause difficulties at work. Research has shown that paramedics take, on average, 33 min to familiarize themselves with the location of equipment in an ambulance other than the one in which they are usually on duty. There was no correlation between the lifeguard’s length of service and the time necessary for getting acquainted with the equipment, which was studied using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. In the study, rescuers also pointed to musculoskeletal ailments, mainly spinal pains resulting from taking forced positions during medical activities in an ambulance. Conclusions The results obtained constitute the basis for the author’s methodology of complex research aimed at defining the ergonomic recommendations necessary in the modification process of the operated medical fleet. The next step will be to formulate uniform guidelines for the construction of medical compartments of ambulances, the application of which will lead to the unification of their spatial structure regardless of the vehicle brand. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(1):91–105

Background: Nurses are subjected to musculoskeletal disorders for the reason of working situations and pressures, which any neglect of them causes a poor quality of hospital services provided to the patients. So, the present study was conducted to develop and evaluate the intervention based on the educational and reduction of musculoskeletal disorders among nurses of Khansar Fatemieh Hospital. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 74 nursing staffs of Fatemieh Hospital, Khansar, Iran, who were studied completely as the whole census. Inclusion criteria were nurses who were responsible for patient transmission, with more than one year of work experience and without a case history of musculoskeletal disorders. Exclusion criteria were surgery or accident while studying as well as disinclination to continue taking part in the study. Initially, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was investigated by Nordic Questionnaire and Occupational Risk Factors by Rapid Body Assessment Technique (REBA). Evaluation criteria for the impact of training consisted of training such as film, pamphlets, handouts, informing in telegram channels, etc. Ultimately, after three months of training courses, the workstation was re-assessed through the above methods, and the data were analyzed through SPSS software version 16, Chi-square statistical tests, McNemar and Wilcoxon tests; then the effectiveness of the educational intervention was identified. Results: The mean age and work experience of the participants were 5.27 (32.83)and 4/55 (7.83) year respectively. The results illustrated that the highest rate of prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was pertinent to the waist (64.90%) and knee (62.20%), wrist (50/00%) in order. The results obtained from the REBA technique indicated that 89.20% of participants were above the range of risk average. After the intervention, statistical tests exhibited a significant reduction in scores and level of risk achieved by the REBA technique (p-value0.05). No significant relationship could be seen between gender, work experience, BMI (Body Mass Index) and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (P-value>0.05) in this study, but the statistical tests indicated that there was a significant relationship between age and pain in wrist area (P-value

ObjectivesThis study provides an overview of the influence of occupational risk factors on the global burden of disease as estimated by the occupational component of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study.MethodsThe GBD 2016 study estimated the burden in terms of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) arising from the effects of occupational risk factors (carcinogens; asthmagens; particulate matter, gases and fumes (PMGF); secondhand smoke (SHS); noise; ergonomic risk factors for low back pain; risk factors for injury). A population attributable fraction (PAF) approach was used for most risk factors.ResultsIn 2016, globally, an estimated 1.53 (95% uncertainty interval 1.39–1.68) million deaths and 76.1 (66.3–86.3) million DALYs were attributable to the included occupational risk factors, accounting for 2.8% of deaths and 3.2% of DALYs from all causes. Most deaths were attributable to PMGF, carcinogens (particularly asbestos), injury risk factors and SHS. Most DALYs were attributable to injury risk factors and ergonomic exposures. Men and persons 55 years or older were most affected. PAFs ranged from 26.8% for low back pain from ergonomic risk factors and 19.6% for hearing loss from noise to 3.4% for carcinogens. DALYs per capita were highest in Oceania, Southeast Asia and Central sub-Saharan Africa. On a per capita basis, between 1990 and 2016 there was an overall decrease of about 31% in deaths and 25% in DALYs.ConclusionsOccupational exposures continue to cause an important health burden worldwide, justifying the need for ongoing prevention and control initiatives.

This research seeks to examine the impact of workstation types on the coupling of neural and vascular activities of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The design of the workstations was found to impair the performance, physical and mental health of employees. However, the mechanism underlying cognitive activity involved during workstation design-related stress effects in the PFC has not been fully understood. We used electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to simultaneously measure electrical activity and hemoglobin concentration changes in the PFC. The multimodal signal was collected from 23 healthy adult volunteers who completed the Montreal imaging stress task in ergonomic and non-ergonomic workstations. A supervised machine learning method based on temporally embedded canonical correlation analysis (tCCA) was utilized to obtain the association between neural activity and local changes in hemoglobin concentrations to enhance localization and accuracy. The results showed deactivation in alpha power rhythms and oxygenated hemoglobin, as well as declined activation pattern of the fused data in the right PFC at the non-ergonomic workstation. Additionally, all participants at the non-ergonomic workstation experienced a substantial rise in salivary alpha-amylase activity in comparison with the ergonomic workstation, indicating the existence of high-stress levels. The proposed tCCA approach obtains excellent results in discriminating workstation types achieving accuracies of 98.8% and a significant improvement of 8.0% (p

The aim of this study was to explore the ergonomic challenges, the needs and reservations related to robot-assisted ultrasound for obstetric sonographers and thereby to provide information for the design of robotic solutions. A mixed-method design was used, where data from the obstetric sonographers and their immediate managers from 18 out of a Danish total of 20 obstetric departments was collected. The data was collected through a survey and interviews. 98.1% of the obstetric sonographers experienced ache, pain or discomfort related to scans. The most frequent cause for the sonographers' ergonomic challenges were the patients’ physique (93,52%) and the need to obtain good image quality (83,33%). These reasons are non-controllable parameters for the obstetric sonographers and requires a solution, which ergonomically supports the sonographers in these situations. All of the interviewed obstetric sonographers (n = 8) and immediate managers (n = 3) claimed they were interested in testing a solution based on robot-assisted ultrasound.

Dental professionals often perform physically and mentally demanding therapeutical procedures. They work maintaining muscular imbalance and asymmetrical positions for a long time. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence and the factors associated to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) among Italian dental professionals and the most affected body regions. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between March 2019 and February 2020. The Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) was implemented with questions related to working habits (dental occupation, working hours per week and per days, years of work) and lifestyle (practiced physical activity, including frequency and duration, mobilization activities, and knowledge of ergonomic guidelines) was used. The-chi square test was carried out to detect any statistically significant difference (p &lt, 0.05). Logistic regression was carried out to detect the most significant factors associated to WMSD occurrence. A total of 284 questionnaires have been used for the analysis. A high proportion of dental professionals (84.6%) were affected by WMSD in the last 12 months. A higher prevalence was found in females (87%) when compared to males (80%). The prevalence of WMSD was correlated to the working hours/day and hour/week, with a higher risk for operators working &gt, 5 h/day and &gt, 30 h/week. In addition, a high prevalence was found in operators working for 2–5 years after graduation. Most of the surveyed dental professionals practiced physical activity (70.1%) but only a few had satisfactorily knowledge of ergonomic guidelines (12.7%). Interestingly, participants who practiced yoga or stretching as physical activities demonstrated lower WMSD (77%) when compared to other physical activities (84%). We can highlight that generic physical activities have no functional effect on WMSD for dental professionals. The most affected body areas were neck (59.9%), shoulders (43.3%), lumbar region (52.1%), dorsal region (37.7%) and wrists (30.6%). Considering the magnitude of the problem, there is an urgent need to implement the education in ergonomics among dental professionals, that may be achieved by teaching biomechanics, posturology and integrative functional therapies (such as yoga) during the university education and by promoting holistic health of dental operators.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the importance of combined ergonomic exposures at work for the development of musculoskeletal pain. Methods Through four rounds (2012–2018) of the Work Environment and Health in Denmark Study, 18 905 employees of the general working population replied to a baseline and 2-year follow-up questionnaire. First, a k-means cluster analysis of seven ergonomic factors (back bending, arm above shoulders, lifting etc., from ‘never’ to ‘almost all the time’) identified nine naturally occurring clusters. Second, using a weighted survey regression model controlling for age, gender, survey year, education, lifestyle, influence at work, and pain intensity at baseline, we estimated development of pain intensity (0–10) in the neck-shoulder and low-back in these clusters. The largest cluster served as reference to the other clusters and was characterized by low ergonomic exposures. Results Clusters characterized by multiple combined ergonomic exposures for a relatively high percentage of the working time showed the largest increase in neck-shoulder as well as low-back pain intensity from baseline to follow-up. However, clusters characterized by high exposure to a few specific ergonomic factors also increased pain significantly, eg, standing/walking combined with lifting/carrying or twisted/bent back for the majority of the working time increased low-back pain, whereas repetitive arm movements for the majority of the working time with or without standing/walking increased neck-shoulder pain. Conclusion Combined occupational ergonomic exposures play an important role in the development of musculoskeletal pain. Workplace preventive approaches should consider this in risk assessments and organization of the work.

Bu çalışmada, 112 Acil Sağlık Hizmetleri (ASH) çalışanlarının hastaya tedavi ve bakım uygulama esnasında, ambulans kabininin tasarımının ergonomikliğine bağlı olarak karşılaştıkları isle ilgili yaralanmalar, zorlanmalar ve bunların nedenlerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. 112 ASH çalışanlarının karşılaştıkları zorlukların tespiti amacıyla bir anket tasarlanmıştır. Anket sorularının uygunluğu için pilot çalışma yapılmıştır. Amaca uygunluğu anlaşıldıktan sonra, Eskişehir ilinde ASH'nin 13 istasyonunda, Haziran – Temmuz 2017 aylarında toplam 90 gönüllü katılımcıya uygulanmıştır. SPSS 24 paket programı kullanılarak veriler analiz edilmiştir. Bulgulara göre ankete katılanların, %87'si sivri köşelere çarpma, %83'ü kapı çarpması, %69'u sedyede tedavide zorlanma, %64'ü sedye hareketinde sıkışma, %59'u hastaya müdahale sırasında (otururken) kolun hastaya uzanamaması ve %59'u çöp kutusu sorunu yaşamaktadırlar. Yaşanan zorlukların %83’ü iç tasarımın yapısından, %82’si kabin içi alan darlığından, %82’si sistem yetersizliğinden, %81,1’i ambulans kabinin iç yerleşiminin ergonomik olmayışından kaynaklanmaktadır. Anket verileri ile elde edilen analiz sonuçlarına göre 112 ASH ambulans çalışanların, çalışma şartlarını daha elverişli hale getirmek için ambulans iç tasarımında ergonomik açıdan bazı geliştirmelerin yapılması gerekmektedir., The aim of this study is to investigate work-related injuries, exposures and their reasons that 112 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel encounter during the treatment and care of the patient, depending on the ergonomics of the interior design of an ambulance. A questionnaire is designated to identify the challenges faced by 112 EMS personnel. A pilot study is conducted to determine the convenience of the questionnaire. After confirming the questionnaire, it is applied to a total of 90 voluntary participants in 13 stations of EMS in Eskişehir between June and July 2017. Data are analyzed by using SPSS 24 packet program. According to the findings, the participants were exposed to; problems due to hit on sharp corners (87%), problems due to slamming of the door (83%), exposures in treatment on the stretcher (69%), stuck during stretcher movement (%64), unable to reach the patient (at sitting position) during intervention in the ambulance (59%) and waste box problem (59%). Of the exposures faced, 83% are due to interior design framework, 82% are because of narrowness of the cabin and 81.1% are due to the fact that the layout of interior compartment was not ergonomic. According to the results of analysis obtained by the questionnaire data, it is essential to make some improvements in terms of ergonomics in the ambulance interior design in order to make working conditions of ambulance staff of 112 EMS more eligible.

Background: The fitness of laptop desks (sitting cross-legged) with physical dimensions of users have important role in using with correct posture and reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the fitness of anthropometric dimensions of students with best-selling laptop desks. Methods: In this study, 207 students (girls and boys) from Qazvin University of Medical Sciences were investigated. In addition to height and weight, anthropometric dimensions including; elbow height (sitting), elbow-elbow breadth, two knee length and height (sitting position cross-legged) and elbow-fingertips length were measured. Then percent of the fitness between the laptop desks with anthropometric dimensions obtained. Findings: The results showed that the two types of laptops desks fit only in the length of the desk. Two knee length and height (sitting position cross-legged), elbow - fingertips length and elbow height (sitting) fit in the desk number one 32.4, 98.5, 0, and 93.7% and in the desk number two 61.8, 0.96, 0.5, and 78.3% respectively. Conclusion: It had a 100% fitness only in length of the table with anthropometric dimensions of students between two types of laptop desks. However in terms of fitness, the desk number one with the highest percentage in three anthropometric dimensions was better than the desk number two. Keywords: Ergonomic, Anthropometry, Physical fitness, Laptop desk, Posture, Musculoskeletal diseases

Background: To identify work sectors with high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Korean men and women. Methods: We analyzed nationwide data to identify ergonomic risk factors in Korean employees. In particular, we analyzed data on exposure to five ergonomic risk factors (painful/tiring postures, lifting/moving heavy materials, standing/walking, repetitive hand/arm movements, and hand/arm vibration) according to employment sector, sex, and age, using the 2014 Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey. We also used workers' compensation data on work-related MSDs in 2010, which is available by sex. Results: The different work sectors had different gender distributions. “Manufacturing” (27.7%) and “construction” (11.3%) were dominated by males, whereas “human health and social work activities” (12.4%), “hotel and restaurants” (11.7%), and “education” (10.4%) were dominated by females. However, “wholesale and retail trade” and “public administration and defense” employed large numbers of males and females. Furthermore, the work sectors with a greater proportion of work-related MSDs and with multiple ergonomic risk factors were different for men and women. For men, “construction” and “manufacturing” had the highest risk for work-related MSDs; for women, “hotel and restaurants” had the highest risk for work-related MSDs. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions for workers should consider gender and should focus on work sectors with high risk for MSDs, with multiple ergonomic risk factors, and with the largest number of workers. Keywords: ergonomic, risk factor, Korean workers, musculoskeletal disorder

Sang-arun Isaramalai,1 Kanokwan Hounsri,1 Chanon Kongkamol,2 Pornnit Wattanapisitkul,3 Napaporn Tangadulrat,3 Tippawan Kaewmanee,3 Varah Yuenyongviwat4 1Research Center for Caring System of Thai Elderly, Faculty of Nursing, 2Research Unit of Holistic Health and Safety Management in Community, Faculty of Medicine, 3Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, 4Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand Background: Ergonomic hazards are the most important cause of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in aged para rubber farmers. Ergonomic management comprising improvement of working conditions and muscle-strengthening exercise has been well documented in terms of workers’ health benefit. However, those interventions were not adequate to sustain the advantage. Few studies have demonstrated the effect of integrating participatory ergonomic management (PEM) in non-weight-bearing exercise (NWE) and progressive resistance exercise (PRE), and none has focused on aged para rubber farmers with knee OA.Purpose: This study investigated the effect of PEM-NWE, PEM-PRE, and standard treatment (ST) on self-care and functional ability in the aged population.Materials and methods: A single-blinded, clustered randomized controlled trial was carried out. Participants (n=75) from three different communities in southern Thailand were randomly assigned to PEM-NWE, PEM-PRE, and ST. Self-care and functional ability (pain, stiffness, and physical function) were examined at baseline (B), during the intervention at Week 5 (W5), and after its completion at Week 9 (W9). Mean comparison of those outcomes over time was made using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs).Results: Compared to the standard treatment, the means of both groups, PEM-NWE and PEM-PRE, were significantly increased in self-care and functional ability. However, no significant difference between PEM-NWE and PEM-PRE was found.Conclusion: Either or both interventions should be incorporated into nursing practice in order to promote occupational health and enhance quality of work life for Thai aged farmers. Further study on their cost-effectiveness is highly recommended. Keywords: farmer, osteoarthritis, ergonomic, self-care, functional ability

Background: Although the expansion of innovation in the industry has led to an increase in the fast of works, production and productivity, it has also imposed an increase in the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders. So, the aim of this study was determination the risk level of work posture by REBA and RULA method among workers of assembly line of a cosmetic manufacturing factory. Methods: This study descriptive was carried out among the assembly line workers of a cosmetic manufacturing factory in 2016. Six tasks (including 28 work postures) were selected due to the most risk of inappropriate work posture factor. 18 postures were evaluated by REBA method and 10 postures by RULA method. Results: The results showed that the highest REBA score (score10) in the hair color manufacturing section and the highest RULA score (score 7) related to the oxidant and powder parts. The minimum score obtained by the REBA and RULA method was 5 and 4 (minimum 2 corrective action level), respectively. Conclusion: To prevent musculoskeletal disorders and reduce the staff posture score in pouring materials into the mixer or reservoir of manufacturing hair color, oxidant and powder sections, corrective actions such as the use of a pump system for transferring materials to the reservoir and the use of an footrest to avoid lifting the load to a height above the shoulder are recommended.

Phantom vibration syndrome is a condition where a person would feel the sensation of vibration of a cell phone as if there were incoming notification but the fact is not. This research investigated the relationship between phantom vibration syndromes, sleep disorder and stress condition. Questionnaires were distributed to 120 participants with age range 18 to 23 years old. Data of participants showed that all of participants using a smart mobile phone and 24% of them have more than one cell phone. Time usage of cell phone is at least 1 hour. 23% of participants using a cell phone for social media activity, followed by 21% related to entertainment (music, video and games). The results showed a positive relationship between phantom vibration syndrome, sleep disorder and stress condition. Insomnia contributed a greater influence on stress condition. However, the phantom vibration syndrome is more directly affecting the sleep apnea compared to insomnia and stress condition. Therefore, the phantom vibration syndrome more affects stress condition indirectly, through sleep disorder (sleep apnea and insomnia). Consequently, phantom vibration syndrome has a strong relationship with stress condition at the time of the phantom vibration syndrome can cause sleep disorder.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between personal and job characteristics and the risk of upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among operating room nurses (ORNs). To this end, we collected data from 148 ORNs working at 8 Italian hospitals and measured any upper limb disabilities experienced in the previous year using the Italian version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire. The associations between personal and job characteristics and risk of upper limb WMSDs were estimated by unconditional logistic regression models. The prevalence of upper limb WMSDs was 45.9%. Multivariate analysis showed the &ldquo, female gender&rdquo, and &ldquo, monthly hours spent working as a scrub nurse&rdquo, to be directly associated with a higher DASH score (adjusted OR for gender = 5.37, 95% CI: 1.65&ndash, 17.51, p &lt, 0.01, adjusted OR for monthly hours as scrub nurse = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.33&ndash, 7.19, p &lt, 0.01). Overall, our findings indicate that a full-time job (&gt, 120 h/month) as a scrub nurse significantly increases the risk of developing upper limb WMSDs among female ORNs. Thus, to reduce such risk in this particularly sensitive population, we recommend urgent implementation of ergonomic interventions on surgical equipment alongside job rotation and medical surveillance programs.

Work related upper body musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders constitute a major problem for operators of heavy machinery. Steering input devices mediate risk factors of upper body musculoskeletal disorders. Little research has been conducted to compare the multiple commercially available steering input devices in a multi-faceted approach. The present study evaluated five commonly used steering input devices (conventional steering wheel, fast steering wheel, miniature steering wheel, first-order joystick and second-order joystick) in terms of muscle activity, upper body kinematics and steering performance during heavy machine simulator driving. Fifteen healthy males novice to operation of heavy machinery completed five laps on a simulated track with each steering input device. Results showed a generally lower muscle activity when using the joysticks. The conventional and fast steering wheel increased mean wrist and shoulder flexion/extension angles and participants spent more time in wrist flexion/extension angles corresponding to moderate and poor comfort levels. An increased elbow protonation angle was found for the three steering wheels compared to the joysticks. The conventional steering wheel showed slowest track completion time and was subjectively ranked worst. The first-order joystick was ranked highest but also showed the highest amount of steering reversal rates, posing a risk of increased repetitiveness. Overall, the second-order joystick is considered superior ergonomically compared to the other steering input devices evaluated. However, all evaluated steering input devices exceeded muscle activity and/or joint angle recommendations. Relevance to the industry: Compared to steering wheels, joystick steering showed reduced muscular activity and less awkward joint postures, suggesting a reduced risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in the long term. However, the results warrant efforts to further develop joystick steering resulting in a reduction of exposure level beyond the existing solutions.

Background: This review summarizes the evidence regarding the association between musculoskeletal disorders and computer users at work. Past studies had identified that musculoskeletal disorders among computer users are known to be multifactorial in origin. This includes work related and nonwork-related factors. Methods: Literature search was conducted in various databases such as Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. The articles were analyzed based on predetermined objectives and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) such as computer users, musculoskeletal disorders and risk factors. Almost seventy-seven (77) articles were retrieved and analyzed to understand the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users. Results: Based on the previous articles, a framework of musculoskeletal disorders and computer users was proposed for a better understanding of the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users in the workplace. The framework emphasizes the association between work-related (physical, environmental and psychosocial risk factors) and non-work related factors (individual risk factors) among computer users. It was hypothesized that an increase in the muscle activity or increase in the muscle loads were the possible early symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users at the workplace due the interaction of individual, psychosocial and physical risk factors. Furthermore, the decrease in productivity was shown in the framework as an effect of an increase in musculoskeletal disorders among computer users. Conclusion: The proposed framework may be used for better prevention and intervention of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users in the workplace.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are commonly occurring disorders nowadays. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining MSDs in dentists and to assess knowledge about ergonomics. Materials and Methods: This questionnaire study was conducted among 460 dental professionals of different age groups. Parameters such as posture of dentists, working alone or with an assistant, and number of breaks were recorded. Type of MSDs and the type and effectiveness were recorded. Results: BDS students were seventy, interns were 112, general dentists were 186, and specialists were 92. Year of practice was 20 years in 140 students. Fourteen percent of students, 18% interns, 45% general practitioners, and 32% of specialists had a prevalence of MSD. Most common MSDs in students were upper back pain seen in 6%, in interns were upper back pain seen in 8%, in general practitioners were shoulder pain seen in 21%, and in specialists were hand/wrist pain seen in 10%. Forty-five percent of students, 67% interns, 72% general dentists, and 80% of specialists had idea about ergonomics. Seventy-four percent of students, 80% of interns, 83% of general dentists, and 87% of specialists think that ergonomics may improve performance. Sitting position was preferred seen in 53% of students, 58% of interns, 65% general dentists, and 60% of specialists. Forty-five percent of students, 47% of interns, 56% of general dentists, and 52% of specialists perform physical activity during work. The difference was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Seventy-nine percent of students, 83% of interns, 86% of general dentists, and 88% of specialists show prolong sitting or standing. Conclusion: Authors found that all prefer to apply ergonomic in clinical practice. There is a lack of knowledge among BDS students and interns about ergonomics.

Objectives The aim of this paper was to investigate if objectively measured daily duration of forward bending of the trunk increases the risk of the development or aggravation of low-back pain (LBP) over one year in a working blue-collar population by examining (i) the incidence rate of LBP among workers reporting no LBP at baseline, and (ii) the aggravation of LBP among workers reporting LBP at baseline. Methods Using data from the Danish Physical Activity Cohort with Objective Measurements (DPhacto), the study measured forward bending of the trunk (>60˚) at work (FBW) and during leisure time (FBL), diurnally with accelerometers, and LBP with one-year monthly self-reports among 682 blue-collar workers from 15 workplaces. The development of LBP was investigated with Cox’s proportional hazards model (N=200), and the aggravation of LBP was investigated with mixed model for repeated measurements (N=482). Results Workers with no LBP at baseline had a FBW median of 7.9 minutes/day. Workers with LBP at baseline had a FBW median of 7.3 minutes/day. No significant associations were found between daily duration of forward bending of the trunk and development or aggravation of LBP. Similar results were found in the secondary analyses, in which FBL, different degrees of forward bending (>30˚ and >90˚), and varying follow-up time since measurement were considered. Conclusion Using objective measurements of forward bending and monthly follow-up of LBP over one year, this study did not confirm the hypothesis of a positive association between daily duration of forward bending and LBP.

As air travel grows the numbers of passengers with varying degrees of motor disability have grown too. The aim of this study is to analyze the task of pushing Passengers with Restricted Mobility (PRM) on three different wheelchairs (WhCh) currently supplied to PRM service of a Rome airport. The WhChs differed in their width, weight and wheels dimension. We investigated initial and sustained forces, according to the Annex D of ISO 11228-2 standard, by means of a digital dynamometer. Surface Electromyography (sEMG), was also recorded bilaterally from Erector Spinae and Anterior Deltoid only in the initial phase.

Garage workers always involve with awkward posture as their task being carried out manually in most small scale vehicle maintenance industries. Therefore it is crucial to identify the problems causing awkward posture because it can result to the development of Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms (MSDs), which may gone unnoticed and might cause higher compensation cost later. Postural analysis tool using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) were applied and conducted on nine workers engaging in maintaining three types of vehicle namely car, Multi-purpose vehicle and bus. The evaluation of working postures in different activities is carried out using worksheet of scoring system. Result shows that most of the tasks involved awkward posture and most at high risk level. There is lack of ergonomic awareness and knowledge which contribute more towards high risk of MSDs problem. Keywords: garage worker; assessment tools; musculoskeletal disorder; REBA; ergonomic

Bjarne K Madsen,1 Karen Søgaard,2,3 Lars L Andersen,4 Jørgen Skotte,4 Birte Tornøe,5 Rigmor H Jensen1 1Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Glostrup, 2Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Physical Activity and Health in Work Life University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 3Department of Clinical research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 4National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark; 5Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden Introduction: Muscle pain has been associated with reduced maximal muscle strength, and reduced rate of force development (RFD). Strength training (ST) has shown an effect in not only normalizing muscle function but also reducing neck muscle pain.Aim: The aims of this study were to compare muscle function in terms of strength, force steadiness in neck flexion, as well as extension, and rate of RFD of the shoulder in tension-type headache (TTH) patients and healthy controls and to examine the correlation to tenderness. Furthermore, the aim of the study was to examine the effect of ST on neck and shoulder functions in TTH patients.Participants and methods: In all, 60 TTH patients and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were included for a case–control comparison. The 60 patients with TTH were randomized into an ST and an ergonomic and posture correction (EP) control group. The ST group trained for 10weeks with elastic bands.Results: TTH patients had a lower extension force steadiness with a significant 15% higher coefficient of variation (CoV) compared to healthy controls (p=0.047). A significantly lower RFD (25%) was noted in the TTH group than in the healthy controls (p=0.031). A significant (p

The assessment of harsh working conditions requires a correct evaluation of the metabolic rate. This paper revises the basis described in the ISO 8996 standard for the evaluation of the metabolic rate at a work station from the recording of the heart rate of a worker during a representative period of time. From a review of the literature, formulas different from those given in the standard are proposed to estimate the maximum working capacity, the maximum heart rate, the heart rate and the metabolic rate at rest and the relation (HR vs. M) at the basis of the estimation of the equivalent metabolic rate, as a function of the age, height and weight of the person. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to determine, from the approximations of these parameters and formulas, the imprecision of the estimated equivalent metabolic rate. The results show that the standard deviation of this estimate varies from 10 to 15%.

International audience; Background: In robotic surgery, the professional ergonomic habit of using an armrest reduces operator fatigue and increases the precision of motion. We designed and validated a pressure surveillance system (PSS) based on force sensors to investigate armrest use. The objective was to evaluate whether adding an alarm to the PSS system could shorten ergonomic training and improve performance.Study design: Twenty robot and simulator-naïve participants were recruited and randomized in two groups (A and B). The PSS was installed on a robotic simulator, the dV-Trainer, to detect contact with the armrest. The Group A members completed three tasks on the dV-Trainer without the alarm, making 15 attempts at each task. The Group B members practiced the first two tasks with the alarm and then completed the final tasks without the alarm. The simulator provided an overall score reflecting the trainees' performance. We used the new concept of an "armrest load" score to describe the ergonomic habit of using the armrest.Results: Group B had a significantly higher performance score (p < 0.001) and armrest load score (p < 0.001) than Group A from the fifth attempt of the first task to the end of the experiment.Conclusions: Based on the conditioned reflex effect, the alarm associated with the PSS rectified ergonomic errors and accelerated professional ergonomic habit acquisition. The combination of the PSS and alarm is effective in significantly shortening the learning curve in the robotic training process.

Background Flexible endoscopes are increasingly used to perform advanced intraluminal and transluminal interven- tions. These complex interventions demand accurate and efficient control, however, current endoscopes lack intui- tiveness and ergonomic control of the endoscope tip. Alternative handheld controllers can improve intuitiveness and ergonomics, though previous studies are inconclusive concerning their effect on the efficiency of endoscope manipulation. The aim of this study is to determine the efficiency of a robotic system with intuitive user interface in controlling the tip of the flexible endoscope. Methods We compared the efficiency of time and tip trajectory when steering the endoscope tip using the con- ventional steering wheels and a robotic platform with three different user interfaces: a touchpad in combination with a position control algorithm, a joystick combined with linear rate control, and a joystick combined with non-linear rate control. Fourteen participants, without a medical back- ground, used all four interfaces. They performed both large navigational and fine targeting tasks in a simulated envi- ronment which allowed objective cross-subject compari- son. Afterward, the participants were asked to select their preferred steering method. Results Participants were significantly faster in steering the endoscope tip when using robotic steering compared to using the conventional steering method. Between the robotic interfaces, using the touchpad was significantly faster compared to the joystick with linear rate control. Use of the joystick with non-linear rate control led to a shorter tip trajectory compared to the touchpad. The majority of participants preferred the joystick with non-linear rate control over the other steering methods. Conclusions This work shows that intuitive user interfaces can improve the efficiency of endoscope steering.

Objectives:To determine the magnitude, distribution and associated ergonomic factors of upper extremities musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD) among workers of electronic assembly in Thailand. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. 591 of 853 workers in an electronic and electrical appliance assembly factory in Bangkok, Thailand, participated in this study. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of demographic data and ergonomic factors was collected from October 2010 to January 2011. Clinical examination of each worker was performed by an occupational physician. The criteria for diagnosis of UEMSD came as a result of a consensus reached by a group of orthopedists. The associated factors were analyzed using a multiple logistic regression. Results: The point prevalence of clinically diagnosed UEMSD was as follows: radial styloid tenosynovitis - 13.03% (95% CI: 10.31-15.75), trigger finger - 9.48% (95% CI: 7.11-11.84), carpal tunnel syndrome - 8.12% (95% CI: 5.91-10.33), lateral epicondylitis - 3.38% (95% CI: 1.92-4.85), and medial epicondylitis - 1.69% (95% CI: 0.65-2.73), respectively. The adjusted odds ratio with statistical significance associated with UEMSD was as follows: high force of wrist - 1.78 (95% CI: 1.06-2.99), awkward posture of wrist - 2.37 (95% CI: 1.28-4.37) and contact stress at wrists - 1.75 (95% CI: 1.02-3.00) to develop radial styloid tenosynovitis. For trigger finger, the ratios were awkward posture of fingers - 2.09 (95% CI: 1.12-3.90) and contact stress on finger - 1.86 (95% CI: 1.04-3.34). For medial epicondylitis, it was an awkward posture of using elbows - 3.14 (95% CI: 1.10-8.95). However, this study did not find any associations between repetitive motion and any UEMSD. Conclusions: UEMSD are most commonly found in electronic assembly workers. The relevant parties should provide comprehensive ergonomic resolution for these workers.

Objectives: Commercial cow milking tasks, regardless of dairy size, have been documented in many regions of the world as strenuous work requiring high muscular effort, awkward positions, and task repetition. Large-herd dairies are common in the United States, while Europe historically has mostly small-herd dairies. The objective of this study was to compare the upper limb muscle activity during milking tasks between workers at large-herd U.S. dairies and small-herd Italian dairies. This is the first study international directly comparing upper limb muscle activity among dairy workers from different countries using identical methods. Methods: Data was collected at 6 large-herd dairies in the U.S. region of Colorado and at 21 small-herd Italian dairies in the Lombardy region. Surface electromyography (sEMG) from the trapezius, anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, wrist flexors and wrist extensors muscles were recorded from all participating workers (N=65). Electromyography data was normalized to functional maximum voluntary contractions. Anthropometric measurements were also recorded. Results: Upper limb muscle activity was generally greater among workers in the large-herd U.S. dairies compared to small-herd Italian dairies. The amount of muscular rest as a percent of the work time was significantly greater among large-herd U.S. dairy workers. Conclusions: The differences revealed in sEMG and percent muscular rest among workers from the U.S. and Italy are likely due in part to differences in work processes adopted by fast paced industrialized large-herd dairies compared to the slower but sustained work processes performed at small-herd diaries.