• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.118-126
• /
• 2007

Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development (ESSD)" is a key word in recent years. The construction industry, have put a great influence on ergonomic and sustainable environment. Recently, "green building certifications", such as Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and eco-friendly material regulation have been established. With this regard, new construction and aged-housing remodeling projects are required to meet these certification criteria. Apartment residents have great concern on eco-product, since many cases are reported that Sick Building Syndrome is caused by toxic substance from building materials. Aged-housing remodeling construction has a unique characteristic in that the residents are already determined prior to construction execution. Therefore, the analysis of resident's need for building materials in aged-housing remodeling is relatively easy compared to new building construction. As such, it is very important to analyze their preferences for eco-friendly materials prior to project execution. The purpose of this study is to find the needs of residents and priority of their needs. Based on their needs and priority, this paper provides a new strategy in using environment-friendly materials and maximizing their satisfaction level when aged housing remodeling is constructed. In addition, this paper provide new criteria in selecting new developed environmental materials in remodeling projects for the purpose of improving the safety and health level in construction industry.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
• /
• 2011.04a
• /
• pp.319-328
• /
• 2011

It has been very important to have an exact evaluation for risk factors in order to prevent MSDs(Musculoskeletal Disorders). However, most MSDs evaluation checklists have always been some problems of possibilities associated with subjective evaluation. Therefore, this study tried to conduct a sort of sensitivity analysis on three major evaluation checklists(OWAS, RULA, REBA). Specifically, major subjects in the study consisted of three parts as follows; comparison of the results between experienced and inexperienced subjects, analysis for the consistency of the results in terms of different evaluation times. The results of the study were summarized as follows; 1) There was statistically significant difference of the results by RULA and by REBA between experienced and inexperienced subjects. This might due to the fact that experienced subjects have had better ability to detect the bad working posture during evaluation. However, the results by OWAS did not give any significantly different results between experienced and inexperienced subjects., 2) All three checklists showed significantly different results in terms of different evaluation times. Further study on this subject would eventually provide a sophisticated evaluating guidelines for MSDs regarding determination of subject-specific evaluation, identification of repetitive number of evaluations for stable results for each checklist, determination of job-specific evaluation methods, and so on.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 2016

For the prevention of marine casualties, international bodies have mainly focused on strengthening ship's stability and design, maritime education and training, and improving maritime traffic environment. Statistics analysis on marine casualties showed that most of casualties occurred in coastal waters, especially by human elements. In order to review the conformity of existing prevention measures with the result of the statistics analysis, the IMO's SHELL model was applied to the established measures. As a result, ergonomic approaches were needed for the prevention of human errors in coastal waters, so that the priority should be given to the interface between ship's operator and navigational environment. For this study, Rasmussen's SRK pyramid, which showed decision making mechanism of human, and the US Coast Guard's investigation manual on marine casualties concerning the collapse of safe maritime transportation system were reviewed, and the merits and demerits within the risk assessment tools such as IWRAP, PAWSA, ES model, PARK model, and NURI model were also studied. Although the effectiveness of the existing risk assessment models was proved in ports and approaching channels, it is concluded that the need of new models for converting Korean seafarers' qualitative risk to quantitative risk was proposed so as to print hazard maps which make seafarers instinctively recognize comparative hazard levels of coastal waters.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.348-358
• /
• 2013

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a lap board that was developed to prevent musculoskeletal disorders caused by the use of a computer mouse. Study participants were 10 college students in their 20s who did not have any musculoskeletal symptoms. We analyzed the difference in upper limb movements, electromyographic activity, task performance, and subjective discomfort between 2 conditions: use of a mouse with the lap board and use of a mouse placed on a desk. Results of behavior analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the 2 conditions in terms of the average angle of shoulder flexion, shoulder internal rotation, and forearm pronation(p< 0.05). However, electromyographic activity, task performance, and subjective discomfort showed no significant differences between the 2 conditions. When subjects used the mouse with the lap board, their upper extremity was located much closer to the torso than when they used the mouse placed on the desk. Six of 10 participating students preferred the lap board. We expect that advanced research on prevention of musculoskeletal disorders due to the use of the computer mouse will be conducted in the near future.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.420-430
• /
• 2014

Firefighters performing disaster response activities such as Fire Suppression Rescue First Aid in fire are being exposed in various adverse factors, heat, smoke, toxic gases, emotional stress, biological toxic factors and physical overload by unnatural ergonomic posture required for firefighters. But so far, there is the study for this problem only separately. There is no study about comprehesive analysis of exposed adverse factors in fire-related disaster response activities and countermeasures. The purpose of this study is to contiribute to solving the health problems and prevention of accidents of firefighters by extracting hazardous agents in disaster such as fire and by proposing countermeasures. After analyzing circumstances such as fire-suppression, rescue first aid and life-environment, exposure factors of fire are derived and exposure status is suggested according to physical chemical biological psychological aspects. The countermeasure against the noise of the physical exposure factors are proposed. The countermeasures such as protective equipment and clean room in chemical factors, infection prevention education, vaccination and periodic check system in biological factors, PTSD alleviation booth and mentoring in psychological factors are proposed.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.64-73
• /
• 2013

The purposes of this study were to develop a new orthosis controlling ankle and knee joint motion during the gait cycle and to identify the effects of the newly designed orthosis on gait kinematics and tempospatial parameters, including coordination of the extremities in stroke patients. Fifteen individuals who had sustained a stroke, onset was 16 months, participated in this study. Before application of the measurement equipment the subjects were accustomed to walking on the ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) or stance control knee with knee flexion assisted-oil damper ankle-foot orthosis (SCKAFO) for 5 minutes. Fifteen patients were investigated for 45 days with a 3-day interval between sessions. Measurements were walking in fifteen stroke with hemiparesis on the 3D motion analysis system. Comparison of AFO and SCKAFO are gait pattern. The difference between the AFO and SCKAFO conditions was significant in the gait velocity, step length of the right affected side, stance time of both legs, step-length asymmetry ratio, single-support-time asymmetry ratio, ${\phi}$-thigh angle and ${\phi}$-shank angle in the mid swing (p<.001). Using a SCKAFO in stroke patients has shown similar to normal walking speeds can be attained for walking efficiency and is therefore desirable. In this study, the support time of the affected leg with the SCKAFO was longer than with the AFO and the asymmetry ratio of single support time decreased by more than with the AFO. This indicates that the SCKAFO was effective for improving gait symmetry, single-support-time symmetry. This may be due to the decrease of gait asymmetry. Thus, the newly designed SCKAFO may be useful for promoting gait performance by improving the coordination of the extremity and decreasing gait asymmetry in chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.20 no.2 s.70
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2005

Traditionally, keyboards have been one of the most frequently used input devices for information processing using computers. As most computers adopt the Microsoft Windows for their operating system however, the usage of mouse has recently increased to a great extent. Moreover, the mouse has been used as the leading input device in such areas as industrial design and computer aided design. Excessive uses of mouse may cause a severe pain and fatigue on neck and upper limb due to the intensive and repetitive use of corresponding muscles, which renders a decline in efficiency and leads to musculoskeletal disorders. The main purpose of this study is to find the best working conditions to prevent musculoskeletal disorders when using mouse in a neutral posture. Utilizing electromyogram amplitude and Borg's scale, the role change and strength imposed on the muscles were measured and analyzed with and without the forearm support concerned. Also investigated were the effects of changes in elbow forearm supporter.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.199-215
• /
• 2015

Objective: The purpose of this study is to find the level of physical relaxation of individual subject by monitoring psychophysiological biofeedback to different types of mattresses. And, the study also aims to find a protocol to make a selection of the best mattress based on the measured information. Background: In Korea, there are an increasing number of people using western style bed. However, they are often fastidious in choosing the right mattress for them. In fact, people use their past experience with their old mattress as well as the spontaneous experience they encounter in a show room to finally decide to buy a bed. Method: Total five mattresses were tested in this study. After measuring the elasticity of the mattresses, they were sorted into five different classes. Physiological and psychological variables including Electromyography (EMG), heart rates (HR), oxygen saturations (SaO2) were used. In addition, the peak body pressure concentration rate was used to find uncomfortably pressured body part. Finally, the personal factors and subjective satisfaction were also examined. A protocol was made to select the best mattress for individual subject. The selection rule for the protocol considered all the variables tested in this study. Results: The result revealing psychological comfort range of 0.68 to 0.95, dermal comfort range of 3.15 to 6.07, back muscle relaxation range of 0.25 to 1.64 and personal habit range of 2.0 to 3.4 was drawn in this study. Also a regression model was developed to predict biofeedback with the minimal use of biofeedback devices. Moreover results from the proposed protocol with the regression equation and subjective satisfaction were compared with each other for validation. Ten out of twenty subjects recorded the same level of relaxation, and eight subjects showed one-level difference while two subjects showed two-levels difference. Conclusion: The psychophysiological variables and suitability selection process used in this study seem to be used for selecting and assessing ergonomic products mechanically or emotionally. Application: This regression model can be applied to the mattress industry to estimate back muscle relaxation using dermal, psychophysiology and personal habit values.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 2010

In this study, the optimal position for the backrest pivot of an office chair was investigated by evaluating its performance in terms of the lumbar support and sliding distance of the back from the backrest during tilting motions. The simulation was performed using a mathematical model, which included a human body and a chair. Forty-two backrest pivot points were selected on the sagittal plane around the hip joint of a sitting model. A motion analysis study was also performed using a prototype of an office chair (A-type) with a backrest pivot located on the hip joint of a normal Korean model and a typical office chair (B-type) with its pivot located under the seat. The simulation results showed that both the lordosis angle and the slide distance of the back were minimized when the backrest pivot was positioned close to the hip joint. The experimental results showed that the slide distance and gap between the sitter's lumbar and the backrest was smaller with the A-type than the B-type. Based on the simulation and experimental results, it can be concluded that the backrest can support the sitter's lumbar area more effectively as the pivot position for reclining approaches closer to the hip joint. In this position, the sitter can maintain a comfortable and healthy sitting posture. This paper presents the methods and guidelines for designing an office chair with ergonomic considerations.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.85-93
• /
• 2013

Modern fire fighting jobs have been expanded to include areas of rescue, emergency medical service as well as conventional fire suppression, so that load for fire fighting jobs has been increased. Specifically, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as low back injury have been considered as one of major industrial hazards in heavy manual material handling during fire fighting jobs. This study tried to evaluate risk levels and to prepare background for reducing risk levels associated with heavy manual material handling during fire fighting jobs. This study applied two major tools in evaluating heavy manual material handling jobs which were NLE (NIOSH Lifting Equation) and 3DSSPP (3D Static Strength Prediction Program). A risk index in terms of heavy manual material handling during fire fighting jobs was identified. This index consisted of seven risk levels ranged from nine points (the first level) to three points (the seventh level). There was no job associated with the first level (the highest risk level) of index. There was only one job (life saving job) belonging to the second level (the second highest risk level) of index. The third level had jobs such as usage of destruction equipment and lifting patient. A total of basic eighteen jobs was categorized into six different levels (2nd-7th levels) of index. The outcome of the study could provide a good basis for conducting job intervention, preparing good equipment and developing good education program in order to prevent and reduce MSDs including low back injury of fire fighting jobs.