• 대한인간공학회지
• /
• 제29권6호
• /
• pp.933-942
• /
• 2010

Objective: To develop an ergonomic evaluation tool which can be apply to assess the lower-limb postures associated with farming tasks. Background: In general, most of existing ergonomic assessment tools was developed to investigate the work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper-limb postures in manufacturing industry. Methods: As the first step of development of the evaluation tool, 13 lower-limb postures that were commonly observed in farming task were investigated by the subjective discomfort ratings, heart rates, and muscle activities. And then, an ergonomic evaluation tool for the lower-limb postures was developed based on results of the first experiment. Lastly, the ergonomic checklist which was developed in the current study was compared with other existing ergonomic assessment tools. Results: Based on the results of comparisons between a newly developed assessment tool and other existing assessment tools, it was found that a newly developed tool can perceive more sensitively for the various lower-limb postures than other assessment tools. Conclusions: Lower-limb posture assessment tool which can evaluate and assess risks of lower-limb WMSDs which were prevalent in farming tasks more easily and accurately was developed in this study. The lower-limb assessment tool can also be utilized to prevent WMSDs related with lower-limbs as well as improve working environments.

• 한국산업보건학회지
• /
• 제19권2호
• /
• 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.

• 대한인간공학회지
• /
• 제30권4호
• /
• pp.481-489
• /
• 2011

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an ergonomic checklist (AULA: Agricultural Upper-Limb Assessment) which can assess the risks of the work-related upper limb disorders of farming tasks in Korea. Background: There are few assessment tools that reflect the current condition of agricultural works as of now. Method: AULA was developed as following three stages. First of all, a physiological experiment was conducted with selected 14 upper limb postures which are frequently occurred in farming tasks and then, an ergonomic checklist was developed with determining risk levels of each body posture based on the experimental findings. Lastly, the ergonomic checklist was validated by comparing with the existing assessment tools. Results: When comparing the AULA which was developed in this study with the existing assessment tools, it was found that the AULA may get over limits of the existing ones which are sensitive to particular postures, but aren't sensitive to the rest of them. Conclusion: It is predicted that the developed upper limb posture assessment tool which gets over the existing tools' limits and is proper for domestic farm work conditions, will help to reduce musculoskeletal disorders caused by farm works, by assessing farm works more easily and objectively. Application: By further developing the theoretical groundwork on the induction of muscular skeletal system symptoms relating to agricultural works, it is expected to improve the level of preventing and managing such muscular skeletal system symptoms in the field of agricultural and farming works, which is relatively less advanced in terms of labor difficulties.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
• /
• 제4권3호
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2002

The prevention of accidents or diseases is one of the most profitable activities in any business. The useful tools to diagnose existing safety problems and to systematically guide the improvement of those deficiencies have been developed in the world. In the recent, however, the importance of the interface between workers and workplaces has been increasingly recognized. In order to audit the correlations of job environments and workers we developed the rating system called "Ergonomic Workplace Assessment Index" for ergonomic condition in this study. The auditors will measure the degree of compliance of the criteria using judgement techniques, checks and interviews with EWAI(Ergonomic Workplace Assessment Index) which involves 5 categories and total 50 elements. elements.

• 대한안전경영과학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 대한안전경영과학회 2006년도 추계공동학술대회
• /
• pp.23-37
• /
• 2006

This paper describes the effective way of finding injurious that prevents the workers against musculoskeletal disorders at a semi-finished medical products fabricating company. Analytical method is adopted a questionnaire an ergonomic assessment. The result of this paper is suggested the working environment, improvement of worktable, working space, tools, and outfit.

• 대한인간공학회지
• /
• 제34권5호
• /
• 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.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
• /
• 제7권4호
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2005

The goal of this study is to propose the improved scheme that prevents the workers against musculoskeletal disorders at a fishcake manufacturing company, A questionnaire and an ergonomic assessment method were adopted to analyze the symptoms of workers' musculoskeletal disorders, and an analysis of working postures and a quantitative assessment on various processes were performed to find out harmful factors of workplace. Based on the result of the evaluation, to enhance the working environment, improvement of worktable, working space, tools, and outfit was suggested, and induction of mechanical system was also suggested. Suggested improvement plan was applied to the workplace step by step and it is confirmed that improvement plan can removes the injurious factors of musculoskeletal diseases effectively.

• 한국산업보건학회지
• /
• 제15권2호
• /
• pp.104-113
• /
• 2005

A variety of ergonomic assessment methods of lifting tasks known as a major cause of work-related lower back pain have been used. But there is a limited information in choosing the most appropriate assessment method for a particular job and in finding out strengths and weakness of the methods. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the ergonomic risks of lifting tasks in a marine diesel engine production industry by three lifting ergonomic assessment tools widely used: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) Revised Lifting Equation(NLE), the Washington Administrative Code 296-62-0517(WAC), and the Snook Tables. Lifting index(weight of load/Recommended Weight Limit) of NLE($LI_{NLE}$) was above 1 at 34 tasks(75.6%) of a total number of 45 lifting tasks. LI of WAC($LI_{WAC}$) was above 1 at 11 tasks(24.4 %). LI of Snook Table($LI_{Snook}$) was above 1 at 29 tasks(64.4%). Thus, LI was high in orders of $LI_{NLE}$ > $LI_{Snook}$ > $LI_{WAC}$. There were significantly high correlations among three Lls(p<0.01). The correlation coefficients between $LI_{NLE}$and the other three Lls($LI_{WAC}$ and $LI_{Snook}$) were r=0.93 and r=0.88, respectively. The linear regression equations were y = 0.444x + 0.11(r=0.93) between $LI_{NLE}$ and $LI_{WAC}$, y = 0.93x + 0.008(r=0.88) between LI(NLE) and $LI_{Snook}$. The LI values by WAC was significantly lower than those by the other tools. The compared features, strength and limitation among these tools were described in this paper.

• 감성과학
• /
• 제19권2호
• /
• pp.89-100
• /
• 2016

Inclusive design is increasingly gaining attention, as some people find using products difficult after becoming physically impaired, despite daily use. However, making inclusive products is a challenge for designers or companies, as a lack of knowledge and tools stems their low involvement in it. Developing inclusive design tools is thus needed. This study developed criteria to assess upper extremity capabilities corresponding to specific daily activities. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 58 physiatrists and orthopedists. Non-parametric statistics were employed and medians were adopted as representative scores in the assessment criteria based on normality and reliability test results, non-normal data, and strong reliability of respondents in ranking. Consequently, an assessment tool was developed with 14 criteria (divided into range of motion and strength) and capability scores between 0 and 100, which discerned the moderately impaired from the severely disabled and fully capable. Since the doctors agreed to adopt the criteria but assign numeric values, especially for mild impairments, their capability assessment perception was likely influenced by dichotomy. To compensate for these deficits, qualitative or ergonomic approaches are considered simultaneously.

• 대한인간공학회지
• /
• 제29권4호
• /
• pp.479-486
• /
• 2010

Automobile-related industries have been a few of leading ones among domestic industries reporting high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD's). In this paper, major ergonomic aspects of automobile-related works were reviewed with reference to WMSD's. According to the result, high repeatability of works with as short as 1 minute or less, awkward postures required, excessive forces, and vibrations due to power tools were drawn out as major physical factors. To eliminate or mitigate those factors - at least in automobile-related industries - ergonomic approach has tried for more than a decade. With all, however, ergonomists still seem to confront with several problems to be solved such as development of appropriate assessment tools, enhancement of work improvement activities, system establishment for continuous prevention and management of WMSD's. As lots of previous researches declared, it was concluded that ergonomic approach would collaborate with other approaches such as ndustrial medicine considering physical factors as well as psychosocial factors, and that the necessity of an integrated Occupational Safety and Health Management System(OHSMS) was mentioned.