• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.57-76
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• 2005

A standardized ergonomics kit is suggested to evaluate and reduce musculoskeletal hazards that yield large socioeconomic burdens in the work system. This kit comprises basic and detailed analysis tools with proper tool selection rules. The basic tool includes a checklist for various risk factors to screen potentially hazardous jobs among manual works. Selective detailed analysis tools can then be applied to the screened job lists for more quantitative and precise evaluation. The tool selection rules are devised for using the basic and detailed analysis tools in a mutually supplemental way. To validate the standardized ergonomics kit, it was applied to evaluate jobs related to the musculoskeletal hazards in a paper-making industry. Among 101 manual jobs investigated, 44 potential hazardous jobs were screened during basic investigation phase and finally 16 hazardous jobs were identified by the detailed analysis phase. The result provided fairly promising ideas of ergonomic interventions for the hazardous jobs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.533-540
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• 2012

Objective: This paper targets a framework of a hand gesture based interface design. Background: While a modeling of contact-based interfaces has focused on users' ergonomic interface designs and real-time technologies, an implementation of a contactless interface needs error-free classifications as an essential prior condition. These trends made many research studies concentrate on the designs of feature vectors, learning models and their tests. Even though there have been remarkable advances in this field, the ignorance of ergonomics and users' cognitions result in several problems including a user's uneasy behaviors. Method: In order to incorporate compatibilities considering users' comfortable behaviors and device's classification abilities simultaneously, classification-oriented gestures are extracted using the suggested human-hand model and closed-loop classification procedures. Out of the extracted gestures, the compatibility-oriented gestures are acquired though human's ergonomic and cognitive experiments. Then, the obtained hand gestures are converted into a series of hand behaviors - Handycon - which is mapped into several functions in a mobile device. Results: This Handycon model guarantees users' easy behavior and helps fast understandings as well as the high classification rate. Conclusion and Application: The suggested framework contributes to develop a hand gesture-based contactless interface model considering compatibilities between human and device. The suggested procedures can be applied effectively into other contactless interface designs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.371-380
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of design parameters of vibrotactile signals on semantic association with transmitted information conveying different meanings. Background: As information communication relying on human visual channel becomes excessive, the utility of vibrotactile signals is being interested as a substitute measure of delivering information. Properly designed hapticons may relieve burden of visual communication by rendering distinct and meaningfully compatible haptic sensations. Method: A typical Kansei engineering approach was adopted in this study. Ten most distinctive hapticons were selected among those having different frequencies and amplitudes. Associations between the hapticons and twenty four pairs of adjectives used to describe the state of automobile in control were gathered from thirty subjects using semantic differential scales. Results: The selected pairs of adjectives were summarized by factor analysis into two semantic dimensions named 'Awareness' and 'Directionality'. The experimental hapticons matched with the semantic dimensions were presented as a haptic emotion map. Conclusion: The results from this study support that frequencies and amplitudes of haptic signals play important roles in arousing different human perceptions regarding the two haptic emotional dimensions. Application: Properly designed hapticons with respect to the contents of transmitted information will increase human operator's situation awareness as well as system performance. The result from this study can be used to develop standardized hapticons for active haptic communication.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to present a solution to problems in the services provided by the general hospitals by creating a user-centric environment through analyzing the User Journey Map and the User Context. Background: The rapid growth in aging population and the monopolization of superior medical staffs by the general hospitals increased demand for the general hospitals in Korea. But, often services provided by the general hospitals are provider-centric and low quality. Method: This study examines problems in the services provided by the general hospitals by analyzing the User Journey Map through stakeholder interviews(contextual interviews) and on-site observation. Based on the contextual analysis of the user(i.e. the patient), this study proposes new and improved user-centric services to be provided by the general hospitals. Results: Ten new user-centric services proposed by this study are: (1) "Booklet on Success Story", (2) "FAQs by Doctor", (3) "Designated Nurse", (4) "Patient Interview Record Card", (5) "Close relationship between doctor & patient", (6) "Thank You Notice Board", (7) "Step by Step", (8) "Green Cap", (9) "Patient Kit", (10) "RFID Direction Display System". Conclusion: The service design for the general hospitals proposed by this study is an important case-study on improving the environment of the general hospitals from provider(medical staffs)-centric to user(patents and its family)-centric. Application: This study is expected to be used in various areas to improve existing system(products and/or services) to be more user-centric.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.545-557
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to find risk factors in cultivating ginseng based on risk assessments and suggest safety measures for main risks. Background: Safety education and training is one of the practical and effective methods to prevent occupational accidents and injuries. In agricultural sector, there are few contents of safety education as compared to other industries. Especially, farm work has different cultivation characteristics according to the crops, so it needs special education materials for each crop. Among the various types of crops, ginseng contains various risk factors due to its long cultivating period and unique environment. Therefore, safety education material specified for ginseng is necessary to improve ginseng farmers' safety. Method: Risk assessment for cultivating tasks of ginseng was carried out through data obtained from various methods (site survey, interview, literature survey). To improve objectivity, the risk assessment was applied with 3-criteria (researcher estimate, interview, previous research results). Finally, the three high-risk tasks were selected and safety measures for those tasks were provided. Results: Three tasks, such as 'Mounting, maintenance and removing supports', 'Pest control' and 'Harvest', were selected as risky tasks among total tasks. (1) In 'Mounting' and maintenance and removing supports', the farmers found to be exposed to the risks of musculoskeletal disorders and accidents related to operating the tablet machine. (2) In 'Pest control', agrichemical poisoning, musculoskeletal disorders and hyperthermia were main risks. Finally, (3) In 'Harvest', the farmers are mainly exposed to the possibility of accidents of agricultural machines and risks of musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, it needs to apply appropriate safety measures to those risky tasks, such as safety guidelines, convenience equipment, protective kit, and so on. Conclusion: This study can be used as basic data for agricultural safety and expected that it would be useful for further study. In addition, the results of the research will be produced in the form of animation, which will enhance the safety consciousness for aged farmers. Application: The result of this study can be used in developing safety education materials for ginseng farmers which is essential to prevent occupational accidents and injuries among ginseng farmers.