• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.72-73
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• 2016

Working Posture is an important factor directly connected with quality and productivity of the construction project. In particular, High-rise building construction is required to manage the working posture due to the repetitive task and unfavorable working condition such as high place work, limited space. However existing construction planning of high-rise building construction has a negative effect on the labor's productivity because it is not insufficiently considered for working posture. Therefore the purpose of this study is to suggest a work that needs improvement by analyzing labor's working posture quantitatively using OWAS method. These results would provide the basic information to improve the productivity of the construction project by supporting the construction plan considering the working posture in high-rise building.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.139-155
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• 2012

This study aimed to glean lessons for desirable early childhood physical education programs by contouring the current paradigms on body or physical activities in the area of early education for young children. It also aimed to analyze their postures while participating in daily activities. The research method for analysis of children's postures while doing daily activities was OWAS(Ovako Working Posture Analysing System) which has been extensively used in ergonomics. Components of data analysis have been redesigned on the basis of information gathered from OWAS with the help of ergonomic experts. The results showed different percentages of children's movements according to activities such as whole class meeting, small group activity and outdoor activity. Small group and outdoor activities can be considered the most desirable physical activities not only for cognitive and social development but also for physical development. And it is recommended to reconstruct the quality and nature of whole class meetings in order to coordinate the physical nature of young children.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.138-144
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• 2013

The automation technology for overlay welding is needed due to the occurrence of severe corrosion and abrasion on the surface of internal contact in different shape of fittings. In Korea, different shapes of fittings have been manufactured by using the imported equipment of overlay welding automation at some companies. Thus the research on the development of overlay welding automation system (in short, OWAS) for a large L-type tube is urgently needed. In this paper, the investigation is focused on the optimal design of a supporting base for the (currently developing) OWAS of large L-type tube. Specifically we assume that the base which supports the equipment during the process of overlay welding is loaded as self-weight in the direction of gravity through static analysis especially when it is rotated 180 degree on the OWAS. For optimal design of a supporting base for OWAS of large L-type tube, Solidworks(R) (for 3-dimensional modelling) and ANASYS Workbench(R) (for structural analysis) are incorporated so as to proceed an optimization routines based on Response Surface Method (RSM) and Design of Experiment (DOE). In more specific, DOE finds out major factors (or dimensions) of the supporting base by using MINITAB(R). Then the regression equations between design variables (the major factors of supporting base) and response variables (deformation, stress and safety factor for the supporting base), which will be resulted in by RSM, verify the major factors of DOE. In the next step, Central Composite Design (CCD) plans 20 simulations of ANASYS Workbench(R) and then figures out the optimal values of design variables which will be reflected on the manufacturing of supporting base. Finally welding experiment is conducted to figure out the influence of overlay welding quality in applying the optimized design values of supporting base to the actual OWAS.

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

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

Explosive blasting performance is composed of charging, tamping and connecting performance, which need lots of power and time. Thus, operator's inconvenience and muscle load are increased by their pose. Then it's unavoidable for one to make a human error. As a result, blasting accidents and disasters of explosives may happen. So we need to have systematic study. According to their pose's changing we have OWAS, RULA, REBA, OSHA, ISI, NLE, TVAV, BLUE-X. In this article, OWAS, RULA, REBA have been evaluated. As a result of this research, it is shown that work-related musciloskeletal disorders are related to the second accident's happening.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.22-40
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• 2008

Unnatural working postures usually cause musculoskeletal problems for workers in work field, especially in traditional industry. Many analysis and survey methodologies have been developed to identify unnatural postures and disorder risks in workplaces. The Ovako Working Posture Analyzing System (OWAS) and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) are the representative methods and applied widely. This study applied the both tools to investigate the work field of a manufacturing factory of the water heater's case. We divided the manufacturing process into nine workshops, took the pictures of working motions by DV camera and analyzed the postures on OWAS. From the OW AS results, we could identify the risks level of musculoskeletal symptoms as four Action Categories (AC). And from the comparison of OWAS and NMQ results, we could provide the suggestions to improve the working methods and environment. From the results of OWAS, we found that the operators' head/neck and back were above AC3 in some workshops. If the situation continued in long period, the operators might have the risk to get musculoskeletal symptoms. From the investigation of NMQ, we also found that the percentage of aches on neck, shoulders and lower back were higher than other parts of body. The correlation between aches and jobs was more than 75%. So we provided some suggestions to improve: work rotation and adjustment of work surface/height to fit in with Ergonomics. Then the risks of musculoskeletal symptoms would be reduced.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.101-112
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 119 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) by evaluating ergonomic risk factors of patient lifting work-postures. Methods: Four procedures were evaluated: using long back-board (LBB) on the sitting and standing main stretcher, using variable stretcher on the sitting and standing main stretcher. Wok-postures were assessed during training. Results: In using LBB on the sitting main stretcher, the OWAS-score was Mode:3 (Mean:2.30, Maximum:3), the REBA-score was Mode:9 (Mean:7.61, Maximum:11), requiring improvement soon. In using LBB on the standing main stretcher, the OWAS-score was Mode:3 (Mean:2.33, Maximum:3), requiring as soon as possible corrective action, the REBA-score was Mode:6 (Mean:5.44, Maximum:11), requiring improvement. In using variable stretcher on the sitting main stretcher, the OWAS-score was Mode:1 (Mean:1.85, Maximum:3), not requiring corrective action, the REBA-score was Mode:6 (Mean:6.78, Maximum:11), requiring improvement. In using variable stretcher on the standing main stretcher, the OWAS-score was Mode:3 (Mean:2.84, Maximum:3), requiring as soon as possible corrective action, the REBA-score was Mode:11 (Mean:9.38, Maximum:11), requiring immediate improvement. Conclusion: All four-procedures showed improvement in work-posture. Thereby, required attention and management in training, occupational health professionals should participate in change of lifting-method, and programs aimed at preventing MSDs should be developed and implemented in fire-academy and fire-station.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.194-195
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• 2015

Methods for measuring the physical workload of construction workers are classified into posture assessment techniques (i.e., OWAS, RULA, etc.) and physiological measurement techniques (i.e., EMG, heart rate, etc.). The one does not quantify the workload on a specific body part of a worker by considering the weight of the hand tools or materials on hand and time for holding a particular posture. This paper presents a procedure for evaluating a physical demand using the electromyography (EMG) sensor. This study compares the EMG measurement and the posture assessment. The case study is carried out on a masonry operation.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.63-72
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk factors for workers of printing business. A self-reporting survey and task analysis using video camera were performed to identify ergonomic risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders. We used the OWAS, RULA, and REBA methods to quantify the risk factors, and the results show that the printing business have high risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.59-71
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ergonomic risk factors of 119 emergency medical technicians (EMT) with musculoskeletal disorders, performing emergency medical services (EMS) procedures in a firefighter combat challenge. Methods: The evaluated EMT procedures were cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) & intubation, trauma patient assessment, and intravenous (IV) injection. Measurement of working posture was done during training. Results: In CPR & intubation, OWAS-score was 2 (mean 1.9, maximum 4), requiring correction action, while REBA-score was 11 (mean 7.28, maximum 11), requiring immediate improvement. In trauma patient assessment & IV injection, OWAS-score was 4 (mean 2.9, maximum 4), requiring immediate correction action, while the REBA score was 7 (mean 7.5, maximum 11), requiring improvement. Conclusion: Both OWAS score and REBA-score showed improvement of posture and high-risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Occupational health management in EMS procedures during combat challenge and effective injury prevention program in fire stations are warranted.