• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.671-681
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• 2011

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the workload level at each lower limbs posture and suggest the ergonomic workstation guideline for working period by evaluating the imbalanced lower limbs postures from the physiological and psychophysical points of view. Background: Many workers like welders are working in various imbalanced lower limbs postures either due to the narrow working conditions or other environmental conditions. Method: Ten male subjects participated in this experiment. Subjects were asked to maintain 3 different lower limbs postures(standing, squatting and bending) with 3 different working conditions(balanced floor with no scaffold, imbalanced floor with 10cm height of scaffold, and imbalanced floor with 20cm height of scaffold). EMG data for the 4 muscle groups(Retus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Tibialis Anterior, Gastrocnemius) from each lower limbs posture were collected for 20 seconds every 2 minutes during the 8 minutes sustaining task. Subjects were also asked to report their discomfort ratings of body parts such as waist, upper legs, lower legs, and ankle. Results: The ANOVA results showed that the EMG root mean square(RMS) values and the discomfort ratings(CR-10 Rating Scale) were significantly affected by lower limbs postures and working time(p<0.05). The correlation was analyzed between the EMG data and the discomfort ratings. Also, prediction models for the discomfort rating for each posture were developed using physical condition, working time, and scaffold height. Conclusion: We strongly recommend that one should not work more than 6 minutes in a standing or squatting postures and should not work more than 4 minutes in a bending posture. Application: The results of this study could be used to design and assess working environments and methods. Furthermore, these results could be used to suggest ergonomic guidelines for the lower limbs postures such as squatting and bending in the working fields in order to prevent fatigue and pain in the lower limbs body.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2009

Repetitive movement, inadequate working posture, overuse of force, physical contact with sharp edge, vibration and temperature were well known risk factors of WMSDs (Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders). Many researchers have investigated the relationship between inadequate working postures and incidences of WMSDs of the upper extremities, whereas relatively few researchers have tried to evaluate workload associated with the lower-body postures. The effects of lower-limb postures including various knee flexion angles on the subjective discomfort, heart rate and EMG of lower-limb muscles were investigated in this study. Thirty graduate students were asked to maintain thirteen different body postures, and heart rate and EMG data of five muscle groups (electro spine, biceps femoris, vastus medialis, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) from each posture were collected during fifteen minutes sustaining tasks. All participants were also asked to report their discomfort ratings of body parts. Results showed that high subjective discomfort ratings and heart rates were reported at the postures of knee angles of $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$, whereas low discomfort ratings were founded at the postures of chair heights with 20cm, 40cm, and sitting with crossed legged. The change of median frequency for each muscle group during fifteen minutes tasks was investigated for each body posture to evaluate the relationship between muscle fatigue and body posture. It was found that the trends of changes of median frequency were different based on muscle group as well as lower-limb body posture from this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.111-119
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• 2016

This study aimed to analyze postures that were frequently conducted in manufacturing industry. To find grip strength and muscle activities of each posture, Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) and ElectroMyoGraphy (EMG) were measured. Based on the results of this study, the most appropriate posture could be suggested and used as a basic information for preventing musculoskeletal disorders. Most work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been occurred in the fields of manufacturing industry. According to previous studies, it was reported that the rate of musculoskeletal diseases of upper extremity was higher than that of other body parts. Accordingly, there were many studies about discomfort and grip strength of upper extremity. However, these studies dealt with single selection of wrist, elbow and shoulder. So, it was insufficient for comprehensive studies about upper extremity. And in order to improve the work posture, the physiological changes being generated by the combination of wrist, elbow and shoulder postures should be observed and analyzed. In order to conduct this study, thirty university students who had no records of MSDs involved were recruited. Independent variables were postures of wrist(pronation, neutral, supination), postures of elbow(flexion $45^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$) and postures of shoulder(flexion $0^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$). And dependent variables were MVC values and EMG values. Jamar dynamometer and TeleMyo 2400T G2 was used to measure MVC and EMG. MVC and EMG for 12 postures were measured for three second and for three times. Experiment was performed randomly. A 10 minutes rest period was provided after each t. To measure muscle load, the EMG signals of eight muscles (Biceps, Medial triceps, Lateral triceps, Brachioradialis, Extensor carpi ulnaris, Extensor carpi radialis, Flexor carpi ulnaris and Flexor carpi radialis) were evaluated. MVC values and EMG values were analyzed using Minitab ver. 14. The results showed that MVC value was the highest at shoulder $0^{\circ}$, elbow $45^{\circ}$ and wrist supination. In case of wrist postures, MVC of supination is the highest. In case of elbow and shoulder postures, MVC of flexion $45^{\circ}$ and $0^{\circ}$ was the highest. It was found that there were interaction between wrist and elbow posture under shoulder flexion and between shoulder and wrist under elbow flexion $45^{\circ}$. In case of the angle of shoulder $0^{\circ}$, elbow $45^{\circ}$ and wrist supination, the EMG values of four muscles(Medial Triceps, Extensor carpi ulnaris, Extensor carpi radialis, Flexor carpi ulnaris) were the highest. Based on this study, it is worth to note that the combination postures of upper extremity have a large impact on the MVC and EMG. The optimal condition upper extremity was shoulder flexion $0^{\circ}$, elbow flexion $45^{\circ}$ and wrist supination for preventing work-related musculoskeletal disease.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematic and kinetic changes that may occur in the pelvic and spine regions during cross-legged sitting postures. Experiments were performed on sixteen healthy subjects. Data were collected while the subject sat in 4 different sitting postures for 5 seconds: uncrossed sitting with both feet on the floor (Posture A), sitting while placing his right knee on the left knee (Posture B), sitting by placing right ankle on left knee (Posture C), and sitting by placing right ankle over the left ankle (Posture D). The order of the sitting posture was random. The sagittal plane angles (pelvic tilt, lumbar A-P curve, thoracic A-P curve) and the frontal plane angles (pelvic obliquity, lumber lateral curves, thoracic lateral curves) were obtained using VICON system with 6 cameras and analyzed with Nexus software. The pressure on each buttock was measured using Tekscan. Repeated one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the angle and pressure across the four postures. The Bonferroni's post hoc test was used to determine the differences between upright trunk sitting and cross-legged postures. In sagittal plane, cross-legged sitting postures showed significantly greater kyphotic curves in lumbar and thoracic spine when compared uncrossed sitting posture. Also, pelvic posterior tilting was greater in cross-legged postures. In frontal plane, only height of the right pelvic was significantly higher in Posture B than in Posture A. Finally, in Posture B, the pressure on the right buttock area was greater than Posture A and, in Posture C, the pressure on the left buttock area was greater than Posture A. However, all dependent variables in both planes did not demonstrate any significant difference among the three cross-legged postures (p>.05). The findings suggest that asymmetric changes in the pelvic and spine region secondary to the prolonged cross-legged sitting postures may cause lower back pain and deformities in the spine structures.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive posture classification scheme considering the effects of external load and motion repetition as well as those of working posture. The scheme was developed based on a series of existing empirical studies dealing with postural classification scheme, effects of external load and motion repetition. Ranges of joint motions, external load and motion repetition were divided into the groups with the same degree of discomforts. Each group was assigned a numerical relative discomfort score of code on the basis of discomfort values for the neutral position of elbow flexion. The criteria for evaluating stress of working postures were proposed based on the four distinct action categories, in order to enable practitioners to apply appropriate corrective actions. The proposed scheme was compared with OWAS, RULA and REBA. The comparison revealed that while the proposed scheme and RULA showed similar results for the working postures with light external load and non-repetitive postures, the former overestimated postural load for postures with moderate or heavy external load and repetitive postures than the latter.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively investigate perceived discomfort of complex shoulder postures with external loads and to propose a preliminary evaluation scheme of shoulder postures. Twelve healthy male adults participated in an experiment to rate their perceived discomfort of shoulder postures. The independent variables were shoulder flexion angle(45, 90 and 150$^{\circ}$), adduction/abduction angle(-30, -10, 0, 30 and 60$^{\circ}$), and external load(0, 1.5 and 3.0kg). The results revealed that the flexion angle, external load and their interaction significantly affected the perceived discomfort(p$<$0.05) but the effect of adduction/abduction angle on the discomfort was not significant(p$>$0.05). The effect of external load was much larger than that of any other factor with explaining about 81% of the total variation of discomfort scores. Based on the experimental results a preliminary scheme was presented to evaluate the stress of shoulder postures with external loads.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.473-480
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• 2011

Objective: This paper presents the results of a literature review undertaken to analyze the types and risk factors of unsafe posture in accordance with the crops and the working position and to introduce various ergonomic intervention approaches. Background: There is clear and consistent evidence that agricultural work has been rated as one of the dangerous occupations in the world. A considerable number of adverse health conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) are related to agricultural work. Method: An agricultural work requires squatting, kneeling, and bending(stooping) postures for significant periods of the work day which due to a wide variety of activities such as planting, cultivating and harvesting various agricultural products. Thus, each of these postures is analyzed in detail to recommend the improvement methods. Results: Various unsafe postures in agricultural works are revealed and analyzed. It is proven that ergonomics intervention has the potential benefits to reduce MSDs among agricultural workers. Two types of ergonomic intervention methods were discussed to improve unsafe working postures, engineering controls and administrative controls. Conclusion & Application: As a concluding remark, this article can be used as a reference manual for the agricultural workers and also used to raise the research community's awareness to the risk of unsafe working postures for workers in agriculture.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.704-712
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• 2018

This study analyzed working postures using the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) to improve work clothes for construction workers. A video taken at a construction work site was stopped at regular intervals and the postures of relevant body parts proposed by OWAS was recorded. Additionally, based on analysis of the working postures code, the level of work action for each postures was classified from stage I to IV. General workers frequently straightened or bent forward at the waist, and used their legs to stand, bend, or walk. Wood workers moved extensively from the waist, keeping their legs relatively straight and their arms held below their shoulders, repeatedly tapping with a hammer weighing less than 10.0kg. Rebar bending workers mainly bent forward at the waist, with both legs bent or standing with one leg bent. Rebar transport and fixing workers walked with the waist straight, and occasionally one or both hands held above the shoulders. Their work also involved holding a hook, which weigh less than 10.0kg, in their hands, and the difficult task of lifting and placing long rebars, which weigh from 10.0 to 20.0kg or more. Concrete pouring workers bent or twisted their back to the side. Therefore, this study suggests that design goals should be different when developing workwear for each type of worker.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.57-67
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• 2022

The demand for personal training (PT), through which high exercise effects can be achieved within short-term, has recently increased. PT can achieve an exercise amount improvement effect, only if accurate postures are maintained upon performing PT, and exercise with inaccurate postures can cause injuries. However, research is insufficient on exercise amount comparisons and judging exercise accuracy on PT. This study proposes an exercise accuracy measurement algorithm and compares differences in exercise amounts according to exercise postures through experiments using a respiratory gas analyzer. The exercise accuracy measurement algorithm acquires Euler anglesfrom major body parts operated upon exercise through a motion device, based on which the joint angles are calculated. By comparing the calculated joint angles with each reference angle in each exercise step, the status of exercise accuracy is judged. The calculated results of exercise accuracy on squats, lunges, and push-ups showed 0.02% difference in comparison with actually measured results through a goniometer. As a result of the exercise amount comparison experiment according to accurate posture through a respiratory gas analyzer, the exercise amount was higher by 45.19% on average in accurate postures. Through this, it was confirmed that maintaining accurate postures contributes to exercise amount improvement.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.3-13
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• 1991

As the VDT work constrains work postures because of its work characteristics. VDT worksta- tions should be properly designed so as to be fitted to various types of physical conditions of op- erators. Therefore, in this study, the preferred settings of VDT wrokstation dimensions of operators. Therefore, in this study, the preferred settings of VDT workstation dimensions and work postures were studied in order to determine the appropriate dimensions and the work postures for VDT operators which will alleviate the musculoskeletal troubles or visual fatigue. The scpoe of the study is as follows. 1. Measurement and analysis of the preferred settings of the height of workstation, keyboard, seat, and screen among the experienced VDT operators. 2. Anaysis of the relationship between the preferred settings of workstation height and the seat height control among the experienced VDT operators. 3. Analysis of the work postures of the experienced VDT operators.