• IE interfaces
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.82-88
• /
• 2002

A study was conducted to develop user-centered kitchen furniture and workspace to reduce fatigue and to prevent housewives's disorders such as low back pain and musculoskeletal disorders from housekeeping activities. A questionnaire survey and interview were performed on 150 households those live in 32Pyung-type($105m^2$) apartment in Seoul vicinity. Also actual housekeeping activities for 24 hours were video-taped for further motion analysis. Results of the study revealed that housewives complained the inconvenience and small size of storage space, and worksurface height as the most important problems to be considered for redesign. And they responded, if feasible, sitting is preferred over standing while they are working. After adapting a sit/stand chair in the kitchen, a physiological experiment measuring heart rate(HR) and oxygen consumption($VO_2$) as response variables was conducted to examine the effects of sit/stand chair in reducing physiological demand during housekeeping activities. The results showed that working on sit/stand chair reduced energy expenditures by maximum of 30% and 31.0% in terms of HR and $VO_2$, respectively. Also rearrangement of kitchen structure based on motion analysis showed that walking distance during daily housekeeping activities can be reduced by 5.5% on the average. Hence, it is concluded that adapting a sit/stand chair in the kitchen could reduce fatigue and occupational disorders of housewives from extended housekeeping activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.79-84
• /
• 2011

There have been so many studies related to job stress or musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) in the shipbuilding industry. However, study of employee performance evaluation that reflect on the industrial features of the deckhouse manufacturing industry has not been established. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate workers' job stress and work ability through statistical significance tests according to age, work types, years of service, work forms and sex. For this, the study conducted a job stress test using the Korean Occupational Stress Questionnaire Short Form, and employee performance evaluations using the Work Ability Index(WAI) of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) on 536 workers in the deckhouse manufacturing industry. MINITAB statistics program was used for statistics analysis and significance was verified with the Kruskal-Wallis test, a corporate body of nonparametric statistical analysis. As a result, employee performance had significant differences, depending on age, work types, years of service and sex, and job stress also depended on the number of service year and work form. Additionally, it was found that employee performance decreased more as job stress increased.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.29-36
• /
• 2009

A Study was conducted to investigate the type and level of occupational risk factors for the onset of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in non-manufacturing industries. Total of 38 worksites were investigated from 5 different business areas such as financial institution, transportation service, building maintenance, sanitary service and educational service. Major job and task category were classified and corresponding occupational risk factors such as awkward posture, force exertion, repetitiveness of job, and work/rest cycle were examined using various ergonomic risk analysis techniques. Sets of matrices were developed including types and levels of risk factors for the classified jobs and tasks from 5 different non-manufacturing industries. Also possible ergonomic remedies were suggested for the improvement working conditions. Results and risk factor matrices can be applied as a guideline for the investigation of WMSDs risk factors in similar industries for the prevention of WMSDs.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.105-121
• /
• 2011

Objectives: This paper presents the framework and protocol design for a construction industry risk management toolbox. The construction industry needs a comprehensive, systematic approach to assess and control occupational risks. These risks span several professional health and safety disciplines, emphasized by multiple international occupational research agenda projects including: falls, electrocution, noise, silica, welding fumes, and musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the International Social Security Association says, "whereas progress has been made in safety and health, the construction industry is still a high risk sector." Methods: Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ about 80% of the world's construction workers. In recent years a strategy for qualitative occupational risk management, known as Control Banding (CB) has gained international attention as a simplified approach for reducing work-related risks. CB groups hazards into stratified risk 'bands', identifying commensurate controls to reduce the level of risk and promote worker health and safety. We review these qualitative solutions-based approaches and identify strengths and weaknesses toward designing a simplified CB 'toolbox' approach for use by SMEs in construction trades. Results: This toolbox design proposal includes international input on multidisciplinary approaches for performing a qualitative risk assessment determining a risk 'band' for a given project. Risk bands are used to identify the appropriate level of training to oversee construction work, leading to commensurate and appropriate control methods to perform the work safely. Conclusion: The Construction Toolbox presents a review-generated format to harness multiple solutions-based national programs and publications for controlling construction-related risks with simplified approaches across the occupational safety, health and hygiene professions.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.239-248
• /
• 2018

Background: Workers may be exposed to various types of occupational hazards at the same time, potentially increasing the risk of adverse health outcomes. The aim of this review was to analyze the effects of multiple occupational exposures and coexposures to chemical, biomechanical, and physical hazards on adverse health outcomes among agricultural workers. Methods: Articles published in English between 1990 and 2015 were identified using five popular databases and two complementary sources. The quality of the included publications was assessed using the methodology developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project assessment tool for quantitative studies. Results: Fifteen articles were included in the review. Multiple chemical exposures were significantly associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases, cancer, and DNA and cytogenetic damage. Multiple physical exposures seemed to increase the risk of hearing loss, whereas coexposures to physical and biomechanical hazards were associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders among agricultural workers. Conclusion: Few studies have explored the impact of multiple occupational exposures on the health of agricultural workers. A very limited number of studies have investigated the effect of coexposures among biomechanical, physical, and chemical hazards on occupational health, which indicates a need for further research in this area.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.69-92
• /
• 2001

The purposes of this study were to offer foundation making more certain standards of musculoskeletal disorder diagnosis, We researched musculoskeletal symptoms degrees, frequencies, and cares and then examined relation between musculoskeletal symptoms and diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions using moire topography among workers at an automobile manufacturing plant. Therefore we propose the possibility of moire topography as diagnosing utilities of musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: This study was to examine the general characteristics, complaints of musculoskeletal symptoms, and work-related musculoskeletal disorder rates of cervicobrachial and lumbar area by survey among 435 workers at an automobile manufacturing plant and then to show each frequency and percentage, In the diagnosis using moire topography, we studied pain control necessity of cervicobrachial and lumbar area, 435 subjects were classified by 5 levels: A(no symptoms), B(need management), C(need treatment) and then more divided by B1(light symptoms)/B2(heavy symptoms), C1(light symptoms)/C2(heavy symptoms), And musculoskeletal areas were divided by 2 parts, cervicobrachial area(neck, shoulder, arm&elbow, and wrist&hand) and lumbar area, Then, frequency and percentage of each musculoskeletal areas(cervicobrachial and lumbar area) were appeared. At last, Pearson's chi-square test analysis was utilized to observe the relation between diagnosis using moire topography and general characteristics and the relation between diagnosis using moire topography and work-related complaint of musculoskeletal symptoms of cervicobrachial and lumbar area, Results: The subjects employed for this research were categorized into; by gender, all of them were males(l00%): by age, under 35 years 12 %, 36-40 years 56.3%, 41-45 years 26.3 %, and above 46 years 5.3% with 36-40 years accounting for most of it. By living location, owned houses represented 69.7%, rented houses 23.4%, monthly-rented 1.6%, the others 5.3%; by education, middle school and lower represented 3.0%, high school 89.4%, and junior college and higher 7.6% with high school occupying most of the group. By marital status, married represented 95.2%, unmarried 4.1%, and the others 0.7% with most of them married; by alcohol, drinking represented 81.8% and non-drinking 18.2%; by smoking status, smoking represented 53.6%, non-smoking 46.4% with no big difference between them. By working time(hours/week), below 50 represented 26.9%, 50-60 67.6%, above 60 5.5%; by working time(hours/day), below 9 represented 21.6%, 10-12 73.1%, above 13 5.3%; by job tenure(years), below 10 represented 25.1%, 11-15 54.3%, 16-20 15.2%, above 21 5.5%. By personal income per year, below 30 million won represented 11.0%, 30-40 84.8%, above 40 4.1%; by sleeping hours, below 6 hours represented 26.7%, 7-8 hours 69.9%, above 9 hours 3.4%. Complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms and work-related musculoskeletal disorder rates were 63.9% and 54.9% with shoulder area occupying most of both them. By pain degree of musculoskeletal symptoms, shoulder area represented $2.73{\pm}0.84$, lumbar area $2.66{\pm}0.86$, wrist and hand area $2.59{\pm}0.86$, neck area $2.55{\pm}0.74$, and arm and elbow area $2.48{\pm}0.71$. By cares about musculoskeletal symptoms, taking medication or care represented 34.4%-46.7%, absence or leave 15.4%-28.7%, and job transfer 6.3%-11.5%. So experienced cases more than one thing among cares about musculoskeletal symptoms represented 39.6%-54%. In the diagnosis using moire topography, pain control necessity of cervicobrachial area was shown below; A(no symptoms) 20.7%, B1(need management/light symptoms) 64.6%, B2(need management/heavy symptoms) 11.5%, C1(need treatment/light symptoms) 3.0%, C2(need treatment/heavy symptoms) 0.2%. By lumbar area, A(no symptoms) 8.7%, B1(need management/light symptoms) 52.2%, B2(need management/heavy symptoms) 30.3%, C1(need treatment/light symptoms) 8.7%, C2(need treatment/heavy symptoms) was none. In the relation between pain control necessity and general characteristics, age(P=0.013), education(P=0.000), and job tenure(P=0.012) with pain control necessity showed differences with significance. The relation between pain control necessity and complaint of musculoskeletal symptoms of cervicobrachial and lumbar area showed no difference with significance; in cervicobrachial area represented P=0.708, lumbar area P=0.318 Conclusions: This study for musculoskeletal symptoms on workers at automobile manufacturing plant showed that complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms for cervicobrachial and lumbar area were so high, 63.9%. But Pearson's chi-square test analysis was utilized to study the relation between musculoskeletal symptoms and the diagnosis using moire topography, showed no differences with significance. They have no differences with significance, but the prevalence rates of diagnosis using moire topography for cervicobrachial and lumbar area were more higher than complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms; complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms were 52.4%, 34.5% and the diagnosis using moire topography were 79.3%, 91.3% for cervicobrachial and lumbar area. The results of this study indicate that the diagnosis using moire topography can find weak musculoskeletal disorders that an individual can not feel, not be judged work-related musculoskeletal disease. Therefore, this study has an important meaning that diagnosis using moire topography can predict and control own physical condition complete musculoskeletal disorders beforehand, since oriental medicine theory considers that prevention is important.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2009

This study compared the electromyographic activities and input performance of computer operators using a computer mouse and a trackball. Muscle activities were assessed at the upper trapezius (UT), middle deltoid (MD), extensor digitorum (ED), and first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI). Twenty-six healthy subjects were recruited, and the test order was selected randomly for each subject. The task set was to click moving targets on a Windows program. The EMG amplitude was normalized using the percentage of reference voluntary contraction for UT and MD and the percentage of maximal voluntary contraction for ED and FDI. To analyze the differences in EMG activity, a paired t-test was used. UT muscle activities were significantly greater when the computer mouse was used (p<.05). FDI muscle activities were significantly greater when the trackball was used (p<.05). Using a trackball can reduce the load on the UT during computer work and help to prevent and manage work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

• IE interfaces
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.387-395
• /
• 2011

This study was aiming to examine work time, frequency, work environment, and postures of retail grocery store workers to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. An ergonomic evaluation was conducted using job analysis and posture analysis. The four most time-consuming tasks were inspecting (27.4%), arranging (21.4%), cutting (17.6%), and displaying (15.6%). The height and length of the shelves evaluated in the field was inappropriate for workers. The most common posture was a standing posture with neutral back, and bent head, right upper arm, lower arms, and hands. Finally, this paper concluded that 'arranging,' 'cutting,' and 'displaying' seemed more stressful than other operations. The result of the ergonomic evaluation would contribute to design a better workspace in ergonomics.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.49-56
• /
• 2007

Handles on objects are very important to increase the safety and efficiency of manual handling of people who use them. In this study, four different prototype cartons combined with auxiliary handles were designed to determine the optimal handle position of cartons through the evaluation of user preferences. Twenty male students are participated in the experiment. Likert-5 point summated rating method was applied to evaluate the user preferences for provided handles of the carton among upper, middle, and lower position under the four different sizes and materials handling conditions(carrying positions). The results show that the subjects preferred upper part of the handle on the small cartons regardless of the carrying positions while upper and middle parts of the handle on the big cartons for handling above the waist height were preferred. An optimal handle position depending on the different sizes of carton and the different carrying positions were recommended based on the results of evaluation. It is thus recommended that the cartons provide handles on its relevant position depending on the size and materials handling condition to reduce the musculoskeletal stress and in turn to increase the user satisfaction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2011

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of musculo-skeletal symptoms of cashiers and provide suggestions for an improved workspace design. Workload and exertion of each task were measured using job analysis and posture analysis. The three most time-consuming tasks were waiting (43.8%), scanning (23.5%) and payment transaction (22.9%). It was analyzed that the workspace can be improved by applying Korean anthropometric data to the design of the desk height. The most common posture was a standing posture with neutral back, and bent lower arms and hands. Finally, it was revealed that 'scanning' and 'payment transaction' seemed more stressful than other operations. The result of the ergonomic evaluation would be a useful basis for designing an improved workspace.