• 한국안전학회지
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.123-128
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• 2004

This study investigated effect of arm posture, repetition of wrist motion and external load on perceived discomfort. The arm postures were controlled by shoulder flexion, elbow flexion, and ist motions such as flexion, extension, radial deviation and ulnar deviation. An experiment was conducted to measure discomfort scores for experimental treatments using the magnitude estimation, in which the L16 orthogonal array was adopted for reducing the size of experiment. The results showed that while the effect of the shoulder flexion, repetition of wrist motion and external load was statistically significant at $\alpha=0.05$or 0.10, that of the elbow and wrist motions was not. Discomfor ratings increased linearly as levels of wrist repetition and external load increased. This implies that the existing posture classification schemes such as OWAS, RULA, which do not properly consider effect of motion repetition and external load, may underestimate postural load. Based on the regression equation for wrist repetition and external load, isocomfort region indicating the region within which discomfort scores were expected to be the same was proposed. It is recommended that when assessing risk of postures or developing new posture classification schemes, motion repetition and external load as well as posture itself be fully taken into consideration for precisely evaluating postural stress.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.127-132
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to compare representative posture classification schemes of OWAS, RULA and REBA in terms of correctness for postural load. The comparison was based on the evaluation results by the three methods for 224 working postures sampled from steel, electronics, automotive, and chemical industries. The results showed that OWAS and REBA generally underestimated postural stress than RULA irrespective of industry type, work performed and whether or not leg posture is balanced. While about $71\%\;and\;73\%$ of the 224 posture were evaluated with the action category/level 1 or 2 by OWAS and REBA respectively, about $60\%$ of the postures were classified into the action level of 3 or 4 by RULA. The coincidence rate of postural stress category between OWAS and RULA was just $33.5\%$, while the rate between RULA and REBA was $46.0\%$. It is concluded from the findings of this study and the previous research that compared to OWAS and REBA, RULA more precisely evaluates postural stress.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제26권1호
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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.

• 대한산업공학회지
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.289-296
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• 2005

This study aims to measure maximum holding times(MHTs) of symmetric and asymmetric whole body postures, and to compare three representative observational methods including OWAS, RULA, REBA, based on the MHTs. An experiment was conducted for obtaining the MHTs, in which hand position was used as experimental variable, and the MHT and subjective discomfort rating as dependent variables. The hand position was defined by the percentage of the shoulder height(%SH), the percentage of the arm reach(%AR) and rotation angle(R). The results showed that three independent variables of %SH, %AR and R significantly affected on the MHTs at ${\alpha}$=0.01, and that the MHTs were negatively linearly related to the discomfort scores of Borg CR10. It was also revealed that OWAS and REBA were less sensitive to postural stress than RULA. In addition, OWAS and REBA underestimated postural load of given postures compared to RULA. Therefore, it is recommended that among the three observational methods investigated in this study, RULA be used for a more precise evaluation of postural load.

• 대한산업공학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.413-423
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• 2001

Low back disorders (LBDs) are one of the most common and costly work-related musculoskeletal disorders. One of the major possible risk factors of LBDs is to work with static and awkward trunk postures, especially in a complex trunk posture involving flexion, twisting and lateral bending simultaneously. This study is to examine the effect of complex trunk postures on the postural stresses using a psychophysical method. Twelve healthy male students participated in an experiment, in which 29 different trunk postures were evaluated using the magnitude estimation method. The results showed that subjective discomfort significantly increased as the levels of trunk flexion, lateral bending and rotation increased. Significant interaction effects were found between rotation and lateral bending or flexion when the severe lateral bending or rotation were assumed, indicating that simultaneous occurrence of trunk flexion, lateral bending and rotation increases discomfort ratings synergistically. A postural workload evaluation scheme of trunk postures was proposed based on the angular deviation levels from the neutral position. Each trunk posture was assigned numerical stress index depending upon its discomfort rating, which was defined as the ratio of discomfort of a posture to that of its neutral posture. Four qualitative action categories for the stress index were also provided in order to enable practitioners to apply corrective actions appropriately. The proposed scheme is expected to be applied to several field areas for evaluating trunk postural stresses.

• 산업공학
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.85-93
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• 2003

The purposes of this study are to investigate perceived discomfort for static joint motions, and to propose rankings for the joint motions based on the perceived discomfort. The perceived discomfort was measured through an experiment using the free modulus method of the magnitude estimation, in which ten healthy college-age female students participated. The results showed that joints, joint motions and their levels significantly affected the perceived discomfort at $\alpha$=0.01, and that the interaction of joints and joint motion levels was also significant. Based on the experimental results, three rankings were proposed by joint and joint motions, by joints and by joint motions, which were very different from the existing ones. Especially, the proposed rankings were different from the males' published before in their order and magnitude. These rankings can be used as a valuable tool for better understanding potentially adverse effects of poor working postures in industrial sites, and as basic data for developing the postural classification scheme.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.45-56
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to evaluate perceived discomfort of working postures in terms of upper body (back, shoulder, and elbow) flexions when an external load varies. Eighteen subjects participated in an experiment of appraising perceived discomfort of varying upper body postures with three levels of external loads given. The ANOVA results showed that the perceived discomfort of upper body postures was significantly affected by the external load. It was also apparent that the interactions between external load and upper body posture were significant (p< 0.001). The result implies that a new posture classification scheme for workload assessment methods may be in need to reflect such interactions between external load and upper body posture. In order to support the statement, a regression model of perceived discomfort of upper body postures obtained from the experiment was developed and compared to that of perceived discomfort of seven work-related postures found in automobile assembly operations. The correlation coefficient between predicted and actual values of perceived discomfort was about 0.96. It is expected that the result help to properly estimate the body stress resluting from worker's postures and external loads and can be used as a valuable design guideline on preventing work-related musculoskeletal diseases in industry.

• 산업공학
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.197-208
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• 1997

In workplace design, an ergonomic solution should ensure low postural stress in the operator during his/her work. Stress caused by awkward working postures of the trunk, shoulders and legs can result in fatigue, discomfort, musculo-skeletal disorders and nerve entrapment syndromes. Since discomfort and musculo-skeletal disorders are both related to exposure to biomechanical load on the musculo-skeletal system, minimization of discomfort will contribute to reduction of the risk for musculo-skeletal disorders as well. Therefore, in this study, perceived discomfort on the human body joints was measured in the standing postures using the magnitude estimation in order to have a standardized numerical scale for joint discomfort. Nine healthy graduate students participated voluntarily in the laboratory study. The results revealed that perceived discomfort of all the joints increased as the joints deviated from neutral position. Especially, it showed drastic increment on perceived discomfort when deviation from neutral position in each human body joint increased from 75% to 100%. in terms of relative range of motion(R0M). On the basis of these experimental results, a preliminary ranking for assessment of stressfulness of non-neutral postures around the human body joints was suggested.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.15-31
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• 2000

The aim was to evaluate the prevailing ergonomic and psychosocial conditions regarding low back injury in an automobile assembly system. This study consisted of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines were applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers were analysed. There were 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there were 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. This might in part be explained by the ergonomic conditions of the company analysed generally being good, with a relatively low duration of 'combined' extreme work posture. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. It has recently been recognized that overall reaction to working conditions was influenced by a range of factors, some of which were physical and some psychosocial. The psychosocial environment surrounding the work place may contribute to the perception of risk and eventual ill-health. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI(Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. However, sensitivities for symptoms and diagnosis by PWI were 91.3% and 92.6% respectively. Finally, relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were analysed. Specifically, some postural factors {vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.223-239
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• 1989

요추의 중립위, 굴곡위 및 신전위에서의 응력 분포의 차이와 수핵의 유무에 따른 응력 분포의 변화를 관찰하기 위해 본 연구를 시행하였으며 등색선의 양상을 관찰하고 그 응력을 해석하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. 기립 중립위에서는 수핵이 있는 경우는 전방 부위보다 후방부위에 고응력이 집중되었으며, 전후방 모두 내측부와 중간부위가 고응력이고 외측부로 이동할수록 저응력이 관찰되었다. 수핵이 없는 경우는 후방보다 전방부에 고응력이 집중되었으며 국소적으로 응력이 집중되는 양상을 보이고 있다. 2. 최대 굴곡위에서는 수핵의 존재에 관계없이, 전방보다 후방부가 고응력이 집중되었으며, 수핵 유무 비교시 수핵이 있는 경우가 없는 경우보다 전방이 저응력, 후방은 거의 동등한 응력 분포를 나타내었다. 응력 분포도의 분석에 의하면 전반적으로 균등한 응력 분포 양상을 나타냈다. 3. 최대 신전위에서는 수핵 유무에 관계없이 전방부에 고응력, 후방부에 저응력, 내측에 고응력, 외측은 저응력을 나타내었으며, 수핵이 있는 경우 없는 경우보다 고응력을 나타냈다. 4. 기립 중립위와 최대 굴곡위의 비교에서는 기립 중립위보다 굴곡시 수핵의 유무에 관계없이 전반적으로 후방부 응력이 2차 정도 현저히 감소하는 양상을 보이면서 비교적 균등한 응력 분포를 나타냈다. 5. 최대 신전위와 최대 굴곡위의 비교에스는 수핵 존재시 최대 신전위보다 최대 굴곡위에서 응력 분포가 전후방 모두 2차 정도 감소되고 수핵이 없는 경우는 최대 신전위가 굴곡위보다 응력이 전후방 0.5차 정도 감소되었다.