Understanding Health And Safety Through Ergonomics In Workstation Design

Usability in Ergonomics (and workstation design)

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The migration of computer based Information system (IS) has introduced marked methodological, technological and organizational changes has significant impact on the work methods. Usability is considered the main issue to ergonomic interventions on IS. Usability is defined as the characteristics or quality of product and its rate of effectiveness in satisfying the needs who utilize it (Carayon et al.2015). Moreover, Usability is an ergonomic approach with a group of techniques whose main objective is to create customer-centric products. Despite of the hard life in rural society, there were various turns for workload solicitation. However, the mental load over workers has increased dramatically with the introduction of assembly lines and chain productions (Henning et al.2013).The lack of job-diversity gives rise to static awkward posture of employees which are considered to be the chief causes of work-related disorders.

Ergonomics serves a significant tool by designing equipments, workstations and tools that would fit the job or tasks of workers thus balancing the human capabilities with the characteristics of job and optimize their efficiency. Oil and gas is essential for the daily activities in the economy. Ergonomic and Usability integrates human factors into the operation and design of offshore and onshore oil and gas assets in order to ensure effective design of systems that not only optimize human performance but also eliminate threats and risks to health, safety, personal and environmental performance (Joshi, 2012).The introduction of human factors through Ergonometric has made the industries to consider the health and safety of employees by adaption of machines that fits the anatomy, human skills and limitations.

Anthropometry is a physical measurement of the human parts and other physical characteristics before designing the workstations such as benches with slight inclination in order to make the sit arrangement of workers comfortable. Anthropometry being an integral aspect of any design field, utilize anthropometry data to design specifically consider the construction of products whose primary users are human (Kogi, 2012). Structural or statistical anthropometry measures the soft tissue, muscle, fat and skin, difference between the joints and tissue, etc. On the other hand, functional or dynamic anthropometry measures the distance created by the body while it is involved in any physical activity. Moreover, Anthropometric data varies according to the characteristics of people residing at various geographical locations. Since the characteristics of people in United States are different from those in China, on the other hand Africans widely differ physically from those living in Europe(Levanon et al.2012).These factors are considered while conducting anthropometric survey and the resulting data is made feasible in the designing of human centric projects. Anthropometry involves dynamic and static measurements of the physical body and includes the following stature of a person such as, headroom clearance, eye height factor, Shoulder height, elbow height. While for the lower part of body, the height of hip, thickness between user’s thigh and buttock to knee length are the main considerations. These are the important considerations for designers based on which they will built height of work stations, tables, computer desks so that the whole posture of the human body relax in a comfortable position(Magno & Pabico, 2014).The anthropometric data collected helps to provide right solution to people using spaces and equipments that do not fit their physical characteristics.

Anthropometry in construction

The key objective of Ergonomics in Hand tool design is to reduce the muscle fatigue and severe work-related musculoskeletal disorders thereby increasing the productivity and efficiency of the workers. Ergonomic hand tools reduce the risk of long –term injury to construction workers whose job requires a lot of twisting, bending of posture and working in cramped position, handling heavy equipments, repetitive movements, climbing and descending, and exposure to noise and vibration, etc. Implementation of Ergonomics in designing of construction tools feature with rounded and protective shields that reduces the risk of direct injuries, cumulative wear and tear of skin, etc(Mahmud et al.2012)Ergonomic designing in hand tools can be in the form of tool weights, material shape, diameter, vibration, contact stress, length and span.

Two specific application examples are design of industrial Knives. It include three axis i.e. Axis 1relates to the design process considering the ergonomic considerations, Axis 2, considers the ergonomic design criteria of the industrial knife, Axis 3-  technical studies to improve the mechanical quality of the blade taking into account the users concerns with handle slips in hand(Mohamed et al.2012).

Hand drilling- introduction of ergonomic design approach considers the Handle shape, Diameter, length, separation between handles, materials and texture of handles. This is done in order to facilitate better grip to the users of the hand drill.

As discussed in the previous reports, implementation of Ergonomics reduce the work-related Musculoskeletal disorders such as tendonitis, epicondylitis, low back injuries, cuff injuries, muscle strain, carpel tunnel syndrome, etc. The assessment tools of Ergonomic include NIOSH Lifting Equation (Morag & Luria, 2013). This equation is developed to help the health and safety practitioners o identify the ergonomic solutions in order to reduce the physical stress associated with lifting of heavy equipments. NISOH lifting equation is based on the following conditions, such as: lower back injuries for lifting and lowering tasks: performance of task by two hands, more than 8 hours of exposure duration, standing posture of workers while performing the task, and physical fitness of the worker.

REBA (Rapid enter body assessment) method is based on the rapid upper body assessment analyzes the posture by measuring articular angles, observation of the force or load, repetitive movement and the frequency of changing positions (Ramesh,2015). REBA method include Score A (representing sum of postures for trunk, legs, and force/load score),whereas B considers the neck and  upper arm, wrists, lower arm, and coupling score for each hand. Moreover, REBA score is obtained by adding the scores of A and B to get the activity score.

Ergonomics in Hand tool design

 Both REBA and NIOSH lifting Equation is implemented in oil and gas sector as a part of Ergonomics program. NIOSH methods are used for job analysis respective to the type of profession and determine the frequency independent index values and RWL for each tasks (Carayon et al.2015). REBA used in Oil and gas sector, the health and safety practitioners prescribe worksheets to assess tasks which is divided into section A and B as described above. High REBA score indicates high risks and thus call for immediate corrective actions.

Occupational biomechanics deals with any movement and physical activity corresponding the occupational duties and work. This method is used for developing new ideas to remove aches and pains in daily work schedule. Construction workers experience Hand-arm Vibration syndrome, blood circulation illness and loss of hearing due to hand held vibration tools(Henning et al.2013).Moreover health disorders induce when the mechanical workload is greater than the load capacity of the workers musculoskeletal system. Fundamentally the injuries are of two types, one is acute and painful whereas the other is chronic and lingering. The implementation of occupational biomechanics suggest better protective equipments for construction workers i.e. the vibration absorbing gloves that reduces the risk of injuries.MSD gives rise to various risk factors that stems from continuous twisting and bending thereby increasing the risk of acquiring injury at the back (Joshi,2012). MSD can also occur due to unplanned circumstances like accidents through overstraining the body parts in motion.

However, risk factors cannot be eliminated completely, but occupational biomechanics can decrease the risk by providing proper risk guidelines by defining adequate dialogue between employers and employees implement health and safety protocols in workplace.

Reference List

Bogović, S., DragÄÂević, Z., & Hursa Šajatović, A. (2012). ERGONOMIC DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING BASED ON DYNAMIC ANHTROPOMETRIC. AUTEX 2012, Innovative Textile for high Future Demands.

Carayon, P., Hancock, P., Leveson, N., Noy, I., Sznelwar, L., & van Hootegem, G. (2015). Advancing a sociotechnical systems approach to workplace safety–developing the conceptual framework. Ergonomics, (ahead-of-print), 1-17.

Henning, R. A., Reeves, D. W., & CPH-NEW Research Team. (2013). An integrated health protection/promotion program supporting participatory ergonomics and salutogenic approaches in the design of workplace interventions. In Salutogenic organizations and change (pp. 307-325). Springer Netherlands.

Joshi, P. (2012). Anthropometric measurements: Source of designing tools and equipments. In 30th International Congress on Occupational Health (March 18-23, 2012). Icoh.

Kogi, K. (2012). Practical Ways to Facilitate Ergonomics Improvements in Occupational Health Practice. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 54(6), 890-900.

Levanon, Y., Gefen, A., Lerman, Y., Givon, U., & Ratzon, N. Z. (2012). Reducing musculoskeletal disorders among computer operators: comparison between ergonomics interventions at the workplace. Ergonomics, 55(12), 1571-1585.

Magno, K. J. H., & Pabico, J. P. (2014). Digital Anthropometry: Model, Implementation, and Application. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research| Vol, 2(3).

Mahmud, N., Kenny, D. T., & Rahman, H. A. (2012). The Effect of Workplace Office Ergonomics Intervention on Reducing Neck and Shoulder Complaints and Sickness Absence. International Proceedings of Economics Development & Research, 42.

Mohamed Shaharoun, A., Hassan, S., Hamid, S. A., & Zakuan, N. (2012). Perceptions of ergonomics importance at workplace and safety culture amongst safety & health (SH) practitioners in Malaysia.

Morag, I., & Luria, G. (2013). A framework for performing workplace hazard and risk analysis: a participative ergonomics approach. Ergonomics, 56(7), 1086-1100.

Ramesh, N. (2015). Respiratory function of workers at a construction company in Bangalore Urban district. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 4(1), 16-19.