YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE TOXLINE (1981 FORWARD, NON-ROYALTY) FILE. ==ERGONOMICS AND 1996== 2 AUTHOR Krueger H TITLE [Working at video display terminals] SOURCE Ther Umsch 1989 Nov;46(11):775-9 ABSTRACT With the introduction of VDU work the frequency of various health problems increased proportionally to an increase in work hours on VDU's. Today the frequency of health problems is still greater, than it is for traditional office work. The observed symptoms are mostly stress reactions of multifunctional cause. Only with a close collaboration of workphysiology oriented physicians and VDU users, using the principles of workphysiology and ergonomics, can a satisfactory solution be reached. 3 AUTHOR Stobbe TJ TITLE Occupational ergonomics and injury prevention. SOURCE Occup Med; VOL 11, ISS 3, 1996, P531-43 (REF: 37) ABSTRACT Ergonomics is the study of people at work. The current focus is on the prevention of work-induced musculoskeletal injuries through the application of sound ergonomic principles. This chapter has briefly outlined ergonomics and its history, has described low back pain and upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders from an ergonomic perspective, and has discussed control and prevention approaches for a few scenarios. Ergonomic principles are based on a combination of science and engineering and a thorough understanding of human capabilities and limitations. When these principles are applied to the design of a job, task, process, or procedure, the incidence and severity of musculoskeletal injuries decrease. In many cases productivity and morale also improve. Workers are spared suffering, and employers are spared costs. It is hoped that this discussion will encourage more health, safety, and business professionals to learn about and apply ergonomics in their workplaces for the improvement of the worker, product, and business. Finally, many additional epidemiologic studies on the individual and joint effects of the CTD risk factors are needed. The knowledge gained from these studies will promote the more effective application of ergonomic principles to reduce worker suffering, improve products, and reduce costs. 4 AUTHOR Das B AUTHOR Sengupta AK TITLE Industrial Workstation Design: A Systematic Ergonomics Approach SOURCE Applied Ergonomics, Vol. 27, No. 3, pages 157-163, 21 references, 1996 ABSTRACT A systematic ergonomic approach to designing a workstation for an industrial environment was developed. Specific items included in the analysis were the determination of the workstation dimensions, work height, normal and maximum reaches, standing work surface height for female and male operators, sex differences in reaching capability, lateral clearance, angle of vision and eye height. As a case study, an ergonomics approach to designing a supermarket check stand workstation was presented. Direct observation was used to record the working posture and work methods of the cashiers. Major shortcomings were identified and analyzed individually. Information was also obtained through survey techniques. Several suggestions for improving the current station were offered including elimination of the twisting of the torso to handle each piece being purchased, increasing the area on the conveyor belt within the normal working area, placing the visual display within the normal line of sight of the operator, and adjusting height platforms to accommodate fifth through ninety fifth percentile female operators. The authors conclude that the proposed design would improve posture, provide flexible work height, reduce reaching, and improve visual display requirements which should enhance the productivity of the cashiers. 5 AUTHOR Moore JS AUTHOR Garg A TITLE Use of Participatory Ergonomics Teams to Address Musculoskeletal Hazards in the Red Meat Packing Industry SOURCE American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 29, No. 4, pages 402-408, 14 references, 1996 ABSTRACT The results of a demonstration project that examined the activities and effectiveness of two ergonomics teams for reducing musculoskeletal hazards in a pork slaughtering and processing facility were discussed. The project involved working with two ergonomics teams, one assigned to the hog kill department and the other to the hog cut department, of a facility that slaughtered hogs and processed pork. The facility had approximately 930 employees, of which 830 were production workers. The production rate was 762 hogs per hour. The two ergonomics teams were tasked to analyze specifically targeted jobs and develop solutions for any problems found. Nine jobs in the hog kill department and 12 in the hog cut department were targeted for intervention because they had been associated with a large number of musculoskeletal injuries, one or more severe injuries, high workers' compensation costs, or high employee turnover rates. The study design was one of participatory action research in which the teams worked collaboratively with the study population. The study methodology consisted of problem identification, problem evaluation, solution development, solution implementation, and solution evaluation. Worker feedback was incorporated into the problem evaluation step. Team productivity and participant feedback were used as indicators of team effectiveness. Team productivity was assessed by comparing the number of jobs analyzed by the teams to the number of targeted jobs. The number of successful interventions was not used as a measure of team effectiveness because few interventions were implemented during the project due to the fact that both the kill and cut departments were in the process of undergoing major renovations. Participant feedback was assessed through a self administered questionnaire in which each team member evaluated team representativeness, the problem solving process, and team productivity and functioning. Feedback from the team members was generally favorable. The kill department team reported problems related to scheduling meetings. The cut department also reported scheduling problems and some problems related to the style, attitude, and interest of the team leader. The authors conclude that this project has demonstrated that participatory ergonomics teams can successfully analyze jobs associated with musculoskeletal hazards and develop solutions to eliminate or reduce worker exposure to these hazards. 7 AUTHOR Moore JS AUTHOR Garg A TITLE Use of participatory ergonomics teams to address musculoskeletal hazards in the red meat packing industry. SOURCE Am J Ind Med; VOL 29, ISS 4, 1996, P402-8 ABSTRACT Participatory ergonomics teams from two departments of a pork slaughtering plant analyzed musculoskeletal hazards and proposed ergonomics solutions for several jobs in the plant. The jobs were targeted based on association with a large number of injuries, one or more particularly severe injuries, high workers' compensation expenses, and/or high turnover plus absence of obvious solutions to abate the hazards. The teams used a structured problem-solving method that was generally derived from principles associated with quality improvement processes. Workers performing the targeted jobs were involved in the problem-solving process, even if they were not members of the team. The effectiveness of each team was assessed and compared in terms of the number of problem jobs addressed and feedback from team members. One team addressed all nine of its targeted jobs; the other team addressed eight of 12 targeted jobs. Feedback from team members regarding their teams' methods and performance was generally favorable. The major obstacle to effective team functioning in this project was the scheduling of meetings. There were also some obstacles related to team leadership. Overall, this project demonstrated that the use of participatory ergonomics teams that rely on structured problem-solving methods are able to work effectively to address musculoskeletal hazards, especially related to the upper extremities, in the red meat packing industry. 6 AUTHOR Waluyo L AUTHOR Ekberg K AUTHOR Eklund J TITLE Assembly work in Indonesia and in Sweden--ergonomics, health and satisfaction. SOURCE Ergonomics; VOL 39, ISS 2, 1996, P199-212 ABSTRACT Work conditions in industrial production vary substantially between different cultures. In the present study the aims were to identify differences between Swedish and Indonesian assembly industry workers regarding work environment factors, health and job satisfaction, and to find associations between work environment factors, and the health measures. Data were collected by a questionnaire from 326 Swedish and 136 Indonesian assembly industry workers, interviews and from company documents. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was high in both groups. Stress and psychosomatic symptoms had higher prevalences in the Swedish group, which also rated their work conditions as worse in most respects. Work tasks were physically heavier in Indonesia, but less monotonous and with lower demands on productivity. The Indonesians were more satisfied with their jobs. Physical job demands were associated with musculoskeletal symptoms. Competence development was associated with increased job satisfaction. Conflicts and harassments at work were associated with stress and psychosomatic symptoms. Job pressure, especially deficient planning of the jobs was associated with lower job satisfaction, psychosomatic and stress symptoms in the Swedish group. Implications for job design in the two cultures are presented.