scholarly journals Ergonomic issues in ewe cheese production: reliability of the Strain Index and OCRA Checklist risk assessments

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2s) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rosecrance ◽  
Robert Paulsen ◽  
David Gilkey ◽  
Lelia Murgia ◽  
Thomas Gall
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Strain Index ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Risk Assessment Tools ◽  
Physical Risk ◽  
Physical Risk Factors

Occupational ergonomists often use a variety of methods to identify jobs that are considered at high risk for the development of work-related musculoskeletal illnesses. The Strain Index (SI) and the Occupational Repetitive Actions (OCRA) Checklist are two popular upper limb risk assessment tools used in many industries, including the agro-food industry. Both methods are based on similar biomechanical, physiological and epidemiologic principles, but their approach to quantification and estimation of risk factor magnitude is quite different. The purpose of this study was to assess the inter-method reliability of SI and OCRA Checklist. Methods: Twenty-one jobs were video recorded in a Sardinian cheese manufacturing facility. Eight raters were recruited to assess job exposures to physical risk factors using the SI and OCRA Checklist. Inter-method reliability was characterized using proportion of overall agreement, Cohen’s kappa, and Spearman and Pearson correlations. Results: Strain Index and the OCRA Checklist assessments produced generally reliable results, classifying the risk of 35 of 42 (83%) job exposures similarly. Conclusions: The OCRA Checklist and SI risk assessments are reliable upper limb measures of physical work exposures. Both measures appear useful for assessing risk of upper limb disorders of work tasks in the agro-food industry. However, the SI is specific to disorders of the distal upper limb and perhaps most useful for assessing risk in work primarily involving the wrist and fingers. Whereas the OCRA Checklist, which includes an assessment of the shoulder, may be more appropriate for evaluating jobs that also require extended periods of reaching and shoulder activity.

scholarly journals Quantitative Measures of Physical Risk Factors Associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Elbow: A Systematic Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 130 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Seidel ◽  
Dirk M. Ditchen ◽  
Ulrike M. Hoehne-Hückstädt ◽  
Monika A. Rieger ◽  
Benjamin Steinhilber
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Physical Risk ◽  
Physical Risk Factors

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders at the elbow are a common health problem, which highly impacts workers’ well-being and performance. Besides existing qualitative information, there is a clear lack of quantitative information of physical risk factors associated with specific disorders at the elbow (SDEs). Objective: To provide evidence-based quantitative measures of physical risk factors associated with SDEs. Methods: Studies were searched from 2007 to 2017 in Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Work. The identified risk factors were grouped in main- and sub-categories of exposure using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework for rating evidence. Results: 133 different risk-factor specifications were identified in 10/524 articles and were grouped into 5 main- and 16 sub-categories of exposure. The risk factors were significantly associated with lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, or ulnar neuropathy. Significant risk factors such as wrist angular velocity (5°/s, with increasing prevalence ratio of 0.10%/(°/s), or forearm supination (≥45° and ≥5% of time combined with forceful lifting) were found. Conclusions: This review delivers a categorization of work-related physical risk-factor specifications for SDEs with a special focus on quantitative measures, ranked for evidence. These results may build the base for developing risk assessment methods and prospective preventive measures.

Time Pressure and Mental Workload Effects on Perceived Workload and Key Strike Force during Typing

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (14) ◽  
pp. 1390-1394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Hughes ◽  
Kari Babski-Reeves
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Physical Risk ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Physical Risk Factors ◽  
Perceived Workload

Although physical factors are accepted as risks in the development of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), psychosocial factors may explain some of the remaining differences in susceptibility to WMSDs. The following study examined the effects of two psychosocial factors, mental workload and time pressure, on typing performance, perceived workload, and key strike force while typing. The majority of the key strike force measures increased with increases in time pressure and mental workload. Perceived overall workload (as measured using SWAT) increased with mental workload and time pressure, and typing performance decreased. Additionally, gender, locus of control, and perceived stress level did not influence outcomes. Physical risk factors may be mediated by psychosocial factors to increase risk for WMSD development in the upper extremities. Therefore, both physical and psychosocial aspects of work environments should be considered when designing jobs and work tasks to prevent injuries and improve productivity.

The Need for a Lower Extremity Risk Assessment Model

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (14) ◽  
pp. 887-891
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Reid ◽  
Pamela McCauley-Bush ◽  
Waldemar Karwowski ◽  
Dianne L. McMullin
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Risk Assessment Model ◽  
Initial Model ◽  
Preliminary Step ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Risk Assessment Tools ◽  
Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Current ergonomic risk assessment tools do not assess possible occupational (extrinsic) and personal (intrinsic) risk factors for the lower extremity regions of employees. This document proposes that it is possible to develop a lower extremity risk assessment (LERA) model for quantifying such risks. A literature review was conducted for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower extremity that affect the nervous, muscular, vascular, and skeletal systems. This initial model of LERA was developed using epidemiological literature and subject matter expert opinion specifically for the knee joint and is considered a preliminary step towards quantifying the etiology of cumulative occupational knee disorders.

scholarly journals 0031 Work-related physical risk factors for specific shoulder disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henk van der Molen ◽  
Chiara Foresti ◽  
Joost Daams ◽  
Monique Frings-Dresen ◽  
Paul Kuijer
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Physical Risk ◽  
Physical Risk Factors ◽  
Shoulder Disorders

scholarly journals Sustainable Postural Research for Women Workers From Power-Loom Industry Solapur City, Maharashtra, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11S) ◽  
pp. 377-382
Keyword(s):  
Women Workers ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Upper Arm ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Body Regions ◽  
Physical Risk ◽  
Physical Risk Factors ◽  
Awkward Posture

The majority of women workers were performing spinning, warping and finishing tasks in the power-loom industry; espousing an awkward posture. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are most important problems related to the cyclic and challenging working awkward posture. This study focuses on identification of ergonomic physical risk factors caused because of awkward posture and explores its association with the prevalence of WRMSDs among the ladies staff from power-loom industry Solapur town, geographic area, India. The WRMSDs indications were known estimated and analyzed victimization the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Statistical analysis of ANOVA was performed to search out significance between variables of anthropometry and job details to the departments. NMQ results disclosed that the very best rates of disorders were found within the upper Arm (60%) wrist (52%), neck (42%), and Trunk (64%) severally, and therefore the consequences of the RULA technique showed that the upmost level of risk within the region of upper Arm (risk level four) and within the Trunk (risk level three point five). In addition, the multivariate analysis proven that age and job expertise had a major correlation with the prevalence of MSDs (Table 1, if P < 0.05, significant). By trying the values of correlation coefficients, there's no huge distinction to perform video analysis for analysis of RULA or NMQ for locating pain in body regions.

scholarly journals Urban Security and Counterterrorism: An Approach to Proportionality

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 70-85
Author(s):  
Tegg Westbrook ◽  
Thomas Schive
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Urban Design ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Dead Reckoning ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Risk Assessment Tools ◽  
Urban Security ◽  
Security Returns

As cities and crowded areas increasingly become targets of terrorist plots and attacks, there is ample demand for risk assessment tools that consider proportional measures that reduce the threat, vulnerability, and possible impacts, whilst providing ‘security returns’ for those investments. There is a risk in this process of over- or under-fortifying places based on practitioners’ subjective biases, experiences, dead reckoning and conflicting agendas. Currently, risk assessments rely on qualitative tools that do not consider proportionality that removes these inherent biases. Critiquing well-known urban design strategies and national risk assessments, this article therefore seeks to develop a supplementary assessment tool – an equation for proportionality – that is more objective and is created to help practitioners make good choices, in particular on: (1) reducing the threat, (2) vulnerability, (3) impact, (4) accepting risk, and (5) measuring a security measure’s ability to deter, delay or stop an attack. It concludes that while no assessment is truly objective, the equation works to remove as much subjectivity as possible when assessing proportional urban security.

scholarly journals Signs of Resistance? Swedish Probation Officers' Attitudes towards Risk Assessments

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Persson ◽  
Kerstin Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Probation Officers ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
What Works ◽  
Risk Assessment Tools ◽  
Probation Service ◽  
Organizational Logic ◽  
Risk Concept

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has been influenced by the ‘What Works’ agenda since the late 1990's and an orientation towards risk and risk management has gradually become visible in the organization. But there is, within the probation service, a discrepancy between two types of logics — an organizational logic and a professional logic. Although guidelines prescribe the use of risk-assessment tools, they are in reality seldom used by practitioners. Through an examination of the reasons given by the probation officers who expressed doubts or concerns about the risk-concept, we question whether this could be seen as signs of resistance based on professional logic.

A Conceptual Model of Work Productivity Associated with Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Industrial Repetitive Task

2013 ◽  
Vol 845 ◽  
pp. 623-626
Author(s):  
Nurhayati Mohd Nur ◽  
Siti Zawiah Md Dawal ◽  
Mahidzal Dahari
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Work Productivity ◽  
Time Loss ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Physical Risk ◽  
Physical Risk Factors ◽  
The Relationship

The performance of workers is a very important factor that could affect the overall productivity result. In the industrial repetitive task, the performance of direct workers has a significant impact on the work productivity. In this kind of task, the work productivity loss is not only seen from time loss but also due to functional incapacity of the workers. The workers are present at work but functionally limited due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). There are various studies which have reported on the effects of WMSDs on the work productivity, but few attempts have been made to investigate the relationship. This study aims to develop a conceptual model of work productivity associated with WMSDs as an aid to identify the relationship between the risks of WMSDs and the work productivity. The knowledge on the relationship is important to reduce the risk of WMSDs and at the same time can optimize the work productivity. A conceptual model of work productivity associated with WMSDs in the industrial repetitive task was developed based on the review on the existing models and theories. The factors involved in the model were discussed. The factors involved were work-related physical risk factors, muscle fatigue, work-related musculoskeletal disorders and work productivity.

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