THE INFLUENCE OF ENCLOSURE ON BURNING CHARACTERISTICS OF OSB FURNISHINGS

This paper presents a series of full-scale tests conducted with office furniture made from OSB boards. Ignition source (30 kW gas burner) position and enclosure effects, free burn vs. ISO 9705 room, were evaluated from the perspective of instantaneous (HRR) and total heat (THR) released by the fuel packages. It was found that both of the evaluated factors have impact primarily on HRR – the peak ranging from 874 kW to 1 154 kW was delayed by approx. 50 to 60 s in the free-burn experiments; the THR remained relatively consistent at approx. 875 ± 30 MJ, meaning that in the observed period very similar amounts of fuel were burned. The thermal feedback within the enclosure seemed to be partially counteracted by the lack of oxygen, resulting in slightly higher HRR in free-burn test following the first peak. The findings of the research are applicable to fire hazard prediction by fire modelling.

FATIGUE ASSESSMENT OF THE VISUAL ANALYZER OF MULTIMONITOR SYSTEMS OPERATORS

Introduction. Working at a computer is associated with an intense cognitive load and an increased load on the visual analyzer due to the peculiarities of the screen image transmission. From 60 to 90% of users suffer from computer visual syndrome, more than 40% experience visual discomfort. If it is necessary to use several software windows in the workplace, multimonitor systems are increasingly used, however, there is still no data on their effect on the visual analyzer. Research objective. Assessment of the state of the visual analyzer of multimonitor systems operators in the dynamics of the work shift. Materials and methods. The study involved 26 operators of multimonitor systems (age 36.7 ± 8.3 years, experience 5.8 ± 3.0 years). The assessment of labor intensity in accordance with the Guidelines R 2.2.2006-05 and ergonomic analysis of workplaces were carried out. The functional state of the visual analyzer was assessed using eye tracking, accommodometry, sequential contrast perception time, subjective assessment of asthenopia symptoms. Research results. The labor intensity of operators of multimonitor systems corresponds to class 3.2. Ergonomic assessment of workplaces indicates irregularities in the arrangement of equipment and office furniture. There were no statistically significant differences in the indicators of oculomotor activity in the dynamics of the shift, while low values of the frequency of blinking were noted only in workers with an irrationally organized workplace, as well as when observing one monitor. By the end of the shift, the volume of accommodation decreased by 19.0%, the time of perception of sequential contrast by 15.3%, the most pronounced symptoms of asthenopia were general and visual fatigue. Conclusions. The use of multimonitor systems leads to the development of asthenopia by the end of the shift, however, the decrease in the volume of accommodation and the time of perception of consistent contrast are more pronounced in workers with one monitor. Due to the impossibility of changing the work process and reducing the class of NT, workers should pay special attention to the ergonomic characteristics of the workplace, compliance with work and rest regimes, prevention of the development of asthenopia and general fatigue.

Italian Office Desk

In Italy the history of modern equipment design has shifted between ‘mass production and one-off’, as architects Gio Ponti and Antonio Fornaroli wrote in an article in the magazine Domus (1948). Starting from this important reflection by the two Italian architects, the article takes into consideration the case study of office furniture.The aim of the article is to identify the cultural landscape of Italian design during the twentieth century, taking into consideration the example of the office desk as fil rouge of the history of design in Italy.The methodology adopted is deductive: starting from the selection of some case studies (desks designed for some elitist furnishings or, vice versa, for serial reproduction) and in relation to the architectural and cultural context in which they were created, some key concepts are deduced in order to understand the progressive adherence of Italian architects to the idea of modernity, and then to the massification of industrial design. New materials and ancient ‘know-how’ have merged into projects that have distinguished the history of design in Italy as original.The conclusion highlights how in the history of Italian office furniture as a multi-faceted history, where elite furniture can become a democratic product, until it becomes part of the contemporary office.

Family business resilience under the COVID-19: A comparative study in the furniture industry in the United States of America and Colombia

COVID-19 has impacted the world and has forced organizations to adapt to the “new normal”, and family businesses have not been exempt. In this study, we answer two research questions; how prepared are family businesses to face shocks like the pandemic? and, do contexts matter in that response? Using the Resource-Based View of the firm, in this qualitative exploratory study we analyze the resources and capabilities deployed by two business families owning three family businesses in the office furniture industry in the countries of Colombia and the USA. Our findings indicate that indeed family businesses are resilient, but the resources and capabilities deployed and their uses are different according to the context, suggesting a contingent familiness during a crisis.

Secular changes in the anthropometrics of Chilean workers and its implication in design

BACKGROUND: Anthropometrics is very important when ensuring a physical match between end users and product or workstations. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study are twofold, to provide anthropometric data for the design of products and to examine the secular changes in the adult Chilean workers in a period of more than 20 years. METHODS: Nineteen anthropometric measurements from two samples from 1995 and 2016 were compared using independent t-test (95% confidence interval), where additionally absolute and relative differences were calculated. RESULTS: The secular trend observed for Stature is characterized by an increase average of 20mm and 10.5mm per decade for females and males, respectively. There is a positive secular trend for both genders, which is observed for most of the selected body measurements. The most pronounced increases were onWeight, Shoulder breadth, Body mass index, Popliteal height; Buttock-popliteal length and Hip width. CONCLUSIONS: Segmental dimensions that experienced a positive secular trend, together with Weight and Stature, are highly correlated with seating design, addressing the need to review products targeting Chilean adult workers, such as public transport seats, office furniture or industrial workplaces.