Distribution of Food in a Specialized Hospital Using Ambient Intelligence to Improve a Model of Macroergonomics

SIDA (Intelligent Food Distribution System, for its acronym in Spanish) is a proposed tool for the distribution of food that can be personalized depending on the medical characteristics of each patient. The target of the tool is to provide foods that contain higher nutrients in the diet set by a hospital. A model of decision trees was based on data from the organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and used for decision making in the simulated three basic foods based on the diet of Latin American countries typically integrated by rice, potatoes, and lentils from the parameters of fat, energy, and protein, respectively, that contains every type of food.

Lean Production and Its Impact on Worker Health

Lean is currently applied successfully in many industrial sectors. However, its value and impact on human health is not fully understood. To gain a better understanding, this chapter explores how ergonomics force and fatigue evaluation methods can be applied in a manner to enhance lean initiatives. These methods incorporate ergonomic-related variables of force type, force duration, force frequency, and degree of awkward posture, and incorporate the recommended cumulative rest allowance (RCRA) model as a practical fatigue-based metric. These methods and their application are discussed.

Socio-Technical Approaches for Optimal Organizational Performance

In this chapter, the authors present a socio-technical system for optimal organizational performance at aviation enterprises such as air navigation system as socio-technical system. The authors made an analysis of the International Civil Aviation Organization documents on risk assessment and the impact of the social environment on the aviation system. The authors obtained the results of the evaluation of non-professional factors: determination of the social-psychological impact on decision making of human-operator by identifying the preferences for organizational performance. The structural analysis of internal and external management environment of aviation enterprise was carried out. And, as follows from the analysis, inhomogeneous factors that influence the aviation activity were classified, formalized, and systematically generalized using set-theoretical approach. The influence of factors of internal and external management environment on the aviation enterprise's activity was determined.

Implementation of an Intelligent Model Based on Machine Learning in the Application of Macro-Ergonomic Methods in a Human Resources Process Based on ISO 12207

The objective of this chapter is to implement an intelligent model based on machine learning in the application of macro-ergonomic methods in human resources processes based on the ISO 12207 standard. To achieve the objective, a method of constructing a Java language algorithm is applied to select the best prospect for a given position. Machine learning is done through decision trees and algorithm j48. Among the findings, it is shown that the model is useful in identifying the best profiles for a given position, optimizing the time in the selection process and human resources as well as the reduction of work stress.

Trends in Macroergonomics Applications for Improved Work Systems

Macroergonomics is the subdiscipline of ergonomics that is concerned with the analysis, design, and evaluation of work systems. It means, macroergonomics focuses on harmonizing the organizational structure of a company and not only one workstation or one task, as microergonomics does. Macroergonomics is a top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up approach. In the top-down approach, the overall general work system structure may be prescribed to match the organization's sociotechnical characteristics. On the other hand, the middle-out approach focuses on the analysis of subsystems and work processes, which can be assessed both up and down the organizational hierarchy from intermediate levels, and also, up and down some changes may be done to ensure the work system design is harmonized. Finally, the bottom-up approach comprises an extensive participation of employees in the identification of problems. Currently, macroergonomics is considered an emergent subdiscipline, and there is the need to promote current theories and methods and propose new ones.

Burnout and Obesity in Middle and Upper Management in the Manufacturing Industry of Baja California

Globally, companies are increasingly considering the importance of mental health in workers and their relationship with productivity, which has led to increased research on work stress, which showed that there is a relationship between stress related to work and health disorders, both physical and mental. This chapter addresses the analysis of two of the main consequences that a worker can develop when having work stress: burnout syndrome, measured by the Maslach burnout inventory general survey (MBI-GS) and obesity, through the body mass index (BMI). The study was carried out in 118 people who occupy middle and upper management of the manufacturing industry of Baja California, having as objective to find the relationship that exists between the two variables, using ordinal logistic regression, as well as to characterize the sample using mean difference and hypothesis testing. From this perspective, this chapter can serve as a guide to study the behavior of variables and propose organizational development strategies aimed at reducing and preventing these problems.

A Sociotechnical Systems Approach Applying a Novel Taxonomy to a Survey for the Assessment of Safety Performance

The aim of this chapter was to explore a sociotechnical systems approach applying a novel taxonomy with respect to safety performance. The study applied a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Workers (n = 120) and managers (n = 85) were asked to complete a questionnaire survey (Appendix). The following hypotheses were supported: “Activities of the management” had positive impacts on five aggregated variables, namely “near-accident investigation and instructions” (H1), “occupational safety and health (OSH) training” (H2), “operations, technical processes, and the safe use of chemicals” (H3), “use of personal protective equipment” (H4), and “measuring, follow-up, and prevention of major accidents” (H5). By undertaking a statistical evaluation and then devising a novel taxonomy, it was possible to gain detailed insights into diverse aspects of a high-risk industry's work with regard to complex sociotechnical systems. When applying the current approach through participatory cooperation, organizations may acquire new perspectives on their safety performance.

A Metalearning Approach on Sociotechnical Systems Toward Improving Organizational Effectiveness

Sociotechnical systems optimize social and technical systems, but joint optimization should involve autonomy, adaptability, meaningfulness, and feedback as underlying principles. A metalearning approach in the organizational development could affect the process of managing the change inside the organization where innovation, learning, and change produce resistance amount members. A systemic approach in measuring organizational effectiveness is presented emphasizing differences with short-term and long-term measures. Differences between validating and evaluating any sociotechnical interventions is done, proposing that evaluating could help detecting strengths and weaknesses in socio-technical methodologies and provide a guidance to the organizational improvement. This chapter proposes a tool that can join multiple points of view and help to promote a synergistic action toward technical and social systems looking to impact organization effectiveness.

The Contribution of Neuroscience and Health Psychology to Macroergonomics

When a work system is considered we must focus on people that are part of the system as an active agent that can participate and interact all along the working process. In this process, stress contributes to increasing the probability of diseases and accidents. Therefore, one of the main objectives, from a preventive perspective, is to reduce stress levels. Related to this, the characteristics of healthy organizations will be described as a model to promote health. The objective of this chapter is to offer a broad and multidisciplinary perspective of prevention risk in the workplace centered in the worker, taking the view of neuroscience and health psychology. For that purpose, stress interventions in the organizations and in the individuals will be outlined. Finally, this chapter would finish proposing a preventive intervention to improve healthier work environments, taking into account neurosciences and health psychology. This proposal will be based on improving lifestyle, education for health, and self-respect.

Exceeding the Recommended Energy Limits Due to Age and Gender in Occupational Aerobic Workloads

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the physical aerobic work in terms of the metabolic expenditure and compare it with the recommended boundaries of energy found in literature, proposing an alternative to the potential work overload through a compensatory equation introduced in the standard time of the workstation. To support the study, information considering the estimated metabolic expenditure in workers was applied to a novel procedure to reduce the metabolic demand of the task according to age and gender. Results of the study indicated that women older than 30 years exceeded the energy limits from moderate to very heavy load activities, and men older than 40 years exceeded the energy limits in heavy and very heavy workloads. The proposal of compensatory equation statistically reduced the energy loads below the recommended limits of energy. The aerobic workload is a sensitive factor for age and gender groups and can be potential risks for developing cardiovascular diseases as well as some musculoskeletal disorders.