Occupational Ergonomics - Volume 4, issue 4

Authors: Karwowski, Waldemar

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4401

Citation: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 209-209, 2004

Authors: de Ercilla, Fernando Terrés | Mondelo, Pedro Rodríguez | Casado, Enrique Álvarez | Vilella, Emilio Castejón

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Safety science, in its multidisciplinary approach, has been enriched by the contributions of economic science practically from the beginning of its development. In this area of knowledge, a particularly relevant subject matter is the impact of economic fluctuations or cycles over the effect indicators of safety (incidence indexes). Two theories have been put forward from the field of safety: intensification theory and vulnerability theory. In this paper, the authors propose an integrative theory and analyse the Spanish situation in the light of this new theory, validating its application.

Keywords: occupational health and safety, economic cycle, incidence indexes

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4402

Citation: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 211-228, 2004

Authors: Hale, A.R. | v.d. Waterbeemd, H.A. | Potter, R. | Heming, B.H. | Swuste, P.H.J.J. | Guldenmund, F.W.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The paper describes the methods used for a study of the safety management system and culture of a cold rolling mill in a steel plant. It uses data from diverse sources which can be validated against each other and combined to produce a rich picture of the current risk control system and its shortcomings. The paper also describes the proposed improvements and what the plant chose to implement. This step also throws light on the culture of the plant.

Keywords: safety management, safety culture, diagnosis of safety problems

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4403

Citation: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 229-240, 2004

Authors: Sherehiy, Bohdana | Karwowski, Waldemar | Marek, Tadeusz

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: A systematic review of the published literature was carried out in order to identify the most important risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the nursing profession. A standardized checklist was used in order to assess the methodological quality of the publications selected for the review. Specific criteria were established to assess the strength and consistence of evidence for potential risk factors for MSD. The results support a notion of the importance of physical work-related factors for the development of musculoskeletal problems in nursing. Lifting in awkward and forward-bent postures were especially high-risk tasks that resulted in variety of reported …musculoskeletal problems. This review also revealed that psychosocial factors, especially work organization issues and "social relations at work" were strongly related to the musculoskeletal outcomes in the studied population. Such risk factors as psychological job demands and job control were also associated with musculoskeletal problems; however, the evidence concerning these factors were weak and inconsistent. Further research is needed to establish the moderating and combined effects of different risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders in the nursing profession. Show more

Keywords: nursing, musculoskeletal disorders, prevention, ergonomics, literature review

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4404

Citation: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 241-279, 2004

Authors: Taloni, Silvia | Cassavia, Giovanni Carlo | Ciavarro, Giuseppe Luca | Andreoni, Giuseppe | Santambrogio, Giorgio Cesare | Pedotti, Antonio

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Back pain is one of the most significant socioeconomic problem in industrialized countries. Its origin is multifactorial, including physical, psychosocial and individual risk factors. Among the working population, nursery teachers are highly exposed to back pain diseases, but not many studies have dealt with this problem. So a suitable quantitative index is proposed, based on an unobtrusive video-analysis of established motor-tasks. In particular five nursery teachers were asked to perform lifting and lowering movements placing their feet at two different distances from a weight (a toy pet loaded with 8 kg, simulating a child) with different strategies (flexed, partially flexed …and extended legs). The index is based on the idea that a greater trunk inclination angle determines increased loads on the lumbar spine, and so an augmented probability of spinal disorders. To validate our protocol, the same data were analyzed through a 3D biomechanical model (gold standard method), which computes the loads on L3-L4 intervertebral disc. Data show a good correspondence between the risk level suggested by the index and the one indicated by the mechanical loads: the antero-posterior shearing forces and the values of index coherently increase with the reduction of leg flexion. Show more

Keywords: nursery, back pain, video analysis, risk index, NIOSH equation

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4405

Citation: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 281-290, 2004

Authors: Zurada, Jozef | Karwowski, Waldemar | Marras, William

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Work related low back disorders (LBDs) continue to pose significant occupational health problem that affects the quality of life of the industrial population. The main objective of this study was to explore the application of various data mining techniques, including neural networks, logistic regression, decision trees, memory-based reasoning, and the ensemble model, for classification of industrial jobs with respect to the risk of work-related LBDs. The results from extensive computer simulations using a 10-fold cross validation showed that memory-based reasoning and ensemble models were the best in the overall classification accuracy. The decision tree and memory-based reasoning models were the …most accurate in classifying jobs with high risk of LBDs, whereas neural networks and logistic regression were the best in classifying jobs with low risk of LBDs. The decision tree model delivered the most stable results across 10 generations of different data sets randomly chosen for training, validation, and testing. The classification results generated by the decision tree were the easiest to interpret because they were given in the form of simple 'if-then' rules. These results produced by the decision tree method showed that the peak moment had the highest predictive power of LBDs. Show more

Keywords: low back disorders, assessment of lifting jobs, knowledge discovery, data mining techniques

DOI: 10.3233/OER-2004-4406

Citation: Occupational Ergonomics, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 291-305, 2004