bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Main Factors for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System for Mexican Manufacturing Companies
Authors: Cuautle Luis , Beristain Gerson
Published: February 2022

The Occupational Health and Safety are factors and conditions that have a positive impact, promotes a safe and healthy working environment, and these issues among the companies give wellness to personnel, contractors, visitors and any other person in working places, and this is achieved with the help of managing risks in the workplace. In Mexico, the occupational health and safety factors have been treated individually to reduce accidents, insurance cost and increase performance of existing operations but these individual actions created confusion among Mexican manufacturing companies. The Social Prevention and Labor Secretary established a technical program in occupational health and safety management. Five steps are used to represent basic security scheme. On the other hand, the health programs deal with the identification of important alarms and the promotion of actions to eliminate them. These issues consider job environments as well as pandemic. In order to control both aspects, Mexican factories have created an Occupational Health Management System as well as a Safety Management System. The purpose of this research is to formulate a unique Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) using structural equation models (SEM) to help Mexican manufacturing companies to conduct their efforts. A survey was conducted with 14 items based on international occupational health and safety standards. This research questionnaire was applied to 32 certified manufacturing companies within Mexico. An exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis was focused. With exploratory factorial analysis we could established the three main factors and their components and these three main factors were validated using the confirmatory factorial analysis. The three factors were: health and safety focus, occupational health and safety management system, and continuous improvement. The Tucker-Lewis Index obtained is equal to 0.999 which is higher that the recommended value of 0.90. Thus, the three main factors can be considered for a structural equation model. Some of the variables considered for the OHSMS were: risk control, corrective actions, planning, audits, education and training, etc. Using LISREL, a structural equation model was created to propose a valid OHSMS model for Mexican manufacturing companies to implement and benefit from good health and safety management in their facilities.
Risk Assessment in a Nuclear Medicine Department
Authors: Canotilho de Almeida Rita , Corticeiro Neves Miguel
Published: February 2022

Conducting a Risk Assessment is a key to continuous improvement of quality and safety standards of any organization procedure. It allows a diagnosis of the work conditions, identification and/or quantification of risk and the determination of the corrections to be made, as well as preventive measures and more appropriate protection. For this study, was used the MARAT (Risk Assessment of Accident Method). In Nuclear Medicine department, despite the high degree of specificity, because it is an area where ionizing radiation assume leadership, is necessary and possible to conduct a Risk Assessment at appropriate intervals by a Senior Technician or Work Safety Technician (TST or TSST), so that real security conditions are verified on-site improvements to be made in order to not only minimize the harmful effects of radiation in the body, as well as all other physical, chemical, biological hazards and ergonomic featured in any healthcare department. The existence of a physicist is mandatory, but the results showed that there were some situations that should be corrected and/or improved, also demonstrating the degree of importance that a risk assessment carried out by a TSST or TST has even a service with these characteristics, and in parallel with the actuation of Physicist responsible.
Tactile Displays for Soldier Systems: Progress and Issues
Authors: R. Elliott Linda , Mortimer Bruce , Skinner Anna
Published: February 2022

Multisensory tactile displays have enabled Soldiers to communicate covertly during strenuous movements and to navigate in low visibility conditions, while allowing Soldiers to keep their hands on their weapons and their eyes on their surroundings. The full potential of these multisensory systems to reduce Soldier cognitive load and enhance performance has yet to be determined, but shows great promise, particularly in situations where there is degraded visual acuity, high noise, and/or need for audio silence. Improvements in tactor technology include more distinctive and varied tactile sensations that are expected to allow recognition of a greater range of tactile cues and simultaneous presentation of two types of signals (e.g., navigation and alerts). The current study assessed the operational effectiveness of a tactile display integrated with a gesture recognition glove for automated detection of Soldier hand and arm signals, which were transmitted and displayed as tactile patterns on a haptic feedback vest. This study indicated that the integration of glove-based gesture recognition and a tactile display resulted in faster and more accurately perceived communications than traditional Army hand and arm signals. Given these recent technology developments and their potential, there is a corresponding opportunity for basic and applied research to address issues arising from these multisensory displays.
Effects of Depth Perception Cues and Display Types on Presence in the Elderly within a 3D Virtual Store
Authors: Liu Cheng-Li  , Uang Shiaw-Tsyr 
Published: February 2022

Many of the increasing elderly population have problems performing daily tasks due to restricted mobility, inconvenience, and/or fear of crime. Computers at home with an Internet connection can provide this relatively immobile population with a new channel to access information and services, including the ability to shop. Virtual environments (VEs) technology applied in web shops is its ability to provide a 3D perspective to customers for more real sense on goods and shopping environment. A sense of presence is one of the critical components required by any effective VE. In contrast, when the quality of depth perception cues is poor, whether the cybersickness for the elderly will be easily caused to influence the feeling of presence and performance of goods-searching or not? An experiment addressed associations between presence and cybersickness, and performance of 3D virtual store in the elderly participation with autostereoscopic, stereoscopic and monocular display in good/poor depth perception cues. Results showed that the virtual store via autostereoscopic display with high quality depth perception cues will produce good sense and realism in stereopsis. However, if the depth perception cues are poor, don’t use 3D displays especially stereoscopic display; otherwise the elderly may lose the interest in 3D virtual store because of cybersickness being serious even more than monocular display.
Identifying Automation Opportunities in Life Science Processes through Operator Task Modeling and Workload Assessment
Authors: Swangnetrab Manida , Kaberc David , Vorberga Ellen , Fleischera Heidi , Thurowa Kerstin
Published: February 2022

In an effort to automate manual life science processes for high throughput and accuracy, we previously observed that perceived operator workload could be used to identify taxing tasks as targets for robotics. However, we also observed that other factors, including task time and step count, might influence workload. The objective of the present research was to determine whether technician perceptions of workload were driven by process method characteristics, specifically duration, number of steps, and numbers of motor and cognitive operations. Confirmation of influence of these characteristics on perceived workload was expected to provide further direction for automation development for specific methods. A hierarchical task analysis was prepared for a mercury analysis process and revealed various methods for accomplishing goals. Methods included sequences of operations, which were subsequently classified as perceptual, motor or cognitive in nature by using GOMS methodology (Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection rules). A field study was conducted with three lab technicians completing the mercury analysis process in three replications. Perceived workload for each method was collected using the NASA-Task Load index (TLX). Significant positive correlations were found between method times and operation counts determined based on GOMS models with technician overall TLX ratings. Motor, cognitive and combinations of both operator counts were also correlated with TLX physical, mental demand and effort ratings, accordingly. In general, longer duration methods, including weighing, tuning and pipetting steps, appear to pose high workload for technicians and represent priority targets for automation. Furthermore, a sequence of recollection and planning operations as part of a pipetting task posed the greatest sustained cognitive load for technicians and may represent an opportunity for use of advanced robotic technology with capacity to act as an assistant to technicians.
Designing Usable, Yet Secure Authentication Services: A User-Centric Protocol
Authors: Braza Christina , Seffahb Ahmed , Poirierc Pierre
Published: February 2022

User authentication is a vital and critical service in many modern interactive applications including online banking, commerce, government as well as critical infrastructures protection. Such critical software systems should provide highly secure services for establishing if user access should be granted or not. As it will be highlighted in this paper, there is an intrinsic conflict between creating user authentication services that are secure, yet easy to use by the end-users. Our main goal is to adopt a human-centric approach which consists to study the intimate relationship between usability and security before the user authentication service has been implemented and deployed. We propose a framework that models the usability and security symmetry meaning the security consequences of usability issues. It suggests a novel usable security protocol through an inspection method named Usable Security Symmetry for dealing with usable security of user authentication methods that in turns will guide the development of truly secure and usable user authentication systems. The framework uses NGOMSL (Natural Goals, Methods, and Selection Language) to understand the user cognitive processes involved in user authentication while helping to identify and model the diverse situations of conflict between usability and security attributes.
Towards the Inclusion of Executive Coaching Concerns for the Improvement of Training in Service Development Companies
Authors: Irrazábal Emanuel , M. Vara Juan , Garzás Javier , Marcos Esperanza , López-Sanz Marcos
Published: February 2022

Economic expansion and globalization have greatly increased the value associated to teamwork, thus promoting personal development and learning as distinguishing skills, especially in service development companies. This encourages workers to gain adaptability to changes due to a higher need of reaction capacity, particularly among supervisors and managers who demand more training according to their characteristics. In this regard, conducting in-company training is globally agreed as a possible solution. Such training activities are developed in a flexible way, varying both in the content and the level of the participants. Advanced training techniques such as mentoring or coaching (or its professional counterpart: executive coaching) have permitted the application of practices and processes that boost learning, improving the performance of the training. Although coaching has an individual focus, it also enhances the development of interpersonal skills such as leadership, assertiveness or teamwork, among others. This paper presents a statistical analysis of the evaluations conducted on a total of eight groups incorporating an in-company training activity performed in 2011. The work has focused on comparing assessments of participants in training for a large multinational company working in the field of service development. The main goal of the technical training was the improvement of service-software development processes incorporated in the company throughout the completion of various activities. These training activities were based on the application of executive coaching techniques so as to progressively improve the fulfilment of the expectations of the technical course. After the courses we analysed several evaluation questionnaires fulfilled by each of the participants in each group. The result of such analysis exposed a vast improvement in meeting the expectations of the training and even an overall improvement of the course.
Co-creation of Values in Designing Service through a Custom of Meta-cognition
Authors: Suwaa Masaki , Nakashimab Hideyuki , Fujiic Haruyuki
Published: February 2022

“Co-creation of values” is a new common notion of analyzing and producing services. The first objective of the present paper is to provide an underlying theory. Introducing what we call FNS diagram, we have theorized that both a service provider and customers, respectively, create their own values out of situated interactions between both. We argue that the notion of “service” is the whole process in which a provider and the customers create their own values out of communication with each other. This is a paradigm shift from the old “provide and consume” model to “communicate and co-creation”.What cognition is needed, then, in order for “communication and co-creation” to work? We argue that sharing meta-cognition between a provider and customers is a driving force for promotion of communication and co-creation. Meta-cognitive verbalization makes one’s problem-finding attitude active, and thus encourages eagerness to communicate and find something significant in others’ meta-cognition.
A Dynamic Model based on Customer Learning Speed
Authors: Masuda Hisashi , Hara Yoshinori
Published: February 2022

The heterogeneity of customers is dependent not only variety of customers but also the time change. How do we treat the variety of customers based on time is issue for the service research. We construct a model for representing the customer learning speed interpreted by customer expectation based on novelty. The results are to show the customer learning rate in relation to the novelty of each service sector (Restaurant, Hotel and Mobile-phone users), and effects of the customer learning assistant promotion by numerical simulation. We can manage the dynamic aspects of customers' variety adding the static aspects of them.
Design, Maintenance and Refurbishment of Turbines in a Collaborative Environment
Authors: Reyes-Lecuonaa Arcadio , Molina-Tancoa Luis , González-Toledoa Daniel , Floresb Susana , Frutosb Eva , Patelc Harshada , Houghtonc Robert
Published: February 2022

In this paper, a conceptual prototype of a collaborative tool for supporting decision making in the context of power plants maintenance is presented. The context of this industrial problem together with an analysis of the need for such a tool is also described. Then, a use case analysis is performed, as a conceptual specification of this tool. This conceptual prototype was evaluated using the cognitive walkthrough technique and the results of that evaluation process are also presented here.
A Day-in-the Life of a Systems/Software Engineer 3-5 Years Ahead
Authors: Ericsson Maria , Matthews Sky
Published: February 2022

Key technology shifts such as big data, social technologies, internet-of-things, and mobile are reshaping the landscape in which engineers operate. This paper will present a vision of software and systems engineering of the future, specifically considering development of complex large-scale real-time embedded systems. We will discuss the future of software/systems craftsmanship, and how this impacts the day-in-the-life of an engineer. In order to address challenges related to speed, quality, and cost we see organizations responding by driving initiatives in the following areas:Agile – deliver more often with focus on business outcomeLean – take out non-value adding tasksCollaboration – a culture of open information sharingInnovation – create room for risk-takingDevOps – breaking down organizational silosWe also see development practices evolving to respond to the changing landscape in the areas of architecture, steering/governance, people/teams as well as how to manage development platforms.
Macroergonomics in the Design of the Quality of Work Environment and of Human Life: Examples of Practical Applications
Authors: Jasiak Aleksandra
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this work is explaining what is the essence of macroergonomics, on basis of the analysis of the world achievements from the scope of disciplines: human factors ergonomics, project studies, science studies, organization theory, psychology and sociology. Moreover, what is the role of macroergonomics in the formation of not only the quality of the technical environment or the work environment, but also the quality of life of individuals, as well as entire populations. Macroergonomics is, according to the classification recognized in world, the third phase of the evolution of ergonomics, which is the most current and modern generation of ergonomics. In other words, macroergonomics is an organization – machine interface technology. Elements of macroergonomics (criteria and determined scientific areas, as well as tendencies that contribute the creation of the essence of macroergonomics) are presented from two sides: the conceptual and methodological side and the side of possibilities for practical implementations (the set of works realized by the author along with works made under her direction). The paper is composed from four integral threads. The first part presents views on the quality of life and the quality of the work environment. The second part is dedicated to the genesis of macroergonomics and to prospects of its development. The third part, in view to its limited volume, illustrates the general image of different possibilities to apply macroergonomics into practice in determined areas of technique and economy. The paper presents an example of a demand of enterprises for ergonomic knowledge in relation to the process of designing the company’s strategy and marketing plan, presented for the case of authorized passenger cars dealer companies. The work ends with a conclusion on the role of macroergonomics in the creation of the man’s quality of life and possibilities of the development of this discipline in the future.
Macroergonomic Model of the Quality of Life of Elderly Employees for Design Purposes
Authors: Butlewski Marcin , Tytyk Edwin , Wrobel Kamil
Published: February 2022

In the lives of the elderly, work and the related socio-economic conditions are a significant, and often essential, part of life. The quality of life is a cumulative and multifactorial indicator. Therefore, to evaluate it, macroergonomic analysis is particularly applicable. Quality of life is thus an aggregating factor, which generally describes factors in an undoubtedly subjective manner. Currently existing methods propose to ask questions about the quality of working life in categories such as: wages, incentive systems, relations with supervisors and co-workers, market position of the company, opinions on the organization expressed by others, and organization and nature of the work. However, the evaluation of individual categories helps to a small extent to identify particularly important systemic relationships as well as expectations directed at the technical and organizational environment. Therefore, this paper presents a synthesis of methods, utilizing, among others, Macroergonomic Organizational Questionnaire Survey (MOQS), Karasek’s Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), NIOSH Job Stress Questionnaire and NASA Task Load Index. This combination results in a research tool that not only assesses the fulfilment of each category, but also recognizes the needs of people surveyed in the specific areas.
Curriculum, Content and Controversy in Higher Education
Authors: Moir James
Published: February 2022

Recent evidence suggests that academic staff face difficulties in applying new technologies as a means of assessing higher order assessment outcomes such as critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. Although higher education institutional mission statements and course unit outlines purport the value of these higher order skills there is still some question about how well academics are equipped to design curricula and, in particular, assessment strategies accordingly. Despite a rhetoric avowing the benefits of these higher order skills, it has been suggested that academics set assessment tasks up in such a way as to inadvertently lead students on the path towards lower order outcomes. This is a controversial claim, and one that this papers seeks to explore and critique in terms of challenging the conceptual basis of assessing higher order skills through new technologies. It is argued that the use of digital media in higher education is leading to a focus on students’ ability to use and manipulate of these products as an index of their flexibility and adaptability to the demands of the knowledge economy. This focus mirrors market flexibility and encourages programmes and courses of study to be rhetorically packaged as such. Curricular content has become a means to procure more or less elaborate aggregates of attributes. Higher education is now charged with producing graduates who are entrepreneurial and creative in order to drive forward economic sustainability. It is argued that critical independent learning can take place through the democratisation afforded by cultural and knowledge digitization and that assessment needs to acknowledge the changing relations between audience and author, expert and amateur, creator and consumer.
Basic Method for Handling Trivariate Normal Distributions in Case Definition for Design and Human Simulation
Authors: Högberga Dan , Brolinab Erik , Hansonbc Lars
Published: February 2022

The paper describes a basic approach for the establishment of representative test persons when performing accommodation analyses and wanting to simultaneously consider normal variation in three variables. The main application is for defining a number of different manikins when performing ergonomics simulations for boundary case based accommodation analyses using digital human modelling tools. The method is also applicable when wanting to select representative people to be involved in user trials or to get direct design data. One objective is that the proposed method shall support inclusive design in that it is easy to adopt by non-experts in multivariate accommodation analyses, and accordingly reduce the amount of unsuitable univariate accommodation analyses. The paper introduces the reader to the area of interest, making links to previous research and current problems. The approach for the development of the basic method is explained. The confidence ellipse method is used for defining appropriate boundary manikins according to three selected key variables and desired accommodation level. The paper includes two examples that illustrate the method and compare the method to an alternative method.
Designing an Arm Support Model to Minimize UECTD Risk Among Filipino Electronic Technicians Using QFD, KANO Model, TRIZ and Anthropometry
Authors: P. Indardaya Abdulah , C. Matias Aura
Published: February 2022

Electronics technicians are prone to develop Upper Extremity Cumulative Trauma Disorder (UECTD) owing to the awkward posture, repetitive motion and static loading associated with the routine tasks of multi-testing, soldering and desoldering. In the Philippines, validation using Rapid Upper-Limb Assessment (RULA) yielded a score of 5.774 requiring intervention as a result of an Action Level 3 classification. A two-phase study approach, Quality Functional Deployment (QFD), KANO model, Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and Anthropometry results were used as inputs in the design stage. QFD revealed 168 relationships between engineering and customer requirements, and 48 correlations with technical requirements. Six “attractive”, five “one-dimensional” and three “indifferent” engineering attributes were generated from the Kano Model analysis. Meanwhile, the determined contradictions during the designing stage were resolved using TRIZ. The resulting engineering attributes based on QFD, KANO and TRIZ were matched with the 5th to 95th percentile upper extremity anthropometric dimensions to determine the best fit and the ensuing optimal attributes were used to construct the design model. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of combining TRIZ, QFD principles, KANO Model Analysis, and Anthropometry in achieving the target ergonomic and functional design objectives tailored after user requirements to mitigate a real-world occupational hazard.
Yet Another Platform? Motivational Factors for Using Online Communities in Business Contexts
Authors: Löcker Ann-Kathrin , Eraßme Denise , Jakobs Eva-Maria , Kathrin Schaar Anne , Calero Valdez André , Ziefle Martina
Published: February 2022

As a consequence of ongoing globalization processes and demographic change, many small and medium-sized companies face the problem of knowledge loss. To counteract this, companies are adopting Web 2.0 applications to accumulate and store the knowledge of their employees. However, little is known about the circumstances under which employees are willing to invest time in social media as a part of their work routine. Thus, this paper introduces an exploratory case study focusing the motivational factors that influence the use of an online expert community in business context. The results of the performed focus groups and interviews show that particularly intrinsic motivational factors are considered to be relevant. The attitude towards extrinsic motivational factors and related tangible motivational factors is highly controversial, whereas intangible motivational factors such as social and organizational motivational factors seem to have a positive impact on the motivation to use an intra-organizational online communities (OC). Supplementary motivational factors mentioned by the interviewees refer to the platform itself. Overall, the results indicate that the implementation of Web 2.0 applications in business contexts requires a tailored incentive system that suits to the company-specific requirements and takes into account the employees’ needs.
Demographic Factors Affecting Perceived Fatigue Levels among CNC Lathe Operators
Authors: Luis Hernandez Arellanoa Juan , Nieves Serratos Perezb J
Published: February 2022

Fatigue in industrial workers is a multifactorial phenomenon. There are demographic factors that may have a significant influence on the perception of fatigue, but they remain almost unexplored to date.. The present study addresses this issue. A survey to assess fatigue was conducted among CNC lathe operators in three industrial concerns where automotive parts are manufactured. Homokinetic joints in site 1 (121 workers); camshafts in site 2 (121 workers); pistons in site 3 (21 workers). The subjects completed a survey instrument that included two questionnaires to assess fatigue: SOFI−S and OFER−S. There was also a section asking for demographic information. The MANOVA procedure was used to explore the influence of the demographic factors on fatigue. Factors affecting the fatigue dimensions (SOFI−S) were gender, body weight, stature, total length of sleep during a day, and age. Factors affecting the fatigue states (OFER-S) were weight of load being handled, gender, total length of sleep during a day, length of stay in the firm. Non-influential factors were educational status and whether the worker has a second paid job.
Effects of Display Technique, Image Content, and Environment on User Performance of Auto-stereoscopic Mobile Phones
Authors: Lin Po-Hung , Jhang Hao-Sian
Published: February 2022

With the evolution of the technology, mobile devices have gradually become an indispensable part of life. Meanwhile, the display technology is converted from 2D display to 3D display. In this study, we investigated the effects of display technique, image content, and dynamic & static environments on user performance of a auto-stereoscopic mobile phone. Eighteen subjects were recruited in this study. A three way full factorial design was used to investigate the effect of display technique (2D and 3D), environment (a controlled laboratory, and a carriage of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), and a car), and image content (picture, video and game) on usability and the change of critical fusion frequency (CFF). The ANOVA results indicated that display technique was significant on usability and the change of CFF, where viewing the 3D display induces more fatigue than viewing the 2D display. The results also showed that environment was significant on usability and the change of CFF, while the performance in a laboratory is better than that in a carriage of MRT and a car. Finally, the results indicated that image content was significant on the change of CFF, while highest visual fatigue was found in game playing.
Changes in Electroencephalography Signals During Massage
Authors: Yuminaga* Hisanori , Yamada** Katsuma , Ogiri*** Masaru
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to analyze the effect of massage on mental mechanisms by using electroencephalography (EEG) before, during, and after massage. The patient was placed in a supine position and received a massage from both an expert physical therapist, with 20 years experiences, and a person with no experience in therapeutic massage. EEG was recorded before, during, and after the massage. The portion of the body given the massage was only the left-side plantar arch, and the massage method was finger pressure applied by the thumb. The massage given by the expert evident alpha waves after massage. In contrast, the massage given by the inexperienced person did not induce any alpha changes. In this study, a massage from an inexperienced person did not change alpha activity before, during, or after the massage. Accordingly, the appearance of an alpha wave after massage is thought to correspond to the level of arousal of the patient gradually decreasing after massage—an indication that the patient had had a comfortable experience. In this study, it is suggested that a massage given by an expert physical therapist promotes emotional stability.
A 5-Category Classification System for the Design and Planning of Healthcare Facilities
Authors: M. Waaijer Elly , J.J. Knibbe Hanneke
Published: February 2022

In order to implement programs to prevent back pain in caregivers, assessment of the degree of passivity and mobility of patients is imperative. After all, the load in health care ergonomics is often the patient. The degree of cooperation or resistance determines the load on the back for the caregivers and the necessity of the use of lifting devices like patient lifters or sliding sheets. It also has its impact on the choice of equipment to carry out daily hygienic care. These assessments must be done in both a practical and a reliable way. One of the major problems encountered in health care during the process of implementing ergonomic changes is the lack of space. There is often not enough space to work with larger equipment like patient lifters and shower chairs or other medical devices necessary in a preventive program. This leads to undesirable extra physical load for caregivers. The Mobility Gallery, a validated 5-category classification system, is now used to define in a structured manner the existing and future population of a healthcare facility and supports the planning and space design. Based on the assessment of mobility levels, the equipment needed can be defined. All transfers and care activities are shown in a bird’s eye view image and are translated into functional areas. This tools will encourage architects to build in the future in such a way that one of the corner stones of a safe patient handling program, sufficient space, is guaranteed.
The Ergomedical Design: Integrating a Medical Approach into the Innovative Design Process
Authors: Rosa Virginie , Handgraaf Franck , Sayeuxc Jean , Pereyred Brice , Cordiere Frédéric
Published: February 2022

Ergonomics, usability and user-centered design are terms that are well known among designers. Yet, products often seem to fail to meet the users' needs, resulting in a gap between expected and experienced usability. Prospective users of a new design in the area of everyday products offer innumerable opportunities for measurement and observation, in view of both the diversity in user populations and the freedom of where and how to use a product. In this research we wanted to show the impact of integrating a medical approach with an ergonomic approach to create a new sphere of innovation. This is what we called the Ergomedical design. This design process allows innovating protection concepts, but also in the wellness or human performance. All the examples are in the field of physical activity. We illustrate the integration of medical experts and their approach to innovation and design product with an innovative concept of earplug. Generally, it's explained that earplug protects of environment (pollution), water and maybe the cold (or wind). But the problem for users is not pollution, water or cold but the otitis and the exostisis. So with our medical team, we decide to change our approach and develop an earplug, which protects patients about otitis and exostisis. With this new design approach, a new concept of earplug was born. During the conception, the medical team has validated or not the different designs with medical arguments. The first test has been centered about the health used of the product on extreme condition. We have tested this product during many days and every tester has kept the earplug in his ear during 6 to 8 hours by days. Our medical manager has tested a non-irritability of this product. To finish we have tested this earplug during one year in order to prove the concept efficiency to prevent the otitis and the exostisis. Ergonomic tests have proved the comfort, the fit design and the good adaptability for the sport practice. The Ergomedical concept completes the ergonomic and user's centered approaches to design new product.
Analysis of a Transfer Device for Horizontal Transfers and Repositioning on an ICU: Effects on the Quality of Care and the Quality of Work
Authors: JJ Knibbea Hanneke , Onrustb Marisa , Dieperinkb And Jan Zijlstrab Wim
Published: February 2022

A new patient lifting device has been developed in close cooperation with the University Medical Center Groningen. This specially designed, transfer sheet (TS) for horizontal transfers and repositioning can stay under the patient at all times and is easily connected to a ceiling- or mobile lifter to facilitate quick and comfortable transfer- and repositioning activities which can be relevant in the complex environment of an ICU. Assumptions are that the device significantly improves the quality of care for patients and the quality of work for nurses. In addition to this, pilot studies indicate that the nursing time required for the transfers is significantly reduced. This, in turn, results in a decrease of occupational hazards and an increased efficiency and productivity of nursing work. Further research is necessary and this study intends to fill this need. In this paper the outline of the study is described (prospective, single center case study with a pre-post design in a clinical setting) and the first results. The post-intervention data are currently being collected and will be presented. The results of the biomechanical part of the study are available and indicate that the TS does result in a significant decrease in physical exposure for nurses by 1. reducing the physical load associated with specified transfers and 2. by eliminating the need for some specified transfers altogether. The effects are more positive when the TS is used in combination with a traverse ceiling-lifter system as opposed to either a single track ceiling-lifter system or a floor lifter.
The Current State of Obesity in Healthcare: A Perfect Storm
Authors: M. James Tamara
Published: February 2022

Obesity is a growing public health problem in the United States. Obese individuals are at greater risk for early death as well as chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and musculoskeletal disorders. The economic costs related to obesity are substantial and are impacting society as a whole. More specifically they are having an impact on healthcare workers since obese individuals use healthcare services at a greater rate than normal weight individuals. The risk of injury to healthcare workers is also growing as this patient population increases. To date, much of the focus on injury risk to healthcare workers from obese patients has been in the area of patient handling at the bedside. However, there are other disciplines with increasing injury risks due to the growing needs of obese patients in surgery, OB/GYN, ultrasound, radiology, and even morgue/autopsy. It is difficult to control patient weights but more emphasis could be placed on maintaining healthy weights of healthcare workers. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between workers BMI and injury rates. Thus the risks of working with obese patients coupled with growing obesity among healthcare workers is creating a “perfect storm” that can negatively impact the delivery of quality healthcare.
Patient Safety, Human Factors & Ergonomics, and Design: The Environment as a Larger-Scale Strategy to Reduce Falls
Authors: Taylor Ellen , Hignett Sue
Published: February 2022

Falls are a key consideration for patient safety and play a prominent role under US legislation for affordable care. The built environment can either enhance safe practices and policy or act as an impediment for safe patient care. Falls are associated increased length of stay in hospitals and higher healthcare costs due to additional care, discharges to institutional care and litigation claims. With an increased focus on reimbursement related to patient safety as part of healthcare reform in the USA, organizations are becoming more aware of their own shortcomings and grappling with solutions to improve performance – typically people and processes. Yet the influence of the built environment, the space in which care is provided, can act as a barrier or enhancement to achieving the desired results – physically, cognitively, and organizationally. This paper presents the results from a mixed methods literature review on healthcare facility environmental design and falls. It is part of on-going research for the development of a Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) tool to promote discussion for proactive decision-making during the design of healthcare facility projects.
About the Nature of Kansei Information
Authors: Boucharda Carole , Kimb Jieun
Published: February 2022

Kansei studies refer to the more and more holistic consideration of the cognitive and affective processes which occur during user experience. In addition, few studies deal with the experience of the designers during the design process, and its influence on the final design outputs. Historically kansei engineering has been firstly focused on the semantic differential approach. Afterwards emotions were integrated into kansei approaches. The semantic differential approach enabled to evaluate products and then to generate automatically design solutions with semantic input data. Thereafter, evaluations have been completed by physiological measurements in order to reduce the subjectivity involved in those evaluations and also to capture some unconscious reactions. This implementation is still in process. Today kansei studies have been much enriched from the three disciplines of design science, psychology and artificial intelligence. The cross influence between these disciplines brought new dimensions into kansei approaches (multisensory design information, personality, values, and culture, new formalisms and algorithms) which lead progressively towards the consideration of a whole enriched kansei experience. We propose in this paper a description of the nature of kansei information. Then we present some major orientations for kansei evaluation. Finally we propose an overall table gathering information about kansei dimensions and formats.
Extracting Cultural Factors from Helicopter Accident Reports Using Content Analysis
Authors: Omole Helen , Walker Guy , Netto Gina
Published: February 2022

Accident reports from the United Kingdom and Nigerian civilian helicopter industry were compared in order to explore the wider socio-cultural factors and their impact on human error.  These two countries share many common features of helicopter operations, including a prominent offshore oil industry, but they differ in terms of the cultural context these operations take place within. Content analysis was carried out in order to explore the cultural variables influencing human error leading to accidents. Results show Nigeria accident reports revealed more of the high cultural contextual differences themes (cultural traits associated with Third World or traditional countries) with patches of low cultural differences (cultural traits associated with Western countries), while the United Kingdom accident reports revealed more of the low cultural contextual differences themes, but surprisingly higher patches of the high cultural differences. Analysis of these results enhances the understanding of the relationship between culture, human actions and various system parts contributing to unsafe acts leading to helicopter accidents. Cultural factors are prominent in the sampled accident reports, yet culture is currently not well represented in accident analysis methods.  This is a significant omission.  This paper demonstrates that culture plays a significant role in helicopter accidents, and that these factors can be extracted for real life scenarios.
Assessing the Fitness of Information Supply and Demand during User Interface Design
Authors: Denker Christian , Fortmann Florian , Christin Ostendorp Marie , Hahn Axel
Published: February 2022

User interface design of nowadays safety-critical human-machine systems has a significant impact on human operator situation awareness (SA). SA is composed of three levels including the perception (level 1), comprehension (level 2) and projection (level 3) of information. A significant part of accidents can be attributed to level 1 error. This means that human operators have problems to satisfy their information demand with supplied information during task performance. While thoroughly checking user interface designs for information gaps is a standard in professional system design it is a time consuming and error prone process. In this paper we introduce an information gap model, which allows investigation of inconsistencies between information supply and demand. We present a method to detect information gaps and assess the fitness between information supply and demand. The method can be executed semi-automatically. We show the method’s implementation into an integrated system modelling environment and demonstrate the application with an autopilot component in a course change task on a ship bridge. We performed an expert evaluation with maritime system engineers and a human factors ergonomist to estimate the applicability, benefits and shortcomings of the method. Overall, the evaluation results are promising and warrant further research of the method.
Real or Imagined? A Study Exploring the Existence of Common Method Variance Effects in Road Safety Research
Authors: Barraclough Peter , af Wåhlberg* Anders , Freeman James , Davey Jeremy , Watson Barry
Published: February 2022

Common method variance (CMV) has received little attention within the field of road safety research despite a heavy reliance on self-report data. Two surveys were completed by 214 motorists over a two-month period, allowing associations between social desirability and key road safety variables and relationships between scales across the two survey waves to be examined. Social desirability was found to have a strong negative correlation with the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) sub-scales as well as age, but not with crashes and offences. Drivers who scored higher on the social desirability scale were also less likely to report aberrant driving behaviours as measured by the DBQ. Controlling for social desirability did not substantially alter the predictive relationship between the DBQ and the crash and offences variables. The strength of the correlations within and between the two waves were also compared with the results strongly suggesting that effects associated with CMV were present. Identification of CMV would be enhanced by the replication of this study with a larger sample size and comparing self-report data with official sources.
Seat Design Parameters for an Elevated Driving Posture
Authors: Smith Jordan , Mansfield Neil , Gyi Diane
Published: February 2022

Studies have shown that whilst emissions from passenger vehicles have fallen in the last 20-years, emissions from light commercial vehicles (LCVs) have risen. An elevated driving seat will result in a driving posture higher than in conventional vehicles and will benefit vehicle deign in terms of a reduction in vehicles’ mass potentially resulting in reduced emissions. This paper reports on a study with the objective of identifying the static seat design parameters for such an elevated seat. A sample of 20 commercial drivers (10 males, 10 females) aged 19-65, were recruited for the study. A driving rig was designed and built to offer nine key seat sub-component adjustments, deemed highly important to selecting a comfortable driving set up. Each sub-component was adjusted in an iterative process to define an optimum position for each driver and was then recorded along with participant verbatim. Results indicated that leg length is a good predictor of the seat height and the distance from the pedals (PH Gap) and that sitting height is a good predictor for the positioning of the backrest. The preferred length of the seat base was much shorter and the width much wider, respectively, than that observed in current LCVs.