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Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
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© MCB Unive rsity Pre ss [ISSN 0956-6163]
Ergonomics
Kazutaka Kogi
Institute fo r Sc ie nc e o f Labo ur, Kawasaki, Japan
Tsuyoshi Kawakami
Institute fo r Sc ie nc e o f Labo ur, Kawasaki, Japan
Introduction
Aw a r en es s is in cr ea sin g in t h e Asia -P a cifi c r e gion t h a t er gon om ics is u s efu l for a ch iev -in g a sou n d a n d sa fe wor k en v ir on m en t . Occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h p er s on n el in t h e Gover n -m en t a n d va r iou s in d u st r ia l s ect or s a r e t h u s in t e gr a t in g er gon om ics in t o t h eir occu p a -t ion a l h ea l-t h p r ogr a m m es. In -t er n a -t ion a l coop er a t ion p r oject s for p r om ot in g occu p a t ion a l h ea lt h in t h e Asia P a cifi c r e gion com -m on ly p la ce a p a r t icu la r e-m p h a s is on t h e a p p lica t ion of er gon om ics.
Re p or t s on er gon om ics r es ea r ch a n d er gon om ic in t er ven t ion s in t h e As ia -P a cifi c r e gion cover a w id e r a n ge of t h e wor k in g con d it ion s is su es su ch a s a n t h r op om et r y, wor k loa d a n d wor k p ost u r es, wor k in g h ou r s, wor k st a t ion design s a n d wor k or ga n iza t ion [1]. T h es e r e p or t s con cer n va r iou s occu p a t ion s su ch a s a gr icu lt u r a l a n d in for m a l s ect or s, ser v ices a n d m a n u fa ct u r in g sect or s[2,3]. T h er e is a fa ir ly la r ge n u m b er of in t er es t in g a n d s u cces s fu l er gon om ic in t er ven t ion s t h a t led t o im p r oved wor k in g con d it ion s. T h ese in t er ven t ion s com m on ly focu sed on wor k -r ela t ed n eed s of loca l p eop le[4]. It is of p a -r t ic-u la r in t er est t h a t for a s sess in g er gon om ic n eed s of p r a ct ica l im p r ovem en t s, oft en w it h a ct ive p a r t icip a t ion of t h e loca l p eop le con -cer n ed , er gon om ist s in t h e As ia -P a cifi c
r e gion h ave d evelop ed u s efu l fi eld r esea r ch t ools for a ss essin g n eed s a n d id en t ify in g p r a ct ica l s olu t ion s (Ta ble I).
Workload evaluation for better
workplace layout and arrangements
It is a fa ct t h a t in t h e Asia -P a cifi c t h er e a r e m a n y wor k p la ces w h er e wor k er s h ave t o h a n d le h eav y m a t er ia ls m a n u a lly. T h is m a t e-r ia ls h a n d lin g woe-r k is oft en a ss ocia t ed w it h st r en u ou s wor k p ost u r es lea d in g t o a h igh a ccid en t p ot en t ia l. Kh a i et a l. d ocu m en t ed t h e ch a r a ct er is t ics of wor k loa d a n d h eav y m a t e-r ia ls h a n d lin g in a loca l su ga e-r -ca n e fa ct oe-r y loca t ed in t h e M ek on g Delt a a r ea in
Viet n a m [5]. In t h e s u ga r ca n e fa ct or y, wor k -er s h a n d led su ga r -ca n e bu n d les of ov-er 40 k ilogr a m s m a n u a lly on t h e m u d dy, slip p er y wor k fl oor. It w a s fu r t h er sh ow n t h a t on t h e b a sis of t h e r esea r ch r esu lt s, t h e ow n er s of t h e fa ct or y in colla b or a t ion w it h wor k er s cou ld in it ia t e im p r ovem en t a ct iv it ies, su ch a s im p r oved cem en t fl oor s, t r a n sp or t w ay s, or a r es t in g cor n er for wor k er s.
In T h a ila n d , t h e N a t ion a l In st it u t e for t h e Im p r ovem en t of Wor k in g Con d it ion s a n d E n v ir on m en t h a s d evelop ed a n in t er ven t ion m et h od for im p r ov in g h eav y m a t er ia ls
Table I
Fie ld re se arc h to o ls fo r e rgo no mic asse ssme nt
Research tool Purpose Examples of expected results
Action-checklist Rapid identific ation of required Partic ipatory ac tion for low-c ost
ergonomic ac tions improvements
Time-motion study Detailed ergonomic risk analysis Quantitative analysis of postures and
(direct observation) workload
Fatigue feeling Knowing the patterns and nature Prac tic al preventive measures against
monitoring of fatigue over-fatigue
Physiological Evaluating spec ific Supplementing the findings of direc t
indicators physiologic al responses observation
Questionnaires Analysis of c omplaints and Identifying priorities for ergonomic
subjec tive assessments interventions
Time-budget study Understanding the living c onditions Rec ommending redesigned work
of loc al people sc hedules
Group work Mobilizing everyone’ s ideas Identifying loc ally available solutions for improvements
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Kazutaka Ko gi and Tsuyo shi Kawakami Curre nt re se arc h – Ergo no mic s
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
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