[ 1 7 0]
Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
8 / 5 [1997] 1 7 0
© MCB Unive rs ity Pre s s [ISSN 0956-6163]
Field training for ergonomic students in Bali,
Indonesia
Adnyana M anuaba
Unive rs ity o f Udayana, De npas ar, Bali, Indo ne s ia
Describes a practical, step-by-step training for students in ergonomics in Bali, Indone-sia. Emphasizes participatory learning, fi eld training, and skills in leadership and com-munication.
St e p s t o exp ose t h e st u d en t s a s s oon a s p oss i-ble t o t h e r ea l set t in g of t h e wor k p la ces a r e ca r r ied ou t fr om t h eir fi r s t en r olm en t in t h e p r ogr a m m e. T h e p r ogr a m m e b e gin s w it h t h e giv in g of in for m a t ion a b ou t t h e econ om ic d evelop m en t p ot en t ia l of Ba li, a n d h ow t h is is b ein g u s ed t o en h a n ce t h e q u a lit y of life of t h e p eop le by a ct iv it ies in t ou r is m a n d sm a ll-sca le a n d cot t a ge in d u s t r y s in ce t h e F ir st F ive Yea r s Develop m en t P la n in 1969.
T h is in t r od u ct ion is t h en follow ed by lec-t u r es on er gon om ics p r in cip les a n d p r oblem s. Ma n y exa m p les of h ow er gon om ics is a ble t o solve t h e p r oblem s a n d lea d t o b et t er eco-n om ic coeco-n d it ioeco-n s, s a fet y a eco-n d h ea lt h a r e sh ow n t o t h e s t u d en t s. A bu ilt -in m ot iva t ion a p p r oa ch is h igh ligh t ed in t h is p r ocess. St u -d en t s lea r n , by su ch exa m p les, t h e n ee-d for a n a p p r op r ia t e a p p r oa ch for t h e d et ect ion of p r oblem s a n d t h e for m u la t ion of s olu t ion s, sk ills w h ich wou ld b e in va lu a ble t o t h e s t u -d en t s a ft er t h eir gr a -d u a t ion .
At d iffer en t st a ges of t h eir t r a in in g, t h e st u d en t s v is it en t er p r ises t o d et ect p r oblem s a n d for m u la t e s olu t ion s. A r e p or t is t h en p r es en t ed in fr on t of ot h er st u d en t s a n d t h e st a ff m em b er s t o b e d is cu s sed a n d eva lu a t ed .
Sh or t a ge of eq u ip m en t for fi eld s t u d ies is b ein g com p en sa t ed for by t h e u se of r elia ble ob ject ive a n d su b ject ive m et h od s, s u ch a s t h e sim u lt a n eou s u se of ca m er a a n d s t opw a t ch , su b ject ive r a t in g q u es t ion n a ir es, a n t h r op o-m et r ic a n d r eleva n t en v ir on o-m en t o-m ea s u r e-m en t s. Ver y oft en a p a r t icip a t or y a p p r oa ch is n eces s a r y t o s t u dy t h e p r oblem s h olis t ica lly, sin ce p r oblem s a r e n ow b ecom in g m or e com -p lex a n d n eed a m u lt i-d isci-p lin a r y a -p -p r oa ch in t h eir s olu t ion .
Com m u n ica t ion is a ls o ver y im p or t a n t a n d es s en t ia l t o a su ccessfu l er gon om is t . T h u s k n ow led ge, a t t it u d e a n d s k ill m u st b e
con d it ion ed a s m u ch a n d a s ea r ly a s p ossible. E ver y ava ila ble op p or t u n it y is b ein g u sed p r op or t ion a lly a n d a p p r op r ia t ely. For exa m -p le, in com m u n ica t in g a n d n e got ia t in g w it h a t a r get in d u st r y, t h e st u d en t s m u st d o it by t h em selves.
Lea d er s h ip q u a lit ies a r e a lso ver y im p or -t a n -t -t o -t h e s-t u d en -t s. Us u a lly, a s-t u d en -t h av in g b et t er con n ect ion s w it h on e t a r get in d u st r y is ch osen a s t h e lea d er for t h a t v is it . By so d oin g, wor k in g in a t ea m a n d lea d er sh ip sk ill w ill b e lea r n t by t h e st u d en t s a s w ell a s t h e s cien t ifi c a n d t ech n ology a s p ect s.
T h r ou gh ou t sever a l s t u dy v isit s, t h e t r a in in g p r ov id ed w ill b e ver y u sefu l for t h e st u -d en t s w h en en t er in g t h e r ea l wor l-d ou t si-d e. We a r e st ill h av in g som e p r oblem s t h a t a r e ver y d ifficu lt t o solve, s u ch a s p r ofi cien cy in E n glish , t h e la n gu a ge for in t er n a t ion a l com -m u n ica t ion , li-m it ed r esou r ces for v isit in g b ig in d u s t r ies loca t ed m ost ly in J ava a n d lim it ed u p -t o-d a t e lib r a r y r esou r ces, et c. H ow ever, p a r t ia l solu t ion s a r e im p lem en t ed su ch a s a s k in g t h e s t u d en t s t o t a k e E n glish a n d com -p u t er cou r s es, in v it in g for eign lect u r er s, d evelop in g join t r esea r ch w it h for eign in st i-t u i-t ion s a n d m a k in g s i-t u d en i-t s a ci-t ively p a r i-t ici-p a t e in in t er n a t ion a l a n d n a t ion a l er gon om ic con fer en ces or r ela t ed fi eld s ca r r ied ou t in Ba li, a n d sav in g som e m on ey for con d u ct in g s t u dy v isit s t o ot h er p a r t s of In d on esia or a b r oa d w h en ever t h er e is a n op p or t u n it y t o d o so.
Comment
T h is exa m p le is of in t er est b eca u se it d es cr ib es ver y p r a ct ica l, on -t h e-job t r a in in g of er gon om ic s t u d en t s, m a xim izin g t h e u se of t h e ver y lim it ed scien t ifi c eq u ip m en t ava il-a ble t o t h em .
