International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics最新文献

Objectives. Operative dentistry puts practitioners at risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) because it involves repetitive tasks and static postures. Although ergonomic principles can reduce these risks, little research has been done on the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of dental professionals with regard to ergonomics. Methods. Two hundred dentists with at least 2 years of clinical experience in India participated in a questionnaire-based survey. Demographic information, ergonomic KAP and self-evaluation using rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) were gathered in the survey. Regression analysis, analysis of variance and descriptive statistics were used to examine the data. Results. There was a high level of ergonomic awareness: 92.1% of respondents knew how to position chairs and 83.3% understood the significance of lighting. Ergonomics were valued by 83.8% of respondents and training was supported by 79.7%. However, inconsistent practices were observed, especially regarding wrist (p = 0.041) and neck (p = 0.032) posture. Lack of training and poor infrastructure were key barriers. Although ergonomic confidence increased with experience, correlations with knowledge and practice were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Ergonomic practice is still insufficient despite a wealth of knowledge and optimistic attitudes. To lower MSDs and increase practitioner longevity, structured ergonomic training and better workplace design are crucial.

Objectives. This study aimed to characterize skin surface variations during motion to improve the design of surface electromyography (sEMG) monitoring upper-body training garments. Methods. A combination of the surface tracing method and the body scanning method was employed to measure the skin surface variations on the upper body during 11 dynamic poses, including length changes in both horizontal and longitudinal directions, assessment of area changes within specific subdivisions, and the amplitude of skin strain on the main muscle regions. Results. The mean skin deformation of the participants was analyzed across the different postures. The longitudinal strain at the most protruding part of the elbow exceeds 30% during elbow joint motions, the transverse line at the sleeve cap exhibits a strain of more than 40% and the longitudinal lines under the armpit reach a strain of 80% during shoulder joint motions. Transverse dimensions on the lateral body are always under tension with a maximum strain approaching 20%, while longitudinal dimensions exhibit a strain of more than 50% during lumbar motions. Conclusions. The results indicate an integrated overall design for sEMG monitoring upper-body training garments, including the design of the suit's style, pattern, laminated fabric electrodes and wire layout.

Occupational health and safety risk assessment (OHSRA) is a crucial activity to identify and analyze the risk of occupational hazards for enhancing the well-being and safety of workers. This study aimed to propose a new OHSRA model by combining linguistic distribution preference relations (LDPRs) with the gained and lost dominance score (GLDS) method for evaluating and prioritizing the risk of occupational hazards. LDPRs are employed to capture experts' evaluations on the risk of occupational hazards. An improved method based on the removal effects of criteria (MEREC) is used for deriving the weights of risk criteria. The GLDS method is then modified to determine the risk priority of occupational hazards. Finally, a healthcare case is presented for demonstrating the proposed OHSRA model. The results show that the new model is practical for describing the complex linguistic risk assessments of experts and ranking the risk of occupational hazards in OHSRA.

Objectives. This study aimed to identify factors associated with the Neck Pain-specific Health Behavior in Office Workers (NHBOW) scores, a screening tool to assess health behaviors for preventing neck pain, among healthy office workers. Methods. A cross-sectional online survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among office workers by collecting data on demographics, psychosocial factors, exercise-related self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations and NHBOW score. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine the factors significantly associated with NHBOW scores. Results. A total of 507 workers completed the questionnaire (1150 invited; 44% response rate). The NHBOW scores were significantly associated with exercise goal-setting (a subscale of the self-regulation) and marital status. High exercise goal-setting scores were significantly associated with better health behaviors (odds ratio [OR] 0.495, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.372, 0.660], p < 0.001), whereas being divorced was significantly associated with poorer health behaviors (OR 3.586, 95% CI [1.262, 10.191], p = 0.017). Conclusion. The findings suggest that effective health measures should, at a minimum, focus on enhancing exercise goal-setting to prevent non-specific neck pain, while also incorporating support tailored to individuals with differing marital statuses.

To enhance the usability and operational comfort of the control interface in an intelligent coal mining comprehensive system, this study developed a multi-objective optimization model based on six dimensions: hierarchy, correlation, simplicity, comfort, reachability and visibility. The model was solved using a particle swarm optimization algorithm, and the optimized interface was validated through integration of Jack ergonomic simulation and the QN-MHP cognitive modeling approach. Experimental results showed that the optimized interface significantly improved operator performance: task completion time decreased by 16.2%, error rate was reduced by 75.0% and visual search time decreased by 13.2%. Cognitive load was also alleviated, with reduced utilization of the visual subsystem, central processing module and right-hand operation module, accompanied by increased processing speeds. In addition, the optimized layout improved upper-limb comfort and operational efficiency. The proposed method provides theoretical and methodological support for multi-objective optimization and multimodal validation of industrial human-machine interfaces.

Objectives. Understanding working posture among information technologies (IT) professionals can help in specifying postural risks that make this population vulnerable to work-related musculoskeletal pain. This study analysed the working posture and risk of neck disability among IT professionals, as well as identifying their correlations. Methods. After recording demographic data, working posture and neck pain were assessed using rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and the neck disability index (NDI). Subjects were also evaluated for cervical endurance and neck range of motion using pressure biofeedback and a universal goniometer. Results. In total, 71% of subjects reported mild discomfort, while 6.25% had a serious posture problem in RULA; 47.9% of IT professionals reported positive for neck pain with mild neck disability. Subjects with neck pain showed statistically significant neck disability and reduced left cervical rotation. Finally, the NDI showed a weak negative correlation with neck rotation, and RULA indicated a weak negative correlation with neck lateral flexion and rotation. Conclusion. IT professionals have improper posture at the workstation, with many subjects reporting positive findings for neck pain and mild neck disability. Also, the greater the neck disability and RULA scores, the lower the neck mobility for lateral flexion and rotation.

This study highlights the important role of self-control in improving safety performance in nuclear power plants. Drawing on the self-control depletion framework, the study investigates the antecedents and consequences of self-control failure in the context of occupational safety at the team level and examines the moderating effect of team descriptive safety norms. Data were collected from 346 operators across 81 teams. Results showed that team-level self-control demands reduced team safety compliance and participation through team-level self-control depletion, consequently increasing safety incidents. The impact of self-control depletion on team safety compliance and participation was moderated by the interaction of team safety descriptive norm levels and strength. The weakest negative effect occurred when both norm strength and norm levels were high, while the strongest negative effect occurred with high norm strength and low norm levels. To ensure workplace safety, self-management training should be implemented and social norms intervention programs developed.

Research on the relationship between technostress and individual performance has produced a wide of inconsistent empirical insights. This study distinguished between in-role and extra-role performance and interpreted these findings through a meta-analytic procedure based on 192 papers, 201 studies and 80,523 independent samples. The study found that overall technostress is detrimental to both an individual's in-role and extra-role performance, which is primarily transmitted through negative emotions, role stress and work-family conflict. Excluding these mechanisms, technostress is beneficial for in-role performance, but still detrimental to extra-role performance. Despite slight differences in effects, technostressors remain negative for individual in-role and extra-role performance. Individual resources and social support can mitigate the negative effects of technostress. In terms of social support, instrumental support mitigates the negative effects of technostress on in-role performance, while emotional support mitigates the effects of technostress on extra-role performance. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Objectives. The use of machinery in industrial tasks like load transportation exposes workers to ergonomic risk factors, particularly from non-neutral postures, increasing the chance of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study aimed to assess posture-related ergonomic risk among forklift and electric pallet truck operators. Methods. Conducted at a beverage bottling plant in Viña del Mar, Chile, the cross-sectional study involved 75 operators. Personal and occupational data were gathered through questionnaires, and the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) method was used to evaluate postural risk based on video analysis during machine operation. Results. Findings revealed that 49.3% of workers were at high ergonomic risk and 50.7% at very high risk, with pallet truck operation strongly associated with increased ergonomic risk (odds ratio [OR] 6.7; 95% confidence interval [2.5, 19.5]). The most significant risk factors were operating electric pallet trucks and being aged under 30 years. Pallet truck operation was strongly associated with increased ergonomic risk (crude OR 6.7), especially in workers with less experience. Conclusion. The study concludes that targeted ergonomic interventions, such as redesigning handle height or improving vibration isolation systems in electric pallet trucks, may be essential to protect younger and less experienced workers.

Objectives. High-temperature metal splash is one of the common factors leading to safety accidents in metallurgy and casting industries. There are few quantitative studies on the performance of thermal protective fabrics in a metal splash environment, as existing standards rely on qualitative damage criteria. Methods. A new method for evaluating the contact protective performance (CPP) of fabric was proposed. The second-degree skin burn time, calculated based on the skin temperature change curves, was adopted as a key metric for the quantitative analysis of the CPP. Furthermore, the effects of precisely controlled contact temperature and moisture content on the CPP were investigated. Results. Fabric thickness had a more significant impact on the CPP than fiber composition. Fabrics containing meta-aramid fibers exhibited superior protective performance compared to their flame-retardant cotton counterparts. The second-degree skin burn time at a contact temperature of 600 °C was 4.3-20.2 s. During the transition from a dry state to 100% wet for the test fabrics, an optimal value of the CPP might exist. The findings provide theoretical support for design of the protective clothing, which is crucial for enhancing the safety of personnel in the metallurgy and casting industries.