Ergonomics最新文献

Our study was carried out in winegrowing in France and relates to the prevention of pesticide exposure situations. During treatments, the sprayer is a technical determinant directly responsible for these situations because of its design. The objective of our study is to gain a better understanding of pesticide exposure situations during the use of sprayers, by identifying the design of these machinery and the regulations that apply to it as a chain of determinants. Focusing on activity-centred ergonomics, this qualitative study formulates ergonomic (video recorded observations and interviews) and legal (content regulation) analyses at each level of this chain (treatments activities, sprayer design activities, regulation, and regulation development activities). The results highlight the role of design and regulation in the emergence of pesticide exposure situations, due to a little consideration of the real work of winegrowers. This means that design and regulation are relevant change levers for sustainable preventive action.

Even though aviation takes place in three spatial dimensions, pilots today still mostly acquire weather information through static 2D weather maps, just as 50 years ago. In this article, we study whether interactive 3D weather visualisations increase weather-related situation awareness (SA) of pilots compared to conventional 2D weather maps. The results of a user study with commercial pilots (n = 24) are presented, in which the influence of perspective and vertical profile on SA, usability and recall were investigated. Our findings reveal that a 2D planar map view results in the highest SA compared to 3D weather visualisations, and, contrary to pilot preferences, an additional vertical profile does not further improve SA. The addition of a vertical profile supports weather feature recall, and reduces head-down times.

Roads are social spaces where human road users engage in communication, cooperation, and competition. With the introduction of automated vehicles (AVs) into this space, it becomes crucial to understand human-AV social interactions. This narrative review examines current research in this emerging field, synthesising insights from empirical studies that compare human-human interactions (regular traffic) with human-AV interactions (mixed traffic). We reviewed empirical studies using survey experiments, simulator experiments, test-track experiments, on-road observations, and AV accident analysis. They present mixed evidence on the influences of human-AV interactions in mixed traffic, with an overall negative trend. Negative influences are bi-directional: humans may interact with AVs less cautiously, such as driving more aggressively or exploiting AVs, while AVs can induce negative changes in driver behaviours, including exerting negative peer influences and creating challenges for drivers. We develop a typology of problematic social interactions and highlight outstanding research opportunities.

The shortfall of seafarers is a constant challenge in the shipping industry. With the development of the world economy and changes in employees' psychological indicators, seafarers' spiritual needs play an increasingly important role in their work intentions. This study proposed that seafarers' work values should be a useful explanation for the shortfall of seafarers. This study investigated the work values of seafarers (N = 368) and college students majoring in navigation technology and marine engineering (N = 322), as well as their relationships with participants' work intentions. The results showed that conservation and self-transcendence had positive influences on (quasi)seafarers' willingness to work onboard. The results also showed that participants' conservation and self-transcendence values decreased generation by generation. Accordingly, researchers and managers should pay enough attention to seafarers' work values. Maritime schools and shipping companies may incorporate work values into the processes of seafarers' recruitment, training and education, and performance management.

This article revisits the Equivalent Contact Temperature (ECT) model by incorporating winter scenarios with seat heating, which were unaddressed in previous studies. The research focuses on enhancing the model's accuracy in evaluating thermal comfort for seated individuals under non-uniform conditions, particularly for the buttocks and back. These contact areas are crucial for both local and overall comfort, especially with Personalised Environmental Control Systems (PECS), like seat heating and ventilation, which operate close to the body. PECS are more energy efficient than traditional HVAC systems, offering customisation to individual comfort preferences while enhancing individual thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings and vehicles. A participant study at air temperatures of 17 °C and 18 °C validated the ECT approach, confirming the effectiveness of seat heating and revealing key correlations between ECT values and thermal comfort ratings. Additionally, an equivalent skin temperature and a comfort evaluation scheme for winter conditions were introduced.

Supine postures are increasingly adopted in medical transport, long-duration flights, and other healthcare environments. This study is aimed to identify the effect of vibration direction and magnitude on the objective and subjective responses of the human body in a supine posture. The transmissibilities to the head, chest, abdomen, and thighs of 12 male subjects were measured with single-axis random vibrations in longitudinal (z axis), lateral (y axis), and vertical (x axis) direction at 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 ms^-2 r.m.s. Subjective discomfort was determined using the absolute magnitude estimation method. It was found factors of 1.0, 1.5 and 1.0 multiplying with the weighted r.m.s. of input accelerations in x, y, and z axes, respectively, can predict the discomfort. Alternatively, the unweighted acceleration measured at the body, such as at the chest, which was found to highly correlate with vibration discomfort, can be used to predict vibration discomfort of supine subjects.

Sitting time (ST) in the occupational domain has been linked to reduced wellbeing and quality-of-life. However, studies investigating the impact of reducing ST in these outcomes are scarce. An ancillary analysis using data from a RCT containing a 6-month sit-stand desk-based intervention, evaluated workers' changes in ST (objectively measured), and subjective wellbeing and quality-of-life. Two groups were created based on changes in ST. Independent and paired-sample T-tests were used to evaluate the differences between and within groups, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to evaluate the effects of ST reduction in the outcomes. Our analyses indicated that 13 participants out of 38 reduced ST (-72min/day [±40.0; p < 0.001], while 25 participants slightly reduced or increased ST (+36.7 min/day [±40.3; p < 0.001]). Both groups had an improvement in quality-of-life scores, but only those who reduced ST improved subjective wellbeing (p = 0.028). Despite these results, no time*group interaction was found.

Disassembly, as a part of the electronic waste (e-waste) management process, is a labour-intensive task. The emergence of collaborative robots (cobots) provides a robotic solution to reduce the human efforts during disassembly. This study evaluated muscle activation patterns during cobot-assisted e-waste disassembly using surface electromyography (EMG). Twenty-two participants were recruited to perform disassembly tasks with and without cobot assistance. EMG signals from biceps brachii (BB), brachioradialis (BR), upper trapezius (UT), and erector spinae (ES) were collected simultaneously. Six features were then calculated to determine muscle activation patterns. Additionally, EMG-EMG coherence analysis was conducted for BR and ES muscles. Results showed a significant reduction in muscle activity with cobot assistance, particularly in the left ES muscle (46.4% decrease). Moreover, coherence between BR and ES muscles significantly increased. These findings indicate the proposed collaboration strategy not only reduces the muscle activity but also sheds light on enhancing muscle coordination during e-waste disassembly.

Grounded on the Affective Event Theory and the Quality of Telework Model, this cross-sectional study examined the impact of perceived advantage of remote workstation on remote work performance and if this relationship is mediated through remote work intensity and moderated by worktime autonomy. The perceived advantage of remote workstation was operationalised as the arithmetical difference between perceived home office and in-site office workstation quality. A sample of 349 Italian researchers involved in hybrid work arrangements completed an online questionnaire. Results show that employees who preferred their home office than in-office workplace tended to perform better remotely; the mediating effect of remote work intensity was not observed; finally, worktime autonomy positively moderated the relationship between perceived advantage of remote workstation and remote work intensity. This study offers theoretical and practical insights for designing effective hybrid workplaces, emphasising the importance of workstation quality and worktime autonomy in determining remote work performance.

Feedback plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of a personal computer aviation training device (PCATD) which makes it a key application of optimising resource use and improving training outcomes. This paper makes a new attempt to explore the training feedback as a novel approach for the performance effect in PCATDs. A prototype was designed and evaluated in a lab-based experimental study with 29 student pilots, during which we compared the impact on design of feedback time, granularity, type and content on flight training outcomes. The results indicate that feedback interventions significantly enhance performance. Specifically, shorter feedback intervals and finer feedback granularity were found to improve training outcomes by reducing cognitive overload caused by excessive information. Furthermore, adaptive feedback had potential applications in PCATDs. These findings contribute valuable insights to the design of advanced instructional strategies for PCATDs, paving the way for more effective and efficient pilot training methodologies.