Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries最新文献

Seat dimensions that influence human comfort are not independent. To improve the combined effect of the multiple-seat-dimension design, the correlations of key seat dimensions were analyzed. First, a structural-equation model was used to explore and test the relationships and influence path between the seat dimensions. Then, multiple regression analysis was used to explore the quantitative relationships between the seat dimensions. The results showed that the seat pan inclination, backrest inclination, and seat height are interrelated to form the seat support angle, which determines the human torso–thigh–calf angles in a sitting position and affects the dimension requirements of the lumbar and neck support. The study further proposes a quantitative model relating the key seat dimensions. Research has shown that comfortable seat dimension design cannot rely solely on the design of a single independent seat dimension but requires a unified design of multiple-seat dimensions. This study provides the quantitative relationships between comfortable seat dimensions for key seat-dimension-correlated design, which will help predict the comfortable dimension and improve dimension design comfort.

This study investigated the effects of task type and task duration on visual fatigue on smartphones at different ages. A total of 24 young adults (21–29 years old) and 24 older adults (63–77 years old) participated in an experiment with two different tasks (reading and searching) on smartphones, where each task lasted 1 h. The change in critical fusion frequency (CFF) and the subjective visual fatigue score were used as physiological and subjective indices, respectively, to measure visual fatigue. The results showed that the participants experienced more severe visual fatigue in the reading task than in the searching task on smartphones. Both changes in CFF and increases in subject visual fatigue occurred earlier in the reading task than in the searching task. The participants' visual fatigue increased as the task duration increased, and physiological visual fatigue occurred significantly earlier than did subjective visual fatigue. Compared with younger adults, older adults experienced more subjective visual fatigue when the task complexity was higher and more physiological visual fatigue as task duration increased. Different arrangements of breaks should be considered according to different task types on smartphones to alleviate visual fatigue, and a short break interval every 15 min during the reading task and every 30 min during the searching task is recommended. Older adults not only need to avoid prolonged visual tasks on smartphones more but also should refrain from persisting in continuous visual work. They are in greater need of suspending visual tasks promptly as soon as they initially feel visual fatigue. In addition, designers and developers need to reduce the cognitive load brought by task complexity on smartphones to alleviate the perception of visual fatigue among older adults.

Resilience in socio-technical systems has a myriad of manifestations and outcomes that are often not made explicit in the literature. This drawback might be a source of misunderstandings and hinder the design of work systems supportive of desirable resilient performance. Two crucially distinctive manifestations refer to individual and organizational resilience. This study presents a model of how these two types relate to each other and how they relate to antecedents and consequences of resilience. To this end, we carried out a case study of freight road transport, emphasizing the truck drivers' perspectives. Data collection included 14 interviews with drivers and managers of logistics operations, in addition to non-participant observations of drivers' workplaces. Based on a thematic analysis, the model was developed consisting of seven themes: work constraints, investments, individual resilience practices, organizational resilience practices, operational efficiency, human costs, and overall costs. The first two themes are antecedents and the last three are consequences of resilience. The main relationships between the themes are presented as seven propositions for theory-testing. The model suggests three main approaches for a balanced distribution between individual and organizational resilience. These approaches consist of: tackling work constraints, especially production pressures; investing in organizational practices adopting a long-term view; and promoting individual practices that proactively support health and safety. The truck drivers' study offers examples of the applicability of these approaches.

This study investigated the combined effect of correlated color temperature and wall color on subjective sleepiness and cognitive performance in a simulated workplace. Six combined conditions were designed by partitioning a room into three booths with the same dimensions in three colors of blue, red, and white and two cool and warm light: color temperatures of 6000 and 3000°K (Red × 3000, Red × 6000, Blue × 3000, Blue × 6000, White × 3000, and White × 6000) during the day. Thirty-three healthy males aged 21–35 were recruited. They were asked to conduct cognitive tests in three workload levels and finally estimate the subjective sleepiness level. The findings indicated that cool light had a more significant effect on reducing sleepiness when compared to warm light, particularly in white and blue colors. However, this effect was not observed in the case of red color. The rate of sleepiness was higher in the cool light and red color compared to warm light. The blue color slightly decreased sleepiness compared to the white and red colors. The mean correct responses of the cognitive tests in cool light and white color were more than in other conditions. Moreover, the effect of blue and red were higher in the correct response percentages, compared to white in warm and cool light. There were no significant differences in reaction time between two different lights in all colors. However, reaction time was better in blue than in two other colors. To conclude, designing a work environment with a combination of cool light and blue-colored walls may improve employee alertness and performance.

Heat waves in Southeast Asia are expected to intensify in the upcoming decades thereby raising the vulnerability of at-risk workers to heat-related illnesses (HRIs). Identifying and strengthening workers' self-protection knowledge is crucial to effective heat adaptation and management. The study aimed to investigate outdoor workers' perceptions of heat-related risks, changes in protective behavior during hotter seasons, knowledge and awareness of regional heat action plans (HAPs), and protection measures. It aimed to find effective means of communication and strategies for improving heat protection among these workers. We used a validated and structured mixed-method survey questionnaire and one-on-one interviews to assess 140 outdoor workers' heat-related risk perceptions, protective behavior changes during hot seasons, and knowledge of regional HAPs protective measures in April–July 2022. The estimated worker's seasonal average WBGT exposure using meteorological data was 34.4°C ± 0.02°C, which exceeded acceptable limits. Heat was a big concern for outdoor workers, the study revealed. Workers believed that knowing about heat hazards could help reduce individual risks. Many workers were aware of the heat's health risks but felt the nature of their jobs prevented them from taking precautions. Some workers assumed that business owners' concerns about productivity and cooling costs would prevent government measures to safeguard at-risk employees from succeeding. Workers responded more positively to business owners' HAP communications. Workers are more likely to use practical, simple sector-based warning HAPs. We urgently need management policy reforms to protect millions of workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the implementation of cost-effective, practical, and sustainable heat protection infrastructure and behavioral change solutions through trusted channels is crucial.

This study evaluates the relationships between individual and team-level factors in influencing burnout among clinical healthcare providers. Focusing on psychological safety, perceived autonomy, perceived team effectiveness, and emotional intelligence, the research aims to understand how these elements contribute to the prevalence and severity of burnout symptoms. Using electronic questionnaires analyzed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study sampled 180 healthcare providers from one large US medical center. The study results found that psychological safety significantly decreases levels of burnout, particularly emotional exhaustion. The results on team effectiveness suggest a complex relationship with burnout, with different dimensions having varied impacts. The study did not find support for the negative prediction of burnout by perceived autonomy and emotional intelligence, contrary to expectations based on prior research. These findings have practical implications for healthcare management, stressing the importance of psychological safety and effective team dynamics in reducing burnout. Overall, this study contributes significantly to understanding burnout in healthcare, emphasizing the critical role of team structures and individual emotional resilience in managing workplace well-being.