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

The emergency department (ED) is at the forefront of the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) response. This study adopted a multilevel systems approach using the human factors/ergonomics (HFE) method of hierarchical task analysis (HTA) with document analyses of CBRN plans to represent work-as-Imagined. Work-as-imagined was compared with data from semistructured interviews using prompt cards for CBRN scenarios (n = 57) representing work-as-done. The aim was to provide methodological evidence for the use of HTA with an empirical synthesis of the ED in response to CBRN events. HTA was the preferred systems mapping tool because it aligns with a systems thinking approach, allows multiple-level comparisons, highlights variability, and has an established usability track record. This study demonstrates the usability of HTA in the context of the ED responding to a CBRN event. The findings for core CBRN concepts included (1) liaise and communicate, (2) isolate and contain, and (3) personal protective equipment.

In digital interactive interfaces with high visual workloads, it is important for operators to allocate their limited attentional resources appropriately to ensure efficient information collection. The salience, effort, expectancy, value (SEEV) model, which combines top-down and bottom-up attention mechanisms for predicting attention allocation, has been validated in research areas such as piloting, driving, and surgical operations. However, the validity of the SEEV model in the field of robotic arm teleoperation has not yet been thoroughly studied. The primary purpose of this study was to confirm the feasibility of the SEEV model for operator visual attention allocation prediction in a robotic arm teleoperation scenario. The improved ITTI algorithm, distance-measuring tool, Delphi method, and lowest ordinal algorithm were adopted to qualify the four factors of the SEEV model, which also contributed to salience and expectancy quantification methods. Accordingly, an attention allocation prediction model in a robotic arm teleoperation scene was constructed. To verify the validity of the prediction model, 20 participants were recruited to control the robotic arm using V-REP simulation software, and their fixation durations were recorded using an eye tracker as an attention allocation indicator. Participants controlled the robotic arm according to the experimental requirements and operational tasks, such as grasping and placing the target. The results demonstrated that the theoretical data based on the SEEV prediction model are significantly related to the proportion of fixation durations. The experiment verifies the suitability of the SEEV prediction model, and it is anticipated to be utilized in the optimization of interactive interfaces for robotic arm teleoperation.

With the rapid development of online car-hailing, the related crashes have become a key issue with public concern. Identifying and predicting aggressive driving behaviors is critical to reduce traffic crashes. In this study, we propose a method to recognize aggressive driving behavior based on association classification, with multisource features being employed, including driver emotion, vehicle kinematic characteristics, and road environment. The model performs best in a 10-fold cross-test when the minimum support and minimum confidence are set as 0.01 and 0.8, respectively. Besides, we also compare the performance of aggressive driving behavior recognition classifiers constructed using association classification with other rule-based classification methods, including ID3, C4.5, CART, and Random Forest. The results show that association classification performs better than other classification competitors. Thirty-six if–then rules generated by the association classification are used to analyze the influencing factors and associated mechanisms of aggressive driving behavior. It is found that aggressive driving behavior is highly correlated with driver anger and disgust emotions. Aggressive driving behavior is more likely to occur when no passengers are in the car than the case with passengers. Driver entertainment behavior and passenger interference also affect driving behavior. Moreover, drivers are prone to aggressive driving when making a U-turn. This research not only proposed a new identification method for aggressive driving behavior but also provided a comprehensive understanding of the associated influencing factors which thus benefit the further research and development of safety assistance driving devices.

Industrial collaborative robots have become increasingly important in recent years due to their ability to work safely and efficiently alongside humans. As a result, there is a growing need for evaluation standards to ensure the quality of collaborative robots. However, existing studies only consider system-centered and technical aspects of collaborative robots, and there is a lack of research on user-centered quality evaluation. In this study, we identified 21 user requirements based on a user-centered design framework and confirmed the limitations of existing quality standards by reviewing the standard clauses for collaborative robots. It was found that user needs to be related to performance, safety, and even usability and enjoyment are already being expressed according to the user-centered design framework, but the quality standards for these needs only present design principles or do not consider them at all. This study provides information on the quality attributes that need to be fulfilled to satisfy user requirements and suggests the need and direction for further research on the user-centered evaluation of collaborative robots. Accordingly, the user's perception and experience of collaborative robots are expected to improve.

A number of studies analyze the link between the presence of psychosocial risk factors and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The increase in job insecurity (JI) has resulted in a growing focus on its likely role as a risk factor within occupational health. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to carry out a systematic review of studies that include JI among the relevant risk factors, specifically drawing data from this variable to observe the significance of its association with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). For this purpose, a literature search was carried out: from a sample of 859 studies found and 23 were selected after applying the eligibility criteria. Fifteen studies (65.2% of the selection) presented statistically significant results regarding the link between JI and MSDs: the upper limbs and back were the body areas most affected by this association. In sum, JI should be considered a potential precursor of MSDs. Therefore, further study on this psychosocial risk and its association with these types of pathologies is necessary.

This commentary paper will describe how the discipline of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) can help to close the gender data gap, which is prevalent across many domains and arises due to a lack of data capturing female metrics and viewpoints. HFE is a domain-independent discipline that seeks to understand human performance and well-being with respect to the interactions that humans engage in and the environments that they inhabit. HFE therefore presents an opportunity to understand how gender influences human performance, effective design, social interactions, and environmental factors. This paper argues that a sociotechnical systems approach is essential when reviewing equality, diversity, and inclusivity issues, without which attempts to close the gender data gap will not go far enough. Following the sociotechnical systems approach in HFE, the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels of system design with respect to closing the gender data gap are reviewed. We discuss these issues in relation to a case study example of a crash test dummy. A checklist approach for researchers is presented, which identifies key questions that prompt where gender should be considered in the research process across these levels of sociotechnical systems.

Growing interest in “connected services” is set to revolutionize the design of future transport systems. In aviation, connected portable Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) would enable some of the traditional and more arduous preflight activities (e.g., route planning) to be conducted away from the flight deck. While this offers the opportunity to improve efficiency, any potential changes to the performance of the system need to be considered alongside the possible negative outcomes. The impact of EFBs on flight operations is assessed using Operator Event Sequence Diagrams (OESDs), which allow the operator interactions with technological systems to be mapped across different scenarios. This paper presents two OESDs: one focusing on current practise and one representing a “future” scenario whereby connected EFBs are commonplace. Our analysis predicts a 44% reduction in flight-crew operational loading due to increased connectivity in the flight deck. Not only does the analysis highlight the reduction in operations but it also presents the utility of OESDs in the development of the connected EFBs of the future as well as their broader use in understanding the impact of new technologies on performance.

Handicraft is the backbone of rural economy of countries of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Bell metal handicraft known as “Dhokra craft,” is an important metal handicraft practiced in India. Commercialization of this craft industry has increased working hours but the business model is still cottage-based. Manual manufacturing for commercial needs has increased incidence of hand injuries among the artisans affecting sustainable growth. The objective of this research is to find the cause of work-related hand injuries of the artisans of bell metal handicraft industry to provide direction for future research. Occupational risk on hands were identified using Modified Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Severity of hand symptoms were assessed by Modified Boston Hand Evaluation Questionnaire. Direct observation and task analysis was further used to understand the risk involved in the job. Use of hand tools and power tools play significant role in the development of hand injuries among the artisans. Hand problems such as amputation, burning marks, loss of sensitivity, and tingling sensation were highly observed among artisans, those with experience >31 years. Experienced artisans undergo more occupational hand injuries, causing absenteeism, job turnover, and job loss. This ultimately affects the sustainable growth of the Dhokra trade community.

In 2017, load limit values for manual material handling (MMH) tasks were confirmed to protect workers from low back disorders without prior validity investigation for Iranian workers. The present study investigated the applicability and feasibility of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (WISHA) lifting method as an occupational exposure limit (OEL) for the MMH tasks in a sample of young Iranian female workers using biomechanical and physiological criteria. A laboratory study was conducted with 10 female participants performing lifting tasks as described in the Iranian OEL for the MMH tasks based on the WISHA checklist. Each participant completed 21 lifting task combinations that varied in height and reach with the maximal allowable load. To test the applicability of the WISHA method, the maximum aerobic capacity and the equivalent heart rate (EHR) were estimated for 10 young Iranian female workers using an ergometer and Astrand protocol. Moreover, spinal loads for each lifting task were calculated using a static biomechanical model. From a physiological point of view, approximately 38% of the lifting tasks resulted in an increase in the physical workload. For 33% of the lifting trials, the estimated compression loads exceeded 3400 N. The findings revealed that the weight and lift height of the loads affected the lifting capacity of the participants. It seems that the allowable weight limits for manual lifting are not matched to the biomechanical and physiological capacities of the Iranian women. Therefore, the Iranian guideline for manual lifting is recommended to be revised based on the physiological and biomechanical capacities of the Iranian women.

In 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 had a fatal crash in New York due to an aircraft aerodynamic stall. Previous reports had placed the actions of the crew as the cause of the incident; however, this work provides a sociotechnical systems analysis of the events that led up to the fatal accident. An Accimap analysis provides a top-down systemic analysis of Flight 3407, considering the high-level governmental and regulatory agencies involvement. An online survey with 47 airline pilots provides a bottom-up review of pilots’ perceptions and decision-making in response to aerodynamic stall events. Combining the two approaches generates a holistic approach to managing aerodynamic stall events. Analysis of Flight 3407 identified contributory factors within the higher regulatory and company levels. Furthermore, questions of appropriate training were raised by the pilots within the survey results regarding the immediate response to a stall event which commonly affords a startle and/or surprise response. The impact of “startle and surprise” on the pilots’ response to this situation was identified as a key area to focus on, with design and training recommendations provided. We consider these within the context of recent training recommendations in the industry.