Lesia Crumpton-Young

Enhancing the undergraduate industrial engineering curriculum: Defining desired characteristics and emerging topics

Purpose – This paper aims to present the results of an initial research study conducted to identify the desired professional characteristics of an industrial engineer with an undergraduate degree and the emerging topic areas that should be incorporated into the curriculum to prepare industrial engineering (IE) graduates for the future workforce.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to faculty and industry professionals across the USA to describe the desired characteristics and define the important emerging topic areas. The modified three‐round Delphi technique was applied to obtain consensus and ranking of the emerging topics.Findings – The research findings that identify the desired characteristics and the most important emerging topics to be incorporated into the reengineered curriculum discussed in this paper. Statistical analysis of the results indicates some differences in opinions expressed by persons in academic settings and those working in business and industry.Originality/value...

The use of continuous exposure data for predicting CTS in fish processing operators

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) remains one of the most commonly reported and studied work related musculoskeletal disorders. Categorical representations of exposures has been critical in identifying associations between risk factors and CTS, however, quantification of exposure—response relationships require using continuous exposure data. Also, few interactions between risk factors, especially between risk factor categories, have been investigated. The objectives of this study were to investigate the utility of using continuous exposure data and to identify interaction effects of risk factors, both within and between risk factor categories, for predicting CTS. A cross sectional study was performed at a fish processing facility in which 53 participants were evaluated during normal task performance. Due to task asymmetry, each hand was considered separately, providing 106 hands for analysis. Direct measurement and a questionnaire were used to quantify exposures to common occupational and personal risk factors. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify three models for predicting CTS and assess predictive ability using: occupational risk factors only (three-way interactions considered), personal risk factors only (two-way interactions considered), and a mixed model considering two-way interactions across risk factor categories and previously identified significant interactions. Models including only occupational or personal risk factors were moderately accurate overall (73% and 77% respectively), but were not sensitive in differentiating between CTS cases and non-cases (39% and 33% respectively). The mixed model was found to be accurate (88%) and sensitive (78%), though only one interaction effect was included. The results of this study illustrate the importance of using continuous exposure data, especially in job tasks where exposures to occupational risk factors is similar, when differentiating between high and low risk job tasks.

Interaction Effects of Wrist and Forearm Posture on the Prediction of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cases Within a Fish-Processing Facility

Deviated wrist posture has been implicated as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), although alone it has not been found to have a causal relationship with CTS. Studies investigating deviated wrist posture have quantified posture in a single plane of motion and not interactions of wrist postures in multiple planes. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the ability of wrist and forearm posture interaction effects to predict CTS among a population of fish processing operators. A total of 53 participants performing five job tasks were evaluated using electrogoniometers. Due to task asymmetry, each hand was evaluated separately and treated independently, providing 106 hands as data observations. Using logistic regression analysis it was found that a model including flexed (F); extended (E), the interaction of length of employment (LE) by FE, and the interaction of LE by FE by pronation/supination (PS) accurately classified 78% of all hands as cases or non-cases. The sensitivity of the final model was approximately 48%. The developed model was found to have superior predictive ability when compared to models not considering interaction terms, indicating that posture interactions may in fact have a significant effect on CTS alone.

A model to predict accommodations needed by disabled persons

In this paper, several approaches to assist employers in the accommodation process for disabled employees are discussed and a mathematical model is proposed to assist employers in predicting the accommodation level needed by an individual with a mobility-related disability. This study investigates the validity and reliability of this model in assessing the accommodation level needed by individuals utilizing data collected from twelve individuals with mobility-related disabilities. Based on the results of the statistical analyses, this proposed model produces a feasible preliminary measure for assessing the accommodation level needed for persons with mobility-related disabilities. Suggestions for practical application of this model in an industrial setting are addressed.

An Ergonomic Case Study of Scale-Pits in Transportation

In the transportation industry, human technicians are involved in weighing loads that are being transported. The procedure to weigh such loads requires the human operator to maintain the scales which are located in confined spaces, known as scale pits. Unfortunately, these scale pits were not designed with considerable attention to ergonomics or safety issues that may impact the technician. This paper examines the ergonomic concerns associated with the design of Scale-pits. Specifically, in this research, two case studies were used to assess the risk of falling due to loss of balance, as well as the perceived level of exertion and body discomfort experienced as a result of moving around in the nsmall pit area. The studies conducted in this paper and previous research findings indicate that scale technicians are negatively impacted by the awkward posture positions that they have to assume when moving around and performing work in the restricted space of a scale pit. Also, the case studies analyzed in this paper indicate that scale technicians are likely to experience a decrease in their balance or stability as the work task parameters change which influences an increase in their perceived level of exertion. Also, these technicians may experience a higher perceived level of exertion nand an increase in body discomfort due to the awkward postures that they have to assume when moving around andxa0working in the restricted areas within the pit.

Characterization and Modeling of Acute Stress Under Dynamic Task Conditions

The ability to manage high levels of acute stress is an important determinant of successful performance in many occupations including those performed in extreme environments. In situations where performance is critical, personnel must be prepared to operate or execute tasks successfully under hostile or extreme stress conditions; therefore, training programs and engineered systems must be designed to ensure that humans can perform successfully. To design appropriate training programs for these conditions, it is necessary to measure stress. A framework for modeling stress was developed to quantify stress levels and its impact on human performance. This model is based on human responses (physiological and cognitive) to stressors as well as characteristics inherent to type of task performed and factors that play roles as mediators and moderators (e.g., task appraisal, personality, gender). Artificial Neural Networks was explored as a possible approach for quantification. Thus, this research provides a predictive model for acute stress as a function of human performance and task demand. The goal of this work is to develop a tool for accident prevention, training and human performance assessment under stress conditions.

The Identification of User Centered Design Factors Required for Products Intended for Extreme Environments

It is imperative that the design requirement specifications of products and systems be based on the user, the environment, and the intended use of the product. Product design requirements become increasingly critical for extreme environments because the lack of proper product design may affect human performance, thus resulting in safety risks. This research discusses the identification of critical factors that can assist in measuring the degree to which a product adheres to user’s design needs. The user centered design methodology is based on physical design, industrial design, cognitive design and user experience design components to ensure that all aspect affecting the user is incorporated in the product design.

Workshop - NSF education proposals - enhancing strengths and eliminating weaknesses

The workshop is intended for faculty members who are seeking external support for educational research and development projects, particularly through the NSF CCLI program. The session is based on an analysis of the most common strengths and weaknesses in two years of CCLI Phase 1 engineering proposals. Interactive session will explore approaches for enhancing these strengths and dealing with these weaknesses in preparing proposals.

Work in Progress: Developing a Curriculum that Teaches Engineering Leadership & Management Principles to High Performing Students

Report findings in engineering education developed by the National Academy of Engineering entitled educating the engineer of 2020: adapting engineering education to the new century, identify the importance of integrating leadership and management studies within engineering curriculums to educate future engineering graduates. Currently, most engineering education curriculums do not include courses that adequately prepare students for leadership and management positions. Therefore, the education gap identified between engineering curriculums and industry management and leadership skills suggests the need for curriculum reform. In response to this need, faculty within the Department of Industrial Engineering & Management Systems at the University of Central Florida have developed a curriculum that supports the offering of a minor in engineering leadership & management for top performing undergraduate students majoring in various disciplines of engineering or computer science