Malgorzata Rys

Ergonomic scissors for hairdressing

Abstract For decades, hairstyles have been plagued with repetitive motion injuries (RMI). To alleviate RMI symptoms and improve body mechanics, Chiavaras and Neimken designed a hairdressing scissors that incorporates some of the characteristics of an ergonomically designed tool. The scissors, which were patented by the United States Patent Office and titled Ergonomic Tool Design (ETD) Scissors, were evaluated to determine if there were significant differences between this design and the standard scissors for hairstylists preference and potential pain and risk reduction. Forty-four volunteer subjects were used. Since data were heterogeneous, Satterwaites statistical approximation was applied ( α =0.05). Subjects preferred the ETD scissors to the traditional scissors and reported less shoulder and wrist pain. Subjects who used the ETD scissors had significantly higher grip strength than when they used the traditional scissors. Subjects also reported significantly less bending in the wrist when using the ETD scissors. The ETD scissors allowed for the preferred hair growth cut to be completed with ease. Relevance to industry Scissors are an essential hand tool for any hairstylist. Standard scissors are straight or have only a slight curve in their design and require the hairstylist to continually bend the wrist or contort the body. The repetitive use of the fingers and forearms of any scissors operation places a great deal of stress on the tendons that run through carpal tunnel. Since traditional scissors rarely allow the hand to be in the neutral position, this bent posture aggravates the already stressed tendons placing the operator at risk for injury. The ETD scissors significantly reduce the time the wrist is bent. Conversely, they increase the time the wrist is in the neutral position. Thus, hairstylist who uses these scissors for long periods should experience reduced risk of occurring RMI and CTS symptoms.

Standing Work: Carpet vs. Concrete

A significant part of the workforce works with the feet and legs in a relatively static standing position. In an experiment, 20 college students (mean age = 23) stood wearing 2 pairs of socks but no shoes at a table for 240 minutes (120 minutes on carpet on one day and 120 minutes on concrete on another day). Ten subjects stood in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. Foot volume and instep vertical and horizontal circumference and calf circumference did not differ significantly between morning and afternoon or between carpet and concrete. Heart rate did not differ between morning and afternoon but the 95.2 for carpet was significantly lower than the 100.1 for concrete. Perceived comfort ratings were higher for carpet than concrete. Body areas in which comfort decreased the most while on concrete were: lower leg, upper leg, ankle, whole foot, the neck and the shoulder. When the individual factors were combined into a single factor using factor analysis, the 77.7 score (0–100 scale) for carpet was significantly better than the 71.9 for concrete.

An Evaluation of Floor Surfaces

Three floor surfaces (concrete, a San-EZE-7/8″ thick resilient rubber mat, and a Traction Mat-3/8″ rubber mat with raised knob design) were evaluated based on foot dimensions, lower leg and foot temperature and body comfort. Nine college students (2 females) stood for one hour on each of the floor types performing two types of visual inspection: inspecting pennies for a particular year, and inspecting pennies for several years at a time. There was a significant difference in body comfort between floor surfaces. Both mats were better than concrete (although not always statistically significantly so). The Traction mat was better for upper, mid and lower back comfort; the San-EZE mat was better for lower leg, ankle, hindfoot and forefoot. The temperature of the calf and instep was significantly higher for both mats than for concrete.

Evaluations of a new Advance Flagger traffic sign

Abstract Current and revised versions of the Advance Flagger traffic sign were compared in a series of pilot studies. Comprehension, reaction time, glance legibility and preference of each of the signs were tested through both field and laboratory tests. In field tests of Advance Flagger signs, approximately 86% of subjects gave construction-related responses to both new and current Advance Flagger signs. In lab tests, significant differences were found between the new and current signs in both glance legibility and reaction time. The findings suggest the new version to be an improvement over the current design. Relevance to industry This paper relates to the transportation industry. Motorists depend on the traffic signs to guide, warn and regulate them as they travel the highways during daylight, darkness, and inclement weather conditions. Improvements in traffic signing has one of the highest benefit-cost ratios for highway safety improvements.

Exploring the Adoption of Telecommunication Services by Older Adults

With the expected growth of the population of Americans over the age of 65, service scientists and designers are developing systems including internet of things systems to assist older adults in remaining independent. Yet little is known about how older adults adopt new services. In this grounded research, the authors explored the adoption of telecommunication services including landlines and mobile services by older adults. This early research suggests that access to other systems, population density and fit with the norms of a social network may be promising factors in future research in telecommunication service adoption. This study addresses the gap that current innovation adoption theory has not adequately explained adoption of service innovations by older adults. Future research opportunities exist for human factors researchers in the area of service adoption by older adults.

Selecting the Optimal Sheeting-Font Combination to Increase the Visibility of Roadway Guide Signs in the Presence of Glare

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATION Roadway guide signs provide directional and mileage information to specific destinations. These signs are produced by combining different types of retroreflective sheeting materials along with different font types. Some sheeting-font combinations increase nighttime visibility to drivers, while other combinations do not. We compared two types of sheeting materials along with two font types. A field experiment was conducted at night, in the presence of glare from an oncoming vehicles low beam headlights. A cost comparison was also performed. The most cost-effective sheeting-font combination was type XI sheeting and ClearviewHwy™ font. These results may be useful for Departments of Transportation to increase legibility distance and the visibility of shoulder-mounted guide signs for drivers, and consequently help increase roadway safety. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: Driver safety remains an important issue, and improving roadway guide sign visibility is an important step in increasing safety on roadways and thus reducing crashes. Currently, two types of retroreflective sheeting materials (type IV and type XI) and either Series E (Modified) or ClearviewHwy font types are used for signs in the United States. Glare from an oncoming vehicles low beam headlights, however, can create visual difficulty for drivers at night. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of two retroreflective sheeting materials and two font types, for use on shoulder-mounted guide signs (i.e., mounted on the shoulder of a roadway) in the presence of glare. Methods: Four sheeting-font combinations, involving type IV and type XI sheeting materials and Series E (Modified) and ClearviewHwy fonts were compared in a field experiment. Participants were asked to read the legend of four signs during nighttime driving, in the presence of glare from an oncoming low beam headlight vehicle. The legibility distance at which the participant read the sign was recorded as the dependent variable. A cost comparison was also performed for the four signs. Results: Type XI sheeting combined with ClearviewHwy font provided the maximum legibility distance. The cost analysis showed that type XI was less expensive over a 60-year timeframe (∼9.3% lower) versus type IV. Conclusions: Use of type XI sheeting and ClearviewHwy font is recommended for shoulder-mounted roadway signs to enhance legibility. However, future work is needed to verify these results under more general conditions and with a broader range of participants.

Evaluation of overhead guide sign sheeting materials to increase visibility and safety for drivers

Overhead guide sign visibility must increase to improve driver safety on roadways. Two methods increase overhead guide sign visibility: sign illumination and use of retroreflective sheeting materials. This paper compares three types of retroreflective sheeting: Engineering Grade (type I), Diamond Grade (type XI), and High Intensity (type IV). A field experiment was conducted at night using licensed drivers to determine the optimum retroreflective sheeting material that increases sign visibility and legibility. Results showed that, of the three types of retroreflective sheeting, Diamond Grade (type XI) sheeting requires minimum illuminance to be visible, followed by High Intensity (type IV) sheeting. Cost analysis, including labor, maintenance, and material cost components of the three retroreflective sheeting materials, showed that High Intensity (type IV) could increase sign visibility and legibility at night for Departments of Transportation with limited budgets, consequently increasing driver safety on roadways.

The Role of Technology Domestication on Texting While Driving

Texting while driving has been researched from numerous disciplines including psychology and safety. This current study examines texting while driving through the lens of technology studies. Rather than look at the behavior and its effect on task performance, the technology of the cell phone and its relationship with the owner is explored. While youth is often associated with texting while driving, this study found that age was not significantly different between those who text while driving and those who don’t. Using the domestication approach that was developed in technology studies, our research finds that earlier domestication of a technology (cell phone) affects the behavior of the user when they attempt to use another technology. Drivers who text while driving adopted the cell phone technology younger and often before the age of 16, the traditional age to begin driving. This research highlights the role of technology domestication in task behavior.