Patrick Neumann

Assessment of physical work load in epidemiologic studies: common measurement metrics for exposure assessment

There are many possible means of determining exposure ranging from self-reports of physical exposure to measures of muscle activations and estimated spinal loads. In epidemiologic studies, issues of validity make instrumented measures preferable, however issues of cost and practicability tend to force investigators to less costly but less valid and less reliable measures of exposure, such as self-report questionnaires. This paper presents a method by which estimates of exposure from self-report questionnaires, expert observers, work sampling, video analysis and electromyograms can be reported in a common metric, Newtons of force on a tissue, and show, as an example of its application, estimation of spinal compression on auto workers. A common metric allows a flexible approach to selection of measurement methods in occupational settings: no matter which instrument is used the results can be combined to provide an overall picture of exposure. This approach to exposure assessment for the low back allows for comparability across studies and settings.

Integrating human factors into discrete event simulations of parallel flow strategies.

This article demonstrates an approach to integrating human factors (HF) into a discrete event simulation (DES) study of semi-parallelised production strategies. Operationalised HF included operators’ autonomy at work, a known workplace health factor; and reduced operator capability, a factor for new or injured operators. These HF were tested in scenarios of serial flow and two degrees of semi-parallelised flow. The parallel production systems demonstrated better productivity than serial flow in all conditions tested and were less affected by either of the HF tested. It is concluded that HF can be integrated into DES which facilitates early consideration of operator risk and system vulnerabilities. Parallel production approaches, although less common in practice, appear to have advantages over serial flow in terms of productivity, injury risk and the accommodation of operators with temporarily reduced capacity. Further research should expand the range and test the validity of HF integrated into DES modelling procedures.

Young consumers' considerations of healthy working conditions in purchasing decisions: a qualitative examination

Abstract Research has suggested that products manufactured under healthy work conditions (HWC) may provide a marketing advantage to companies. This paper explores young consumers’ considerations of HWC in purchasing decisions using data from qualitative interviews with a sample of 21 university students. The results suggest that interviewees frequently considered the working conditions of those who produced the products they purchased. Participants reported a willingness to pay 17.5% more on a

Sustainable canadian mining Occupational health and safety challenges

100 product if it were produced under HWC compared to not. Their ability and willingness to act on this issue was, however, hampered by a lack of credible information about working conditions in production, the limited availability of HWC goods and a presumed higher price of HWC goods. While caution should be applied when generalising from this targetable market segment to a general population, these results provide actionable direction for companies interested in using a HWC brand image to gain a strategic sales advantage. Practitioner Summary: This interview study shows that young consumers are interested in, and willing to pay a premium for, goods made under healthy working conditions (HWC). Reported barriers to acting on this impulse include a lack of credible information on working conditions. Ergonomics can help provide a strategic marketing advantage for companies.

Integrating Ergonomics Aspects Into Operations Management Performance Optimization Models: A Modeling Framework

Mining is a major industrial activity in Canada and will increase in importance as world demand continues to grow. Demand for mining resources is such that we have little choice but to conduct operations at greater and greater depths. This paper will outline the challenges faced by modern and deep mining operations for establishing safe and sustainable working conditions. The consideration of occupational health and safety in mining vehicle design remains cursory. Current personal protective devices are rudimentary. Risks will increase as mining operations reach greater depths. Organizational and generational changes, continued expansion of mining operations, and economic pressures will complicate the situation. One possible solution would be to design new intelligent personal protective equipment, taking into consideration multiple major human factors concerns by utilizing interdisciplinary industrial/academic research partnerships.

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OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Employees play critical roles in improving the performance of operation systems. Work-related health disorders and injuries degrade employees work performance and hence the performance of the system. Previous studies frequently reported the negative effects of poor ergonomic conditions of the workplace on developing occupational health problems. However, managers lack tools to consider occupational ergonomics aspects, employees health conditions, and their financial consequences when the performance of systems is optimized. This research provides a hierarchical modeling framework to integrate occupational ergonomics aspects into system performance optimization models. With this modeling approach, ergonomists and human factor practitioners can better influence managers decisions by developing analytical tools that demonstrate the health, economic, and operational improvement of ergonomics conditions in the system-level analysis. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: Occupational illnesses have negative consequences for employees. They also reduce employees overall work performance, creating negative economic impacts on companies. Occupational ergonomics studies mostly investigate work-related health and safety aspects of a system to reduce the rate of these health problems for employees. However, they do not usually involve optimizing the performance of a system and do not account for the operational aspects of the system such as demand, workstation interactions, and inventory levels. In contrast, operations management studies usually deal with these operational aspects while optimizing the performance of operation systems. Although human resources are involved in many stages of operation systems, operations management performance optimization models usually use simplifying assumptions regarding human operational characteristics. They rarely include causes and effects of work-related health problems. Purpose and Methods: This article introduces a modeling framework, integrating occupational ergonomics aspects into operations management performance optimization models. It provides a road map for assessing the impact of work-related risk factors, including physical and psychosocial aspects on system performance. Results: An illustrative example demonstrates the applicability of the developed framework in a real situation. The results demonstrate a 0.76% to 3.76% cost growth for a manufacturing system due to the poor ergonomic design of the workplace. Conclusion: By applying this framework, practitioners can find out how the performance of their systems will be enhanced by investing in safer working conditions for employees. Managers can also better assess the economic consequences of a poor ergonomic design and consequent occupational illnesses.