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ISSN 1051-9815 (P)
ISSN 1875-9270 (E)
Impact Factor 2024: 1.7
WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, international journal which publishes high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts covering the entire scope of the occupation of work. The journal's subtitle has been deliberately laid out: The first goal is the prevention of illness, injury, and disability. When this goal is not achievable, the attention focuses on assessment to design client-centered intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, or controls that use scientific evidence to support best practice.
WORK occasionally publishes thematic issues, but in general, issues cover a wide range of topics such as ergonomic considerations with children, youth and students, the challenges facing an aging workforce, workplace violence, injury management, performing artists, ergonomic product evaluations, and the awareness of the political, cultural, and environmental determinants of health related to work.
Dr. Karen Jacobs, the founding editor, and her editorial board especially encourage the publication of research studies, clinical practice, case study reports, as well as personal narratives and critical reflections of lived work experiences (autoethnographic/autobiographic scholarship),
Sounding Board commentaries and
Speaking of Research articles which provide the foundation for better understanding research to facilitate knowledge dissemination.
Narrative Reflections on Occupational Transitions, a new column, is for persons who have successfully transitioned into, between, or out of occupations to tell their stories in a narrative form. With an internationally renowned editorial board,
WORK maintains high standards in the evaluation and publication of manuscripts. All manuscripts are reviewed expeditiously and published in a timely manner.
WORK prides itself on being an author-friendly journal.
WORK celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015.
*WORK is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)* *WORK is endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA)* *WORK gives out the yearly Cheryl Bennett Best Paper Award*
Abstract: The objective of this work is to map, in a limited area inside and outside of the worksite, the environmental impact generated by sound pollution coming from the driving of foundation piles for high rise buildings, as well as to observe and check if the noise levels produced by the emitting source are tolerable in the urban environment. The methodology of the work includes a survey of technical references about the subject; measurement of noises surrounding the worksite during the foundation phase for four distinct buildings, with different types of piles: prefabricated piles, continuous helical displacement piles , traditional compaction…piles and Terra Probe compaction piles. A grid of points was built due to the time of driving and after that the measurements of environmental noises were performed emitted by the execution of each type of pile using a sound level meter. The interpretation of the measurements and their impacts on the neighborhood of the building were performed using the computational tool Suffer for creating noise level contours. The X and Y axes of the grid represent the distances in meters of the area studied and the Z axis represents the noise measured in dB. The contours developed represent the mapping of the noise at the worksites and their surroundings. The mapping of the urban impact of noise, the measurement of its dimensions, and the examination of its propagation around the building are important subsides to adequate individual and collective protection procedures. Seventy one points were measured at four building sites with different types of piles, and the results showed that at only three points was the noise within the limits of the Municipal Law of Recife of 70 dB, which proves the relevance of the research. Finally, the comparative analysis between the four types of piles shows that the continuous helical displacement pile emits the lowest noise level among the four pile types studied.
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Abstract: This paper introduces the Ergonomic Work Analysis as a relevant instrument to identify the risks in occupational environments through the investigation of factors that influence the relationship between the worker and the productive process. It draws a parallel between the several aspects of risk identification in traditional tools of Health and Safety Management and the factors embraced by the Ergonomic Work Analysis, showing that the ergonomic methodology is able to go deeper in the scenarios of possible incident causes. This deepening enables the establishment of a relationship between the work context and the upcoming damage to the physical integrity of…the worker. It acts as a complementary instrument in the traditional approach to the risk management. In order to explain the application of this methodology in a preventive way, it is presented a case study of a coal mill inspector in a siderurgic company.
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Keywords: Ergonomic Work Analysis, Risk Management, Occupational Health and Safety System
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0597-3301
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3301-3307, 2012
Abstract: The creation of meaning in communication is a trading activity, resulting from the construction that is born of the interaction between subjects. That is, the meaning is not inherent to the relationship between words, signs and symbols that arise from negotiating a necessary and unavoidable. As the concepts of sense as discrete and static representations imply a notion of classical computing and design of a cognitive system corresponding conceptions of meaning construction as located and shared among agents implies notions of different computing and cognition. Several efforts have been developed to meet these demands. Among them are the Connectionism (also…known as neural networks. Records on aspects of mental health and stress of flight professionals are present in the official reports of the organs of investigation of aviation accidents worldwide since its inception. Problems related to health physical and mental health of pilots (fatigue, stress, physiological and psychosocial problems) account for 19% of causal factors in aircraft accidents. The training seems a paradox when we know that these professionals receive regular training, have high education and technical training of high level. However, problems arise related to the implementation of learning that can be influenced to reduce their cognitive capacity, making it in practice, relatively unable to exercise its functions effectively and safely.
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Keywords: Distributed cognition, Automation, Behavior of mind
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0598-3308
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3308-3312, 2012
Abstract: This research aims to make a comparative evaluation of three different parachuting harnesses to work at heights in the energy industry, from the electricians’ point of view concerning these products under the optics of usability and ergonomic principles, and mainly justified by the high quantity of injuries at the energy industry due to high falls. According to its main target, this field research is classified as exploratory-descriptive transversal viewing study and, considering this perspective, the study was developed in four steps. Research results have enlightened the weakest spots and the potential improvement opportunities of these products, developed to assure safety…of the work at heights to the energy industry, according to the opinion of the users. Still, results point that, regardless of the model, these devices have adapting issues to fulfill the electrical sector user’s needs.
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Keywords: Electricity sector, parachuting harnesses, work at heights, energy distribution grids
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0599-3313
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3313-3320, 2012
Abstract: Work equipment and installations with a high risk for health and safety of employees should be paid a special attention. The German Product Safety Act, which is aimed to manufacturers or distributors in order to protect consumers, maintains a conclusive catalogue of these so-called “installations in need of monitoring” fixing the work equipment and installations for which such special inspections can be demanded. This catalogue has remained unchanged for decades and has been transformed nearly unmodified into the Plant Safety Ordinance. Currently, there is a discussion about this catalogue in Germany. A major point of concern is the definition and…the significance of “especially” dangerous work equipment and installations. Two recent research projects are dealing with the problem how to define “especially”.
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Keywords: work equipment, installations, risk assessment, general inspections, work safety, Product Safety Act
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0600-3321
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3321-3324, 2012
Abstract: This paper aims to identify conflicts and gaps between the operators’ strategies and actions and the organizational managerial approach for human reliability. In order to achieve these goals, the research approach adopted encompasses literature review, mixing action research methodology and Ergonomic Workplace Analysis in field research. The result suggests that the studied company has a classical and mechanistic point of view focusing on error identification and building barriers through procedures, checklists and other prescription alternatives to improve performance in reliability area. However, it was evident the fundamental role of the worker as an agent of maintenance and construction of system…reliability during the action research cycle.
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Keywords: Human Reliability, Error Identification, Ergonomic Workplace Analysis, Resilience engineering
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1034-3325
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3325-3332, 2012
Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of shoe type on the performance of women during curb descent. Performance during curb stepping may be explained by biomechanical research that has evaluated the kinematics of overground walking and stair ascent and descent. Studies have reported that women exhibit performance differences when wearing high heels, flip flops and sneakers during overground walking and stair ascent and descent. Thus, in addition to features of the curb, the type of shoe being worn may also affect performance. Although several studies have investigated curb stepping, no known studies have investigated the effects…of different types of footwear on curb descent performance. This research was conducted in a real-world environment where participants wore three different types of shoes and performed a series of activities that involved curb stepping. The subjects were videotaped while descending a curb, allowing for observation of changes in gait parameters. Results of this study indicate that wearing high heels leads to performance differences as compared to wearing flip flops or sneakers.
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Keywords: walking, real-world environment, single step, shoes
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0601-3333
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3333-3338, 2012
Abstract: Many fatal accidents due to falling from height have happen at construction sites in Japan. The purpose of this study is about to seek new prevention methods of fatal accidents due to falling. For the first step, this study was carried out to find out “cause of death” in labor accidents by using past statistics data and was analyzed it. For the second, Butt dropping tests were carried out to measure impact load and acceleration of human head and neck by using simplified human model. After that, relationship between the human injury probability and the fall height was discussed by…comparing with experimental results and some impact tolerance values for human. From the results of this study, impact force might be able to head trauma involved not only skull fracture but also cervical spinal cord injury. These results suggest needs to explore new protection equipment for head and cervical injuries prevention.
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Keywords: Labor accident, falling accident, head and neck injury, impact force and acceleration
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0602-3339
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3339-3342, 2012
Abstract: Precise measurement of stairway geometry is important in order to establish whether a stairway meets design goals, standards and codes. The Traditional method of measuring risers and runs (goings) does not measure the stairs in the way that codes define risers and runs, and does not measure the stairs in the way users experience them. The Nose-to-Nose method does. This study was conducted to determine the validity and repeatability of this method. Two researchers used this method to study the risers and runs on two separate stairways, one carpeted and the other not. Results demonstrated a high degree of validity…and repeatability.
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Abstract: Slip and fall incidences are common in our daily lives. They are not only important environmental safety issues but also important occupational safety and health problems. The purpose of this study was to use the Brungraber Mark II to measure the friction so as to investigate the effects of the shoe sole, surface condition and the inclined angle of the floor and their interactions on friction coefficient. The results of the study showed the effects of all the main factors and their interactions were significant (p<0.001). Engineering designs & ergonomic interventions in slip & fall prevention should take these factors…in full consideration.
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Keywords: slips & falls, friction measurements, tread design, contamination
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0604-3349
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3349-3351, 2012
Abstract: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of walkway perturbation training on human dynamic walking stability and slip propensity. A new walkway perturbation training program was developed using an instrumented, split-belt treadmill. Walkway surface perturbation was composed of multiple, randomized perturbation pulses. Each pulse was created by sudden accelerating the treadmill belt underneath the dominant foot briefly. Five healthy older adults were involved in a laboratory study. An inertial measurement unit was attached to the subject’s low back region to record 3D acceleration. Maximum Lyapunov exponent (maxLE) and transitional acceleration of whole body center of mass…(TA_COM) were computed to quantify the local dynamic stability and slip propensity, respectively. The results indicated a significant training effect on both maxLE and TA_COM. It was concluded that the walkway perturbation training program significantly improved local dynamic stability and reduced slip propensity.
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Keywords: fall prevention, perturbation training, acceleration, dynamic stability
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0605-3352
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3352-3354, 2012
Abstract: The measurement of walkway slip resistance is required to assess the risk of slipping. Unlike other countries, the U.S. has not decided upon a single approach to the measurement of slip resistance. Several types of tribometers are available to measure slip resistance however, the measured value of the slip resistance of a given surface has been found to be tribometer specific. The introduction of ASTM International Standard F2508 Standard Practice for Validation and Calibration of Walkway Tribometers Using Reference Surfaces, has produced a method which allows validation of each type of tribometer and the values generated during testing.
Abstract: Falls near the bottom of a flight of stairs have resulted from an illusion that the person was stepping off onto the bottom landing when the person was still two treads or more above the landing. The illusion is caused by poor lighting and design defects built into the stairway. The poor lighting may be attributed to a building code that allows inadequate lighting near the bottom of external stairs in private residences. The design defect of truncating handrails before they reach the bottom tread may be due to confusion between “guards” and “handrails” and this confusion also appears to…be promulgated by building code.
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Keywords: Stairs, handrails, guards, falls, lighting, design
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0607-3358
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3358-3362, 2012
Abstract: The available coefficient of friction (ACOF) for human locomotion is the maximum coefficient of friction that can be supported without a slip at the shoe and floor interface. A statistical model was introduced to estimate the probability of slip by comparing the ACOF with the required coefficient of friction, assuming that both coefficients have stochastic distributions. This paper presents an investigation of the stochastic distributions of the ACOF of quarry tiles under dry, water and glycerol conditions. One hundred friction measurements were performed on a walkway under the surface conditions of dry, water and 45% glycerol concentration. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit…test was used to determine if the distribution of the ACOF was a good fit with the normal, log-normal and Weibull distributions. The results indicated that the ACOF appears to fit the normal and log-normal distributions better than the Weibull distribution for the water and glycerol conditions. However, no match was found between the distribution of ACOF under the dry condition and any of the three continuous distributions evaluated. Based on limited data, a normal distribution might be more appropriate due to its simplicity, practicality and familiarity among the three distributions evaluated.
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Keywords: Available coefficient of friction, footwear and floor interface, stochastic distribution
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0608-3363
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3363-3366, 2012
Abstract: This is a review of walking tasks in the railroad environment, and the injuries that result from slips, trips, falls, or other acute or even non-traumatic exposures. The lack of federal regulations for railroad walkways has led several states to develop and enforce their own regulations. Support from the research literature for such regulations has come from biomechanical studies of the effects of walking on railroad ballast, which will be reviewed.
Keywords: Railroads, ballast, falls, biomechanics, balance
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0609-3367
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3367-3371, 2012
Abstract: Ergonomics is a holistic discipline encompassing a wide range of special interest groups. The role of an ergonomics consultant is to provide integrated solutions to improve comfort, safety and productivity. In Australia, there are two types of consultants – generalists and specialists. Both have training in ergonomics but specialist knowledge may be the result of previous education or work experience. This paper presents three projects illustrating generalist and specialist (visual ergonomics) consultancy: development of a vision screening protocol, solving visual discomfort in an office environment and solving postural discomfort in heavy industry. These case studies demonstrate how multiple ergonomics consultants…may work together to solve ergonomics problems. It also describes some of the challenges for consultants, for those engaging their services and for the ergonomics profession, e.g. recognizing the boundaries of expertise, sharing information with business competitors, the costs-benefits of engaging multiple consultants and the risk of fragmentation of ergonomics knowledge and solutions. Since ergonomics problems are often multifaceted, ergonomics consultants should have a solid grounding in all domains of ergonomics, even if they ultimately only practice in one specialty or domain. This will benefit the profession and ensure that ergonomics remains a holistic discipline.
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Abstract: In an experimental study two levels of oculomotor load were induced via optical trial lenses. Trapezius muscle activity was measured with bipolar surface electromyography and normalized to a submaximal contraction. Sixty-six subjects with a median age of 36 (range 19–47, std 8) viewed a black and white Gabor grating (5 c/deg) for two 7-min periods monocularly through a 0 D lens or binocularly through -3.5 D lenses. The effect of time was separately regressed to EMG in two different subgroups of responders: a High-Oculomotor-Load (HOL) and a Low-Oculomotor-Load (LOL) group. A linear regression model was fitted on group level with…exposure time on the x-axis and normalized trapezius muscle EMG (%RVE) on the y-axis. The slope coefficient was significantly positive in the -D blur condition for only the HOL subgroup of responders: 0.926 + Timemin 1-7 × 0.088 (p = 0.002, r2 =0.865). There was no obvious sign of this activity to level off or to stabilize. These results suggest that professional information technology users that are exposed to a high level of oculomotor load, during extended times, are at an increased risk of exhibiting an increased trap.m. activity.
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Keywords: Accommodation, Computer work, EMG recordings, Eye movements, Motor control, Near work
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0611-3379
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3379-3384, 2012
Abstract: A functionally optimized housing development designed to meet the demands in different phases of living (universal design) may result in the elderly living longer in their own homes. In this study a total of 165 healthy persons were included out of a total of approximately 320 persons turning 75 years of age in 2009 living in Drammen municipality. They went through a quantitative, questionnaire-based interview (including VAS and SF-36) and 20 participants were then selected for a qualitative in depth interview. The lighting conditions in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom and staircase were measured according to a simplified procedure.…The overall lighting conditions were evaluated to be rather low, with means between 35 and 121 Lux, but the quantitative interviews showed that on most questions the scores were rather low, indicating that the overall thriving is good regardless of rather low lighting values.
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Keywords: Lighting, housing, ageing, thriving
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0612-3385
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3385-3387, 2012
Abstract: Frequent use of digital information technology has an impact on eye- and neck/shoulder-discomfort. Studies with cross sectional and intervention design indicate an association between the two symptom categories. Still, whether visually demanding near work, per se, contributes to increased neck/shoulder discomfort remains a question of debate. The aim of this laboratory study was to assess if visually demanding experimental near work affects eye- and neck/shoulder-discomfort when the posture was adjusted for comfort and no movements were allowed. Thirty-three healthy subjects performed a visually demanding computer screen task (viewing task) under four different optical lens conditions: binocular -3.5 D and monocular…-3.5 D, +3.5 D and ±0 D. During the experiment subjects were seated in an office chair (with neck support) that was individually adjusted for comfort. At baseline and after each viewing task, subjects reported their perceived eye- and neck/shoulderdiscomfort on Borg’s CR-10 scale. Results show a significant increase of eye discomfort between baseline and the first viewing task, and a significant increase in neck/shoulder discomfort from baseline throughout the first three viewing tasks. Further analysis is required to determent whether the neck/shoulder discomfort was induced by the demanding near work or the static posture, or a combination.
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Keywords: Vision ergonomics, computer vision syndrome, eye strain, neck pain, Video Display Unit (VDU) users
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0613-3388
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3388-3392, 2012
Abstract: Visual strain and discomfort may contribute to the generation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among e.g. computer workers. A positive correlation on a group level between eye-lens accommodation and trapezius muscle activity has been reported. In this study we investigated the possibility of a direct, fast, connection between lens accommodation and trapezius muscles activity. The subjects focused alternately on Near and Far targets, with a mean switch time of 5 s, through four different lenses. The cross-correlation, R(tau) was computed, between the time signals of accommodation and electromyography (EMG) from 23 subjects. In the overall mean R(tau) of 736 curves, a…small but significant correlation peak (0.019) with a delay (of the EMG signal) of about 0.3 s, revealed a small common component in the two signals. Among the lenses, the positive lens (3.5 D), showed the highest correlation peak (0.040). The correlation may be caused by a direct “hard-wired” connection between the ciliary and trapezius muscles. But it could also be caused indirectly by the subject’s need for a more stable head in a more demanding visual task. The latter is supported by the result that the correlation was the highest in the positive lens condition. The present correlation is however weak and it has probably a low practical importance.
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Abstract: The use of pictograms is discussed considering their information content, graphic complexity and cultural dimension. The resemblance and the illusion theories are highlighted to define pictogram as a salience-based representation system, which communicational efficacy depends upon historical and cultural aspects in their interpretation. Thus, the competence in interpreting pictograms is considered relative to users’ acquaintance with the pictorial system and with the referents. Pictogram as a general/neutral visual statement is questioned, pointing out the cultural and gender attributes added to pictures to represent people, professions and social events. As a result of this discussion, some critical points of the standardization…of pictograms are presented.
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Keywords: pictogram, graphic aspects, cultural aspects, information ergonomics
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0615-3398
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3398-3403, 2012
Abstract: Subjective Visual Disturbances are silent adversaries that appear over a period of continued exposure and arise when the visual demands of the tasks exceed the visual abilities of the user. Jewellery manufacturing activity involves precision designs, setting the metal and stones, polishing and filing which requires higher visual demand. Therefore, it is expected that the jewellery manufacturing workers may experience subjective visual disturbances. This study was taken up with the following objectives 1) To study the presence of subjective visual disturbances among jewellery manufacturing workers and compare the same with VDT operators 2) To study the effect of work exposures…on subjective visual disturbances and 3) to ascertain whether subjective visual disturbances have any permanent vision related problems. The study was carried out on jewellery manufacturing workers, VDT operators and on graduate students. The symptoms of subjective visual disturbances were identified using a questionnaire developed by Sheedy (2003). Viewing distances were measured and visual angles were calculated. The eye check - ups were also carried out. The subjective visual disturbances were higher in jewellery manufacturing workers. The findings suggest that work exposure has an impact on the causation of subjective visual disturbances. No pathological conditions of the eyes were observed.
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Keywords: asthenopia, near point task, Ocular –ESF, Ocular –, ISF
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0616-3404
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3404-3411, 2012
Abstract: Ergonomic evaluation of visual demands becomes crucial for the operators/users when rapid decision making is needed under extreme time constraint like navigation task of jet aircraft. Research reported here comprises ergonomic evaluation of pilot’s vision in a jet aircraft in virtual environment to demonstrate how vision analysis tools of digital human modeling software can be used effectively for such study. Three (03) dynamic digital pilot models, representative of smallest, average and largest Indian pilot population were generated from anthropometric database and interfaced with digital prototype of the cockpit in Jack software for analysis of vision within and outside the cockpit.…Vision analysis tools like view cones, eye view windows, blind spot area, obscuration zone, reflection zone etc. were employed during evaluation of visual fields. Vision analysis tool was also used for studying kinematic changes of pilot’s body joints during simulated gazing activity. From present study, it can be concluded that vision analysis tool of digital human modeling software was found very effective in evaluation of position and alignment of different displays and controls in the workstation based upon their priorities within the visual fields and anthropometry of the targeted users, long before the development of its physical prototype.
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Keywords: vision analysis, digital human modeling, workstation design, aircraft cockpit
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0617-3412
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3412-3418, 2012
Abstract: This research aimed to study the activity of the HLB’s scouts, workers whose function is to identify symptomatic plants, in order to understand the physical constraints, cognitive and organizational involved in accomplishing the task, characterizing the operative approach used to identify diseased plants, and to elucidate what aspects hinder the identification of symptoms. The method adopted for the research was the Ergonomic Analysis of Work – EAW [6]. The results, after validation with the operators and management, allowed understanding the complex relationships between the physical, cognitive and organizational aspects present on activity. Major difficulties were observed mainly…in relation to the disposal of the scouts on the platforms and in relation to working hours, at the beginning and end of the journey. Important findings have highlighted strategies, unknown by the organization, used by scouts to locate candidates’ trees to the fine analysis of investigation of symptoms. In conclusion, the analysis enable to understand the constraints and find technical and organizational solutions to the survey work on citrus groves as well as it showed signs and symptoms not investigated yet or rarely considered by researchers involved on searches aimed at increasing the ability to diagnose the disease in the field.
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Abstract: This paper presents the results of a research carried out in the states of Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil about differences and similarities in the graphic representation of safety signs at factories of food, steel, shoes and construction/ building industries, together with their workers´ opinions on the security signs. The overall results show differences in the sign structure across the states, confirming the influence of cultural differences on the design of safety signs, which must be taken into account during the design process.
Abstract: This study was performed between 2004 and 2011 at mail sorting facilities in Sweden. During this time, different interventions were performed. The first was a lighting intervention that had a positive impact on the postal workers, especially those with eyestrain. A new lighting system also improved the illuminance and gave better light distribution. The second intervention involved new personal spectacles for the postal workers who needed them and this had a positive effect on eyestrain. The third intervention involved a specific type of sorting spectacles for the postal workers who already used progressive lenses privately. The reading distances that the…postal workers had while sorting the mail was inverted to the distances in their regular progressive lenses. The new sorting spectacles had a positive effect on head postures and on muscular activity.
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Abstract: Mobile phones obtained large popularization in Brazil thanks to pre-paid (pay as you go) contracts. This kind of contract represents 82% of mobile phone connections in Brazil, corresponding to 143 million in a total of 174 million mobile phone accesses in the country. In this scenario, a research about the usability of mobile phones with 17 to 24 year old youngsters, living in poor communities, enrolled in the NGO Spectaculu. Usability tests were carried through with 30 youngsters from a NGO in Rio de Janeiro. Was made a extraction of the navigation sequence with data information of input and output…from the system. Point Navigation Map was created to track low-income mobile user's interaction.
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Abstract: At present, it is recognized that the Internet plays key role in universalization of opportunities in society in which we live. For people with disabilities, the content must be accessible in all websites, but the assistive technologies used must be adequate to the specific needs of people with disabilities. Dosvox is a free system developed in the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) specially designed for blind people and used by them in the performance of their tasks with the use of computers. Previously, through exploratory research based on the observation of the interaction of blind students with the…Web, usability problems were identified in the Dosvox interface and in the Webvox, the Web browser included in the system, and these problems were related to the fact that the interface is designed in accordance with the mental model of these Information Technology professionals. This study consolidate the problems in earlier phases of the research, link the results with usability heuristics of Nielsen and propose several improvements to Dosvox and its development process.
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Abstract: The numerical control of an experimental assembly cell with two robots – termed a cognitive control unit (CCU) – is able to simulate human information processing at a rule-based level of cognitive control. To enable the CCU to work on a large range of assembly tasks expected of a human operator, the cognitive architecture SOAR is used. The CCU can plan assembly processes autonomously and react to ad-hoc changes in assembly sequences effectively. Extensive simulation studies have shown that cognitive automation based on SOAR is especially suitable for random parts supply, which reduces planning effort in logistics. Conversely, a disproportional…increase in processing time was observed for deterministic parts supply, especially for assemblies containing large numbers of identical parts. In this contribution, the effect of phase-shifts in deterministic part supply is investigated for assemblies containing maximal different parts. It can be shown that the concept of cognitive automation is as well suitable for these planning problems.
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Keywords: Cognitive automation, SOAR, Assembly, Joint cognitive systems
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0623-3449
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3449-3454, 2012
Abstract: The actors in charge of an emergency response are confronted with severe difficulties in coordination and decision making, especially in major accidents. To facilitate coordination, various decision support systems (DSS) integrated in communication systems have been developed. However, many DSS in the rescue service organizations are afflicted with under-use and other usability problems. Drawing on both a literature review and an analysis of recently obtained survey data from rescue personnel concerning usability of common communication system in Swedish emergency organizations, this paper addresses the issue of usability of DSS. It is concluded that the impetus for developing DSS in many…cases has been the technological possibilities per se, not taking the decision makers task structure and contextual factors into account. It is argued that priority should be given to functions that provide a visual overview of the event and facilitate storing of the series of decisions made during the response
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Abstract: In an increasingly faster paced innovative world, maintaining the ability to innovate in spite of an aging work force will become every company’s strongest leverage for success. Tapping the latent knowledge resources and creativity of overlooked employees and persisting crucial information for business conduct are promising results for social networking sites (SNS) in a working context. Usability and usefulness are exponential factors in creating a successful SNS. In order to make a SNS usable for a heterogeneous user group, analyses of user diversity in regard to social media need to be done. Furthermore differences in communication medium and frequency in…regard to age, content, hierarchy position, departmental thresholds and company size need to be analyzed. For analysis purposes both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied. Strong effects of age and communication content were found in survey with 194 participants.
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Keywords: social networks, user diversity, survey, SNS, collaboration, acceptance
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0625-3459
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3459-3467, 2012
Abstract: Work in organizations requires a minimum level of consensus on the understanding of the practices performed. To adopt technological devices to support the activities in environments where work is complex, characterized by the interdependence among a large number of variables, understanding about how work is done not only takes an even greater importance, but also becomes a more difficult task. Therefore, this study aims to present a method for modeling of work in complex systems, which allows improving the knowledge about the way activities are performed where these activities do not simply happen by performing procedures. Uniting techniques of Cognitive…Task Analysis with the concept of Work Process, this work seeks to provide a method capable of providing a detailed and accurate vision of how people perform their tasks, in order to apply information systems for supporting work in organizations.
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Keywords: Cognitive Systems Engineering, Health Care, Work Process five
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0626-3468
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3468-3475, 2012
Abstract: Current industrial processes often involve the collaboration of people at distant and remote locations. The technological media for such a tele-cooperation reach from simple email or text-based chatting systems to highly-sophisticated systems for an interactive video-conferencing. But with limited bandwidth the communication between persons at distant locations is often restricted to single modalities. Although this may still be suitable for some tasks, it may result into serious shortcomings and decreased performance with complex tasks like cooperative assembly or maintenance. This is because restricted communication reduces the availability of a common ground, i.e. sharing a common understanding of knowledge, opinions, and…goals. The study presented in this paper examines the effect of different communication media on performance of a collaborative assembly task. The results show that tele-cooperation leads to additional verbal communication (AM(direct)=71.1s; AM(video)=145.6s; AM(audio)=204.7s) and, thus, longer times to complete the task (AM (direct)=45.95 min; AM (video)= 50.2 min; am AM(audio)=56.16 min). The percentage of relative speech duration also increases significantly. Workload measurement with NASA-TLX did not show any significant differences between cooperation modes. The results allow estimating the effect of reduced communication modalities on time to complete an assembly task. This facilitates a quantification of temporal requirements in time-critical maintenance and repair tasks.
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Abstract: In this paper, we present an original environment, the Distributed Collaborative Design Studio (DCDS) which allows multimodal real-time remote exchanges, and which aims at re-creating remotely the conditions of co-present meetings. This environment associates a videoconference tool (supporting verbal and non-verbal communication) and an original realtime shared digital hand-drawn sketches system (supporting graphical communication). The users can import documents and annotate them in real-time at distance. In this paper, we are interested in studying the use of the graphical modality (digital sketch and document annotations) as a tool for collective design and remote communication. This study takes place in the…framework of a collaborative architectural design studio, which has taken place during 3 month, and gathering students from Belgium and France to work together in 3 small groups mainly at distance. The study focuses on the role of graphical modality in the synchronous remote meetings supported by the DCDS. We identify the types of digital annotations made on the imported document, thanks to the electronic pen, and their role in the cognitive processes of designing and in the collaboration and communication processes. We also identify the different practices of digital sketching, according to the group and its collaborative strategies. We discuss the utility of the graphical modality as an efficient support for collaborative synchronous activities and show that the DCDS environment supports different strategies of collaborative design (co-design and distributed design). We conclude on recommendations for improving the system and for designing sketch-based collaborative environments.
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Abstract: In the areas of design, especially in architectural design, collaboration has become an important challenge. The specialization of skills increase, work teams are more and more extensive and the geographic distance between them increases too. The economic and ecological stakes related to remote collaboration are an evidence. This context involves the need to support most efficiently possible remote working meetings. We present the Distributed Collaborative Digital Studio (DSDC), a tool designed to recreate, in distant situations, the context of copresence meetings. This shared environment is created in the “invisible computer” approach [11]. The idea is that the tool should disappear…from user’s consciousness. Indeed, creative design activities require some fluidity in their process. Therefore, any involuntary interruption created by the system can potentially brake creativity. In this perspective, we investigate specifically the “invisibility” of our environment. To do this, we propose a framework for the operationalization of the concept and a methodology to test the system invisibility. This methodology was applied through a case study consisting of a corpus of 12 hours of remote collaborative design sessions with the DSDC. We highlight the learning effects while using our system, conclude on its effectiveness and discuss our methodology.
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Abstract: The advent and adoption of internet-based social networking has significantly altered our daily lives. The educational community has taken notice of the positive aspects of social networking such as creation of blogs and to support groups of system designers going through the same challenges and difficulties. This paper introduces a social networking framework for collaborative education, design and modeling of the next generation of smarter products and services. Human behaviour modeling in social networking application aims to ensure that human considerations for learners and designers have a prominent place in the integrated design and development of sustainable, smarter products throughout…the total system lifecycle. Social networks blend self-directed learning and prescribed, existing information. The self-directed element creates interest within a learner and the ability to access existing information facilitates its transfer, and eventual retention of knowledge acquired.
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Keywords: Smart Products, service systems, Systems Engineering, Social Networking
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1035-3504
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3504-3510, 2012
Abstract: This paper presents, illustrates and discusses a generic framework for studying knowledge co-elaboration in online epistemic communities (“OECs”). Our approach is characterised by: considering knowledge co-elaboration as a design activity; distinguishing discussion and production spaces in OECs; characterising participation via the notion of role; fine-grained analyses of meaning, content and communicative functions in interactions. On this basis, three key issues for ergonomics research on OECs are discussed and illustrated by results from our previous studies on OSS and Wikipedia. One issue concerns the interrelation between design (task) and regulation. Whereas design task-oriented activity is distributed among participants, we illustrate that…OCEs function with specialised emerging roles of group regulation. However, the task-oriented activity also functions at an interpersonal level, as an interplay of knowledge-based discussion with negotiation of competencies. Another issue concerns the foci of activity on the (designed) knowledge object. Based on a generic task model, we illustrate asymmetry and distinctiveness in tasks' foci of participants. The last issue concerns how design-use mediation is ensured by specific forms of mediation roles in OECs. Finally we discuss the degree of generality of our framework and draw some perspectives for extending our framework to other OECs.
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Abstract: During employment of icons in order to represent system functions, specific user requirements from elderly people have not been scientifically gathered and thus will merely be considered during the process of system design. The survey, with explicit consideration of technology acceptance and experience of 120 elderly probands, looked into the comprehension of four different classes of non-animated graphical representations. It was shown that among elderly, the use of photos compared to pictograms or clip art leads to a significantly higher recognition rate. The mapping of actions rather than objects leads to a further reduction of the error probability and is…thus, especially in the context of telemedicine, preferable for the target group.
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Keywords: Icons, human-computer interaction, elderly, user study, usability
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0630-3519
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3519-3525, 2012
Abstract: On the basis of three empirical studies Fitts’ Law was refined for bivariate pointing tasks on large touch screens. In the first study different target width parameters were investigated. The second study considered the effect of the motion angle. Based on the results of the two studies a refined model for movement time in human-computer interaction was formulated. A third study, which is described here in detail, concerns the validation of the refined model. For the validation study 20 subjects had to execute a bivariate pointing task on a large touch screen. In the experimental task 250 rectangular target objects…were displayed at a randomly chosen position on the screen covering a broad range of ID values (ID= [1.01; 4.88]). Compared to existing refinements of Fitts’ Law, the new model shows highest predictive validity. A promising field of application of the model is the ergonomic design and evaluation of project management software. By using the refined model, software designers can calculate a priori the appropriate angular position and the size of buttons, menus or icons.
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Keywords: Fitts’, Law, bivariate pointing task, movement time, human factors of software-systems
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0631-3526
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3526-3532, 2012
Abstract: Main objective of the recently started collaborative research project SFB/TR29 B4 is to provide cross-generational assistance to human operators working in industrial product-service systems (IPS2 ). By combining the ideas of actionspecificity and multimodality a more immediate and purposeful reaction towards warnings is assumed. For this purpose, an action-specific warning system in form of a glove has been developed. It provides either visual, auditory or haptic feedback or a combination of all modalities. In a first study this prototype was compared with a conventional warning system, where multimodal devices were directly mounted to the machine. The test scenario used in…this study is the ‘changing of a spindle’ on a replica of a micro milling machine. It was conducted with 42 participants. The experimental design is a within-design in terms of the two warning systems and a between-design concerning the three modalities and its combinations. Results of the two-way ANOVA with repeated measures on both factors ‘system’ and ‘modality’ show a significant main effect for the ‘modality’ and a significant interaction effect between both factors. Especially the haptic warnings on the action-specific glove were described as “that kind of warning, which evokes the fastest response”.
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Keywords: action-specific warning, multimodality, cross-generational interface design, industrial product-service systems
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0632-3533
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3533-3540, 2012
Abstract: Even though computers play a massive role in everyday life of modern societies, older adults, and especially older women, are less likely to use a computer, and they perform fewer activities on it than younger adults. To get a better understanding of the factors affecting older adults’ intention towards and usage of computers, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT) was applied as part of a more extensive study with 52 users and non-users of computers, ranging in age from 50 to 90 years. The model covers various aspects of computer usage in old age via four…key constructs, namely performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitating conditions, as well as the variables gender, age, experience, and voluntariness it. Interestingly, next to performance expectancy, facilitating conditions showed the strongest correlation with use as well as with intention. Effort expectancy showed no significant correlation with the intention of older adults to use a computer.
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Keywords: Computer usage, elderly computer users, UTAUT, acceptance model
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0633-3541
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3541-3548, 2012
Abstract: Phishing is an increasingly more prevalent form of online, social engineered scams that escalate costs and risks to society year to year. This study demonstrates an association between anti-phishing training techniques used in previous research and individual differences which could affect phishing susceptibility. Results indicated that anti-phishing training in both a simple comic and more complex video game form is helpful in decreasing phishing susceptibility as measured by Miss rates for all individuals including college aged and computer savvy participants. Based on the results of the present study, implications for future efforts to combat phishing are discussed.
Keywords: Computer security, phishing, training
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1054-3549
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3549-3552, 2012
Abstract: In this paper, a research that deals with the problem of determining of the visibility of the alphanumeric presentation on CRT and LCD screens is presented, in conditions when the screen filters are used, and when they are not used. A methodology that can be used for determination of the visibility of alphanumeric symbols on VDT screens is presented. It is determined the existence of differences in visibility of alphanumeric presentations when screen filters are used, compared to conditions when they are not used. This difference was statistically significant, while the visibility of the presented alphanumeric symbols on CRT and…LCD screens that use screen filters is lower than when they are not used. For this reason, the use of protective screen filter is recommended in circumstances where a very high level of glare exists, when the visual fatigue is common appearance and when a user performs a task that does not depend on the detection of stimuli whose RGB values are low.
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Abstract: Personal computers are used by a majority of the working population in their professions. Little is known about risk-factors for incident symptoms from the eyes among professional computer users. The aim was to study the incidence and risk-factors for symptoms from the eyes among professional computer users. This study is a part of a comprehensive prospective follow-up study of factors associated with the incidence of symptoms among professional computer users. 1531 computer users of different professions at 46 companies were invited, whereof 1283 answered a baseline questionnaire (498 men; 785 women) and 1246 at least one of 10 monthly…follow-up questionnaires. The computer work-station and equipment were generally of a good standard. The majority used CRT displays. During the follow-up period 329 subjects reported eye symptoms. The overall incidence rate in the whole study group was 0.38 per person-year, 0.23 in the subgroup of subjects who were symptom free at baseline and 1.06 among subjects who reported eye symptoms at baseline. In the bivariate analyses significant associations were found with all explanatory variables, except BMI. The reduced multivariate model showed significant associations with extended computer work, visual discomfort (dose-response), eye symptoms at baseline (higher risk), sex (women=higher risk) and nicotine use. The incidence of eye problems among professional computer users is high and related to both individual and work-related factors.
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Keywords: office work, eye strain, prospective study
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0634-3560
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3560-3562, 2012
Abstract: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 26 VDU operators in a post office and a bank, working regularly on video display units. The study aimed at (1) determining the physical working conditions, particularly lighting conditions, (2) assessing employees’ complaints, (3) measuring visual defects among operators in VDU workstations. The following results are revealed: (a) ergonomic shortcomings in workplace and work station design were clearly noticed (b) noise level was between 60db and 78 db, (c) illumination parameters did not much the task and caused ocular symptoms and visual fatigue, (d) visual tests revealed vision defects in…84.6% of the cases, (e) visual fatigue was noticed at the end of the working day. The abnormal frequency of operators’ complaints can be explained by the association of visual defects and inadequate working conditions
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Abstract: The aims of this study were to investigate work conditions, to estimate the prevalence and to describe risk factors associated with Computer Vision Syndrome among two call centers´ operators in São Paulo (n = 476). The methods include a quantitative cross-sectional observational study and an ergonomic work analysis, using work observation, interviews and questionnaires. The case definition was the presence of one or more specific ocular symptoms answered as always, often or sometimes. The multiple logistic regression model, were created using the stepwise forward likelihood method and remained the variables with levels below 5% (p < 0.05). The operators were…mainly female and young (from 15 to 24 years old). The call center was opened 24 hours and the operators weekly hours were 36 hours with break time from 21 to 35 minutes per day. The symptoms reported were eye fatigue (73.9%), “weight” in the eyes (68.2%), “burning” eyes (54.6%), tearing (43.9%) and weakening of vision (43.5%). The prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome was 54.6%. Associations verified were: being female (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.1), lack of recognition at work (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.8), organization of work in call center (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.7) and high demand at work (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.3). The organization and psychosocial factors at work should be included in prevention programs of visual syndrome among call centers´ operators.
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Abstract: A total of 85 VDU operators, in three main Scandinavian Alcatel-Lucent headquarters, were followed in a process moving from single occupancy offices to office landscapes. This paper discusses the visual challenges and implications in such a change in location. By careful design and construction of an office landscape with regards to lighting and visual conditions transfer from a small office to an office landscape may be acceptable from a visual-ergonomic point of view. In the oral presentation recommendation on how to avoid visual problems will be discussed.
Abstract: The Swedish Provisions on Work with Display Screen Equipment and the EU Directive on the minimum safety and health requirements for work with display screen equipment cover several important visual ergonomics aspects. But a review of cases and questions to the Swedish Work Environment Authority clearly shows that most attention is given to the demands for eyesight tests and special computer glasses. Other important visual ergonomics factors are at risk of being neglected. Today computers are used everywhere, both at work and at home. Computers can be laptops, PDA’s, tablet computers, smart phones, etc. The demands on eyesight tests and…computer glasses still apply but the visual demands and the visual ergonomics conditions are quite different compared to the use of a stationary computer. Based on this review, we raise the question if the demand on the employer to provide the employees with computer glasses is outdated.
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Keywords: eyesight test, computer glasses, new display screen technique, visual ergonomics, demands on the employer
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0638-3577
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3577-3579, 2012
Abstract: Prior researchers have demonstrated that training may be an effective strategy for improving operator reactions to alarm systems with less than perfect reliability. Of the training strategies tested, recognition of temporal patterns in prior sensor activations seems to offer the greatest promise for improving the speed and appropriateness of subsequent alarm reactions. The current research was completed to clarify which of three temporal interval training methods leads to the most appropriate alarm reactions. Fifty-six undergraduates evaluated whether alarms occurring after sensor activations were true or false, based on elapsed time between the sensor signals and the alarm signals. Participants completed…five training sessions to learn to estimate time intervals using simple repetition training, performance feedback, or performance feedback plus subdivision cues. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that participants did not benefit differentially from temporal interval training. Differences between pre- and posttest interval estimation performance was similar among groups, and training groups performed comparably when reacting to signals. Participants generally focused on advertised alarm system reliability, responding more appropriately and more quickly to lower reliability alarms. Future researchers and designers should replicate these findings with realistic tasks and real-world complex task operators to determine their generalization.
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Keywords: Alarms, Training, Reliability, Time, Reactions
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0668-3580
Citation: Work,
vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3580-3585, 2012
Abstract: Through a series of investigations involving different levels of contextual fidelity we developed scales of perceived urgency for several dimensions of the auditory, visual, and tactile modalities. Psychophysical ratings of perceived urgency, annoyance, and acceptability as well as behavioral responses to signals in each modality were obtained and analyzed using Steven’s Power Law to allow comparison across modalities. Obtained results and their implications for use as in-vehicle alerts and warnings are discussed.
