Advances in Physical, Social & Occupational Ergonomics

Observational ergonomic postural assessment methods have been used to evaluate the risks of musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, researchers have actively proposed semiautomatic approaches using motion capture data. This study compared joint angle measurements from optical, inertial, and depth-based motion capture systems, especially for cases with occlusions. Participants performed 6 static postures with different degrees of occlusion while capturing motion data by three motion capture systems. Results showed that the joint angle difference between the three systems was acceptably low in general, but the difference between Kinect and the other two systems was larger, especially in cases with occlusions. The findings indicate that the Kinect-based system is less stable than optical and inertial-based motion capture systems, but it can be used for ergonomic postural assessments in the environment without severe occlusions.

Nurses are at increased risk to develop musculoskeletal disorders (in particular low back pain) due to prolonged exposure to awkward postures, but there is a lack of quantitative objective measurements useful to characterize such postures. In the present study, we employed a single wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed in the low back to monitor trunk flexion of eleven professional nurses working at maternity and cardiology wards during two hours of a regular shift. Trunk movement was analyzed using an exposure variation analysis approach which classifies flexion in three classes (i.e. 30–60°, 60–90° and >90°). The results show that tested nurses spent 3.5% of the monitored time with their trunk flexed between 30 and 60° and 0.2% between 60 and 90°. The IMU-based approach appears suitable to perform long-term monitoring of trunk postures in workers at risk for musculoskeletal disorders, overcoming the limitation of the observational methods and questionnaires.

Interactions with treadmills are based on pressing buttons or through a touchscreen. However, these interactions require the user to touch the frontal dashboard of the treadmill while running. Indeed, for each interaction that the runner does, the user needs to break her/his running form to reach the interface. Those actions cost also some additional energy to the runner with a possible impact on performance. Current technologies allow finding a better solution for the runner like gesture-based interaction. This paper presents a comparison of different interaction modalities, including gestures, on a treadmill. The goal of this study is to analyze the ergonomics of gestural interfaces while running on a treadmill. In fact, specific tailored gestures are perceived as more natural and easier to perform while doing an activity and can improve significantly the user experience.

The lactate concentration significantly increases during exercise destabilizing the cellular acid-base balance. In this study, we examined the relationship between alkaline water usage and muscle fatigue recovery measured as the change in lactate concentration. Thirty healthy subjects were asked to pedal on a cycle ergometer for 25 min at a constant pace. At the end of the physical exercise, each subject was asked to drink, in one hour, either one liter of water with a pH equal to 6.9 (control) or one liter of alkaline water with a pH value ranging between 8.5 and 9.3 (experimental). The two conditions were separated by an interval of 24 h. The concentration of the lactate was measured just after the physical exercise and after the water consumption. In control condition, there was not significant change in lactate concentration (p = 0.097), whereas, in the experimental condition, the lactate concentration measured after the alkaline water consumption was significantly lower than the concentration measured just after the physical exercise (p < 0.000001). The observed results have proven the beneficial effects of the alkaline water on the reduction of the lactate concentration thus accelerating the muscle fatigue recovery process.

This study aims at analyzing the relationship between postural assessment and perceived discomfort for picking tasks with low mass (1 kg), involving a wide range of positions/postures. We analyzed the agreement of the different postural scores (mean value, integral value, root mean square value, weighted average time at each RULA level and the % of time per RULA level) with the subjective assessments. The statistical analysis showed no correlation between subjective and postural scores. A few negative correlations were also noticed, especially for time spent at specific levels of postural discomfort compared to subjective feedback. The results showed that the subjective assessment was not correlated with the postural assessment in such low discriminant tasks. Although postural assessment enabled to discriminate the more difficult postures with regard to the experimental conditions, the subjects were unable to report coherent discomfort feedback.

The Composite Ergonomic Risk Assessment (CERA) is a well-known and popular tool in Hungary for estimating work-related musculoskeletal risks. CERA applies the requirements of the EN 1005 standard series and implements and practical solutions like discomfort mapping. The original paper-pencil version is available in Hungarian, English and Russian, and shortened versions are available for different jobs, e.g. office work, waste sorting and also motion-capture-based versions emerged. This paper describes the further development of this specific tool.

In today’s advanced work environment, workers are still exposed to ergonomic risks in the work environment and employees are exposed physically hard work that includes moving loads and frequent repetitive movements at fast pace. For the ergonomic risk analysis and workload assessment, three work operations with the high physical activity were selected: the welder’s workplace, the ironing board sorting line and the ironing board’s packing station. Subjective and objective ergonomics research methods were used. Research results show that employees in selected work operations are exposed to a fast work speed and often, monotonous movements at the sorting line and lifting heavy loads at the ironing board packaging workplace. Improvements in work processes and reduction of ergonomic risks are achieved through organizational and technical solutions that do not require significant material investment.

Muscle fatigue occurs after sports activities, repeated actions in a routine job, or a heavy-duty job. It causes soreness and reduces performance in athletes and workers. Various therapies have been developed to reduce muscle fatigue. Vibration therapy has been used to reduce muscle fatigue and delay muscle soreness. However, its effectiveness remains unclear. Ultrasound images provide a non-invasive diagnosis and instant visual examinations. However, it requires extensive training to analyze ultrasound images. The purpose of this study was to develop an automated classification system of ultrasound images using deep learning to assist clinical diagnosis. The ultrasound images of the biceps muscle were measured from four healthy people. The primary objective of the study was to use the convolutional neural network (CNN) models to classify between the vibration control condition (0 Hz) and vibration test conditions (5, 35, and 50 Hz) with subjects in different time duration the pattern (2 and 10-min). These images were preprocessed to resize to 224 × 224 pixels and augmentation to feed into the dataset, including the augmentation training dataset (74%), validation dataset (15%), and non-augmentation test dataset (11%). This study used the AlexNet, VGG-16, and VGG-19 of CNN models for recognition and classification ultrasound images. These models compared the differences of ultrasound images of biceps after various vibration between two conditions. The results showed that AlexNet has the best performance with the accuracy 82.5%, sensitivity 67.3%, and specificity 99.5% when 10-min 35 Hz local vibration was applied. The deep learning method, AlexNet, shows the potential for automated classification of biceps ultrasound images for assessing treatment outcomes of vibration therapy.

In Latvia textile industry workers suffer from work-related muscular skeletal disorders (WRMSD). The aim of the research is to study the causes of WRMSDs for the tailor’s profession in a medium- sized enterprise. This research involved 120 tailors. Modified Standardized Nordic questionnaire, Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, Key indicator method was used for analysis of physical workload during manual handling operations. Main survey results show that tailors suffer from pain in shoulders, wrists and fingers, have repetitive arm movements in sitting compulsory work position. Accordingly to Key indicator method tailors refer to hard work level but Borg scale results indicates the load between a low and sufficiently heavy load. To conclude tailors are exposed to tension in muscles of the wrist, neck and shoulders, due to the repetitive, monotonous movements performed by hands during the sewing process, which are the main causes of WRMSDs in textile industry.

Construction entails exposure to a range of ergonomics hazards and risks. The study entailed observations of activities on several construction sites. Findings include that most construction activities entail exposure to a range of ergonomics hazards and risks, and that aspects/interventions can contribute to an improvement of construction ergonomics. Conclusions include: construction is physically demanding; construction activities are hazardous in terms of ergonomics; HIRAs, if conducted, are not effective, and there is a need to implement ergonomics interventions. Recommendations include: the level of awareness relative to construction ergonomics must be raised; designers must deliberate their general design, details, and specification within the context of construction ergonomics; HIRAs must be conducted prior to the commencement of all activities; the construction process and its activities must be reengineered, and employer and professional associations, and statutory councils should develop and or promote construction ergonomics-related continuing professional development (CPD) courses.

Cashew-nut shelling is an important operation in cashew industries in India. The work of Cashew-Nut Shelling Workers (CNSWs) is characterized by repetitive movements, prolonged standing, and awkward working posture. However, CNSWs are understudied worker population with respect to musculoskeletal health and risk factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 CNSWs in cashew industries across three states of India. The objectives of the study are to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MS) disorders and associated risk factors among CNSWs in cashew industries in India. The data were collected using a questionnaire via the standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and by direct observations of working posture (Rapid Entire Body Assessment [REBA] method) to determine ergonomic risks. The highest prevalence of MS disorders was mainly found in knees (56.0%), lower back (53.3%), shoulders (48.0%), and hands/wrists (47.3%). The REBA grand score (4–7) indicated that most CNSWs’ postures were at medium risk level, necessitating further investigation and changes to their working habits and workstations to decrease the level of risk. In addition, the results of multivariate logistic regression models revealed that work-related factors including work experience (>5 years) and working posture, were significantly associated with MS disorders in different body regions. Individual factors including gender (being female), age, and educational level, were also associated with the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints. These study results indicate the prevalence of MS disorders and emphasize the need for ergonomic design interventions for the prevention of MS disorders among these working populations.

This paper aimed to evaluate the risks in relation to repetitive movements of the upper limbs in a poultry slaughterhouse, verifying the relationship between the OCRA checklist scores and each risk factor, as well as analyze the effects of a reduced work pace on the risk levels. The study was carried out in a poultry abattoir with 2,100 workers, in which 310,000 chickens were slaughtered daily. To assess the risks, 10% of the workers were evaluated by OCRA checklist. The overall mean OCRA checklist score was 22.8 ± 3.3 (high risk). The scores for the right upper limb (22.1 ± 4.1) were significantly higher than the left (21.3 ± 4.4) (p = 0.008). The technical action scores for frequency, force, shoulder, wrist and overall posture were correlated with the OCRA Checklist score. Reducing only the work rate (−50.4 ± 7.7%), it was possible to achieve very low levels of risk in 46 of the 47 tasks analyzed.

The objective of this article is to present courses of action for supervisors and verify their feasibility and applicability. A multi-part sequential qualitative study proposed course of actions for supervisors and verified their relevance, feasibility, and applicability by on-line questionnaire, and two focus groups with nineteen supervisors and other stakeholders from 19 Quebec organizations in 6 different sectors. Overall, respondents found courses of action as relevant, well formulated, and applicable in some favorable contexts. These contexts depended on the formalization of the supervisor’s role and responsibilities, the organization’s culture and resources, the decision-making flexibility given to supervisors regarding temporary work changes, and the possibility of training supervisors regarding the actions required as part of a worker’s reintegration. For organizations, two main challenges stand out: formalizing in clear and unambiguous terms each party’s responsibilities; and gathering knowledge, experience, and know-how regarding sustainable RTW for all parties involved in the RTW process.

This study investigates the effects of three different sitting positions on neck and back of students in two various class layouts under class activities. One of the classrooms is traditional in which students sit parallel to the screen and the other one which is more recent one, seats are perpendicular to the screen. Sitting positions include seats in various part of classroom. In this approach, the activity of back muscle, Trapezius Pars descendens (TRP-UP), and neck muscle, Sternocleidomastoid (SCM), are explored. Results show that class layout has a significant effect on both SCM and TRP. Yet, students sitting positions has significant effect only on SCM. Moreover, based on questionnaires’ output, students feel more comfortable in both their neck and back, when they sit in the middle of traditional classes.

According to Philippine statistics report in 2013, majority of the Philippines’ solid wastes come from residential areas. Solid waste collection workers are regularly exposed to risks of occupational injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). With the aim of assessing the occupational risks of municipal solid waste collectors, this study was conducted in a city subdivision in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Workers were asked to answer the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire and an occupational risk survey. Images of worker postures taken during their work were analyzed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment. Risk factors for possible occupational injuries were determined. Results showed that gathering trash, giving trash to segregators, and garbage segregating exposed the workers to poor postures with high to very high risk. Open wounds were most likely to occur. Recommendations for both subdivisions and contractors were provided in order to mitigate the risks identified.

Buildings are estimated to account for 40% of the EU’s energy consumption. Thus, there is a growing body of research on the behaviors of building users and what influences these. While there has been substantial research on energy saving behavior in households, far less research has focused on the context of non-residential buildings. We report on a study to understand energy saving behaviors in the context of workplace, drawing on the theory of planned behavior. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed on data from employees in a Norwegian organization (N = 251). We find energy concern to be a significant predictor of energy saving behavior at work, and that this relationship is partially mediated by perceived behavioral control. In addition, routinization of energy saving behavior seem to be of great importance for engaging in such behavior also at work.

It is generally known that an appropriate workplace design has long-term consequences on worker and can prevent musculoskeletal discomfort, improve productivity and work efficiency, reduce production costs and optimize human well-being. Worker is actually the center of production system and is the employer’s most important resource. To achieve an optimum balance between the workers’ and the company’s interests a systematic approach to the workplace design is very important. The benefits of well-designed jobs, equipment, and workplaces are numerus and can be summarized in improved productivity, safety, health, and increased satisfaction for the employees.Although the literature in the field of ergonomic workplace design is extensive, there is a lack of expert knowledge regarding workers with disabilities and ergonomic workplace design for these workers. The aim of our research was therefore to address this defectiveness and to propose corresponding modes to overcome exposed problems.

The high prevalence of Varicose Veins among adults is continually imposing the interest of the public worldwide. Since varicose veins problems affects about one (1) of five (5) adults and sixteen percent (16%) of adults at the age sixty (60) years old and above and around twenty-two (22) millions of women and eleven (11) millions of men worldwide. Discovering that there’s also a higher risk of women having a varicose vein or about 50% of American women. Furthermore, a new study also shows that aside from women, tall person is great risk of developing a varicose vein. Alongside with non-modifiable risk factors is the nature of work of an individual which contribute to acquiring varicose veins especially those with stationary jobs. Therefore, the researchers conducted an epidemiologic study to measure the prevalence, measure of association and identifying the risk factors in the development of varicose veins. Prevalence rate is found out to be at fifty eight percent (58%) of which both identified risk factors and odd ratio re both in positive numbers. Leaning bas, and kinesthetic activities are recommended to mitigate the risk in developing the disease.

This study assessed the noise and ergonomics factors associated with the welding operations of Ghanaian informal-auto-mechanics and the implications it has on their personal well-being and productivity. Using the 2014 OSHA Hazards Assessment Checklist, the noise and ergonomics factors associated with welding operations in three selected shops were firstly assessed expertly. This was followed by interviews with the informal-auto-mechanics, using the checklist as interview-guide. The results showed that welding operations in all the shops were very noisy, with operators oblivious to the health hazards of their noisy operations. Additionally, all the informal-auto-mechanics’ reported ergonomics constraint in their welding operations, manifested as musculoskeletal disorders caused by inappropriate work postures, repetitive-motion and insufficient pause-periods in tasks performance. It is concluded that Ghanaian informal-auto-mechanics’ are oblivious of occupational hazards associated with their welding activities caused by noise and ergonomics constraints, and the negative consequence they have on their personal well-being and work productivity.

BACKGROUND: Previously of work-related chronic low back pain has been established. With development of new understanding of medical science, better and improved requirements were needed in defining occupational spine disease. OBJECTIVES: To identify the variables that would be associated with occupational spine diseases. To develop an objective measurement in determining occupational spine diseases using the relationships of these variables. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Workers registered for low back pain claims for chronic work-related compensation in Malaysia from 2017 to 2018. PARTICIPANTS: Workers who were between 20 to 60 years old that had previously submitted claims for chronic low back pain. MEASUREMENTS: Workers who applied for employment injury scheme, based on history of chronic low and had their applications reviewed by the Social Security Medical Board. Subjected were then interviewed at their workplace using the BACKS prototype questionnaire that had incorporated the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). RESULTS: 200 workers were interviewed (mean age 41.7, SD: 8.12 years old). Linear regression analysis identified that chronic occupational back pain was associated with absence of disc bulge, history of accident or fall, smoking behaviour and individuals with non-communicable diseases (p < 0.05). Increasing age in the form of increased exposure to manual labour over years was also associated to occupational low back pain. These variables explained 78.5% of their relationship in determining chronic occupational low back pain. LIMITATIONS: The interview relied on workers recollection of their workplace. The recall bias was reduced using the aids of the BACKS questionnaire to illustrate their previous working conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Manual labour workers that were involved with significant chronic back disabilities, lifting and twisting objects along with colleagues whom had similar past spinal injuries at work were criteria for occupational spinal disease.

The linear correlations between one subjective - perceived postural instability (PPI) and fifty-one objective postural instability measures were investigated, and their abilities in detecting the main and interaction effects of three work-related factors were compared. Results showed thirty-five objective measures had large correlations (|r| ≥ 0.5) with PPI. Center of pressure (COP) related measures had stronger abilities for detecting the factors’ effects than the other objective measures. Especially, ten of them, together with PPI, successfully detected (p < 0.05) both the main and interaction effects of all studied factors. High discriminating power, an overall high intra-class correlation coefficient and a small mean absolute difference between test-retest illustrated the PPI is reliable and sensitive for postural instability measuring. COP movement-related (velocity, acceleration, time to contact), and phase plane parameter, planar deviation in velocity, distance to the closest base of support boundary are recommended objective measures.

This study investigated the feature quantity related to the stiffness of the lumbar joints in 19 subjects for the construction of a dynamic tightening force control system for Active Corset. We investigate the change of the alignment of pelvis and lumbosacral vertebrae from X ray image, which are expected to change due to pelvic tightening. As a result, we confirm the tendency that joint stiffness increases as the sacrum tilt forward due to pelvic tightening.

Pressure ulcers are a common problem among older nursing home residents. Wound healing monitoring in these older residents causes intensive significant workload for nurses. Moisture and sebum of the skin are critical factors during wound healing which can observations for nurses quick and handy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between moisture and sebum of the skin during wound healing in older people. The data of moisture and sebum was observed for four times in sequence biweekly from the sacrum region of eighteen subjects. Based on the wound healing status, the subjects were grouped into the wound healing, wound non-healing, and non-wound groups. The wound area was calculated by manually tracing the wound area in captured images using the Image-J. Ulcer area were median correlation with moisture (r = .61) and sebum (r = −.60) in the wound healing group. The moisture was also significantly correlated with sebum (r = .89, p < .05) in the wound non-healing group. Increasing moisture and decreasing sebum may be associated with wound healing among older nursing home residents. Our findings showed that moisture and sebum of human skin can be used to predict wound healing status.

Recent boom of smartphone technology and attractive new features with affordable price are continuously convincing new users to upgrade their phone and eventually they spend far more screen-time than ever before. Recent studies have shown that deltoid, trapezius, and forearm muscles mostly get affected among other muscular regions. But previous studies have some research gap in measuring combined effect of these three muscles due to smartphone use and they did not consider armrest conditions while measuring the combined muscular effect. Eight participants were recruited and EMG of six muscles (Upper Trapezius (UT), Anterior Deltoid (AD), Abductor Pollicis Longus (APL), Flexor Carpi Ulnaris (FCU), Extensor Pollicis Longus (EPL), and Abductor Pollicis Brevis (APB)) was recorded. Results found difference of UT MVC% when using cellphone on the chair with or without armrest. Gender had influence on part of muscles activity.

One possibility to intervene in falls due to slipping is to use shoes with soles that can resist possible slips. The objective of this research is to evaluate the friction coefficient of the female footwear for the elderly produced with sustainable material (castor oil and bamboo composite). Slip tests on ceramic floors with a detergent solution and steel floors with glycerol solution (ABNT NBR ISO 20344: 2015, 5.11 and ISO 13287: 2012) were carried out at the Technological Research Institute of São Paulo (Brazil) - IPT. The results of the study showed that the sole developed with castor oil and bamboo is indicated for ceramic floors, but it is not advisable to use this kind of sole on steel floors with a glycerol solution.

By analyzing the fuse of the IKEA “Malm” chest of drawers event, the human factor dimensions of children, behavioral differences between children and adults, and drawer material density changes were taken as design factors for the new chest of drawer, and a model was established. Four design points were proposed: i) multiple anti-dumping structure design to prevent children from being crushed to death; ii) design of drawer safety lock; iii) drawer volume gradually decreased from bottom to top, material density also gradually decreased from bottom to top, the overall center of gravity of the chest of drawers moves down; iv) the arc-shaped structure with the center of gravity moved backwards and reduces the contact area at the bottom. The Creo modeling software was used to perform a stability virtual test. The analysis results show that the designed chest of drawer is relatively stable and meets national standards. This study can provide new design ideas for improving the safety of chest of drawers in the future.

As an unavoidable part of family life, kitchen waste contains high moisture and organic matter, which is easy to rot and produce a bad smell. The use of household kitchen waste machine can be properly handled, into new resources, such as organic fertilizer. In consideration of the comfort of operation, the deodorization performance of composting, and the guarantee of efficiency, the modeling and structural design of household kitchen waste composting machine are improved to make the product more in line with the physiological and psychological characteristics of people.

In the same indoor lighting conditions, we compared the differences on visual fatigue, comfort and visual function between before and after viewing the same video on VR and iPad display. The test task is to watch the same cartoon, and the test time for each condition is 40 min. The main measures indexes include critical fusion frequency, contrast sensitivity, diopter, accommodation response and visual fatigue and comfort perception scale, etc. The subjects are students aged 9–15. The results show that there is significant difference on critical fusion frequency index between the VR HMD and the iPad, which the decline range of CFF by viewing the video on the VR HMD is more than that of viewing it on the iPad, indicating that the use of VR HMD has a greater impact on users’ ability to identify critical fusion frequency than that of iPad. However, there are no significant differences on objective visual fatigue, comfort, diopter and accommodation response, contrast sensitivity and so on, which are compared between the two samples and before and after viewing the cartoon. The results demonstrate that there are a lot of developments in the technology of VR devices, and their effects on users’ visual fatigue and visual function are getting less and less, but there is still a certain distance between the VR HMD and tablet computer in some aspects.

As the importance of sport practice is currently growing, the evaluation of the environmental parameters and especially of the thermal conditions in sport halls is particularly relevant, since they can affect the health and performance of the athletes. In particular, as a lack of studies has been detected and current standards are missing a scientific base for the determination of the environmental parameters, a methodology for assessing the indoor thermal environment in fencing halls has been provided, starting from a case study. This research leads also to preliminary results obtained through objective and subjective measurements and lays the groundwork for future studies.

This study evaluated the effects of wearing chemical protective clothing on manual dexterity. In addition, this study tested whether the manual dexterity measured from the protective glove only can represent the manual dexterity for the full protective clothing. The results indicated that the completing time required for the bare hand, glove only, and full protective clothing settings were 45.97 ± 5.87, 127.36 ± 45.45, and 129.44 ± 48.77 s, respectively. Wearing protective device (glove only and full protective clothing) decrease the manual dexterity, however, no significant differences were found between these two settings. Therefore, the traditional way which uses the glove only to establish the dexterity data can be used for selection of the full chemical protective clothing to meet the dexterity requirements.

Data from various countries (USA, Great Britain, Brazil, Italy, India, etc.) shows a significant prevalence and incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in kerbside waste collection workers. We investigated some biomechanical parameters of the task of pouring bins in collection kerb through 3DSSPP software. (v 7.0.6). Bins manual handling was investigated in four different operating modes: through 1) a lorry side window; 2) at the back of the lorry; 3) in a certified container; 4) in a non-certified container. 3DSSPP risk assessment showed that bin pouring implies a high level of biomechanical load in each of the four modes. The most dangerous mode was that in which the worker empties the bin directly into the back of the van (mode 2). 3DSSPP showed significant values of percentage of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC) for trunk flexion (67% MVC), left shoulder abduction (30% MVC) and left wrist ulnar deviation (50% MVC). These values imply a low level of the maximum recommended exertion duty cycle (1% for trunk flexion, 3.2% for left wrist ulnar deviation). Also the balance was unacceptable. Emptying technique that showed the lowest level of risk was mode 3 (certified container) that reported 29% of MVC for trunk flexion and a maximum recommended exertion duty cycle of 13.6%. 3DSSPP showed no relevant values of orthogonal and shear forces at L4/L5 and L5/S1 levels. Finally, this technique was the only one that showed an acceptable balance. It would be desirable to design the vehicles for collection with easier access, as the operator is continuously getting on and off.

This case study aimed to analyze the ergonomic risk of a manual material handling task and the effects of simulated interventions to reduce risks. The task of picking up boxes on the conveyor belt and putting them on the trolley of the freezing tunnel sector was selected intentionally. Two Brazilian poultry slaughterhouse workers positioned four boxes (7–18 kg) on each of the 11 shelves for 453 min daily. The vertical (0.25–1.75 m) and horizontal distances (0.45 m) and grip quality (poor) were collected. International Standards and the Variable Lift Index (VLI) software were employed. The average mass handled per worker was 11.7 kg (<25 kg), however, the results recommended weight limits of 2.1–5.5 kg for different heights. The cumulative mass lifted was 35,333 kg/worker/day (limit-10 tons), and 2,849 boxes/worker/day, consequently, the lifting frequency was 6.3/min, and VLI was 4.99 (very high). Performing job rotation with eight workers, ideal vertical area and box weights of 7–8 kg, VLI was 0.80.

Lifting is considered as the most stressful activity in manual material handling and leads to musculoskeletal disorders. The present work was performed to evaluate the lifting index and the risk of low back pain among workers involved in lifting of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder. 40 workers working in 3 modes of transportation of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders in north India were investigated with the help of the NIOSH lifting equation. The results revealed that 100% of the workers have performed under different levels of risk as their LI > 1. 22.5% were under low risk, 32.5% of workers were under medium risk and 45% of the workers were under high risk. The present work reveals that there is a need to redesign the lifting tasks by reducing the horizontal distance of lifting of cylinders and reducing the weight of the cylinder.

The physical environment of the aircraft cabin is the basic factor influencing the comfort experience of air passengers. In order to clarify the influence path of the cabin physical environment factors on the passenger comfort experience. Exploratory factor analysis methods and structural equation models are used to explore the effects of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, brightness, noise, vibration, and air pressure on seat comfort and cross-group analysis is used to explore whether the above paths are affected by passenger gender and Influence of body shape. The results show that the overall fitting indexes of the model meet the critical conditions and the routes described in the model have significant effects on passengers of different genders and shapes. The research results provide a reference for the study of the relationship between the factors affecting the comfort. Research are beneficial to the improvement of comfort experience of aircraft cabin.

In Ecuador, agriculture is an activity of social and economic relevance perform mainly by indigenous women. In previous studies ergonomic evaluations done to daily activities of these women yielded in all cases high physical workload. Elderly women of these communities show severe spinal deformations which are believed to be related to workload. Ergonomic methods are aimed for industrial and administrative environments, with limited application for unstructured labors. The evaluated activities are performed in poor environmental and safety conditions. The aim is to adapt an ergonomics method to enable the asassertively determination of risk level of the evaluated activities. The proposed method is based on REBA and assess forced postures and loads handling and transportation, calculating a unique ergonomic risk value and showing similar results when load is carried symmetrically and within the permissible weight limits; however, when these factors are not met the modified method allows to increase the risk factor.

To enforce the management to the workers, measures should be taken to monitor the work’s condition. 30 subjects are selected for the experiments, which are performed in three scenarios, working on the ground, working at 2.0 m high with protective equipment, and working at 2.0 m high without protective equipment. The physiological signal data are obtained through the synchronization platform. Effective physiological signal fragments are extracted, and physiological signal data are extracted. Being compared with working on the ground, the results indicate that there are significant differences on Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Photoplethysmography (PPG) when working at high place whether the subjects wear the safety belt or not. Therefore, ECG and PPG should be paid more attention on the using of recognition, supervision, and improvement to the persons at high place.

The Foggara as a traditional irrigation method is still used in Algeria, especially in the western deserts (Touat, Gourara, and Tidikelt regions). Human work at the Foggara system can be a digging work, maintenance work, or distributive work. In this research, the maintenance work is studied with the aim of shedding some light on tasks the worker performs while maintaining the Foggara, how much effort the worker makes to maintain it and the body areas that are exposed to the greatest possible fatigue. To complete this research, data were collected from 37 Foggara maintenance workers using Interview, Borg scale, and the Nordic scale. It has been found that the major Foggara maintenance task was: clean and repair the Foggara, the effort required to maintain the Foggara is high and the workers are exposed to high levels of physical discomfort while doing the maintenance work.

An analysis is presented of occupational and non-occupational risk factors of four workers diagnosed with lumbar pathologies in a pet food manufacturing company. Through a survey, individual aspects were investigated, exposure to risk factors present in the working conditions of the task, the environment and organization, as well as extra-labor factors according to scientific literature. Occupational antecedents were found by carrying out load handling activities and exposure to factors of the three dimensions described. Regarding the extra-labor component, they have carried out activities similar to those outside the working day. The above is corroborated according to literature given that structures of the lumbar spine can be subjected to excessive compression and shear forces plus the presence of muscle fatigue, amplified by job characteristics, organizational and extra-labor aspects. It is required to determine criticality levels of these factors and more studies in this regard.

Background - In India most of the elderly female (pillion riders) of aged above 35 prefers sitting sideways upon motorcycles (commuting) in India. In this situation occupant, sitting/packaging issues have a major problem, refusing elderly female to get ride on motorcycle. Objective - The aim of this study is to find different ergonomic and occupant packaging issues including Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) mostly for elderly female (pillion rider) in Indian commuting motorcycles. Methodology – Observation, photography, analysis carried out. Result – Risk factor and discomfort of sitting sideways on existing motorcycle seat were higher (810 mm), demanding quick intervention. Conclusion - Ergonomic analysis and design intervention suggested by redesigning/optimizing the existing seat of the motorcycles considering pillion rider as elderly female.

The graphics tablet has become the most used in the field of digital art and the most important hardware equipment, more and more designers are using graphics tablet for painting, which inevitably leads to musculoskeletal disorders such as sore shoulders, cervical spine pain and neck pain. The best approach is to provide good interventions, this research mainly includes three aspects: First, evaluates the ergonomic risk level of graphics tablet users using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool. Second, evaluates the correlation between musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk level of graphics tablet users. Third, provides ergonomic intervention measures, wrong posture prevention and correct posture advice for graphics tablet users.

This study aimed to examine the status of depression symptoms and occupational stress factors that triggered these symptoms among workers in medical and welfare industries. Web-based surveys were conducted in 2016 and 2019 among research company survey respondents regarding their work, life and health. This study extracted data for medical services and welfare workers who participated in both the initial survey in 2016 and the follow-up survey in 2019. First of all, 288 regular employees (221 men and 67 females of mean age 45.6 years, SD = 9.0) who worked in the medical services and welfare industries at the time of both surveys were identified. Of these, 115 presented with depressive symptoms by CES-D scale (39.9%), indicating a higher ratio compared to other occupations. Following this, for the 173 respondents who did not present with depressive symptoms in the initial survey but developed depressive symptoms during the three years following the initial survey, changes (favorable, improved, no change, deteriorated, unfavorable) in occupational stressors were analyzed using explanatory variables. As the results of logistic regression analysis, at the time of the follow-up survey, 32 respondents presented with symptoms of depression (18.5%), and environmental work stress (noise, lighting, temperature, ventilation, etc.) and interpersonal stress at work (unfavorable stress conditions at the time of both surveys) significantly affect the onset of these symptoms. Many medical services and welfare workers are required to suppress their own emotions as they go about their busy daily duties of caring for others, and this study suggests that they are working under highly stressful conditions. There is a strong sense that the workplace has reached an impasse, and a new approach is needed in a bid to revitalize the organization and create attractive company structures, as well as improve the physical working environment.

The focus of this contribution is to evaluate numerical integration methods with regard to their comparability for estimating cumulative loading based on discrete spinal loads. In this context, the influence of both weighting factors and sampling rate are investigated using a time-varying loading profile recorded in a laboratory study with 12 subjects. A biomechanical model was used to calculate the compression force at L5/S1. Three numerical integration methods were compared. Results clearly confirm the need to establish a standardized assessment procedure for cumulative loading to ensure the comparability of assessment results and promote scientific progress in the field of physical stress assessment.

In the light of increasing awareness for protection of personal data condition-based analyses in ergonomics will gain more importance. For postures, however, observational personal-based analyses are usually carried out. The article therefore examined whether the relative working position has an influence on working posture, compression load on L5/S1 and electrical muscle activity in order to be used as a condition-based risk factor for future analyses. An empirical study was conducted with 20 subjects. Results revealed that the relative working position on all investigated factors. This allows consolidating that a condition-based analysis is also possible for postures.

The SELR approach was developed by the U. S. Navy Reserve Force to make its associated operations more efficient and responsive to an ever-changing environment. SELR is similar to such programs as 6∑, Lean, Continuous Process Improvement, etc. The letters of SELR are defined as: Simplify by streamlining activities, programs, and policies to make them more efficient; Enable personnel to provide effective capabilities through innovative technology, supportive policies and solutions to identified opportunities; Leverage personnel skills, talents and relationships to further enhance their contributions to the organization; and Resource as the staffing, training, and equipment provision to deliver more responsive talent capabilities to the organization. These topics are discussed in depth and a case study is provided to illustrate the application of SELR.

The furniture used by students in schools and universities is usually purchased in average dimensions so that all male and female students, small and large, use them without distinction. It is very difficult to find furniture that fits the dimensions of each individual and it is common to work with molds or patterns that come from other countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of the university population that cannot use comfortably said furniture, for which tables and chairs recently bought in a new classroom building of a Peruvian university were taken into account. For this, and in order not to use anthropometers, a methodology was proposed that allows students to find the dimensions based on their height. Additionally, the weight of the same students is taken into account, that is, with only two variables, very easy to determine, a more complex study can be done. The most significant result is that a percentage close to 40% of students, have difficulty sitting and using the tables in the classrooms, so their health could be at risk, due to the large number of hours they can spend using the chairs and tables in their classrooms. The results can be used as a basis to have anthropometric data of the students of this university and also to be able to determine the dimensions of furniture, instruments, machines to be used by them.

Most of the agricultural activities in Ecuador are carried out by indigenous communities. Most of the elderly women from these communities suffer moderate to severe spinal deformities; previous studies suggest that one factor that could affect their back health is the lifting of heavy loads. The aim is to calculate the low back compression force using commercial software. Tasks consisting of lifting a sack by two methods were recorded in a gait laboratory. Although it is common for indigenous women to handle loads up to 45 kg, they were limited to 15 kg to reduce injuries risk. The input data to the software included gender, mass and height, and forces acting on hands, back and one shoulder. Measured and extrapolated results show that the low back compression force is significantly higher than the NIOSH recommended limits.

Productivity is today an important factor in the growth of companies, for this, it is necessary to have an adequate ergonomic environment for the sake of workers. This work aims to show the use of the Objective Matrix (OMAX) and the analysis of environmental conditions from the use of fuzzy logic to determine the behavior of factors such as temperature, noise and lighting and its direct effect on productivity from the workers. A group of employees from the maintenance area in an automotive agency that offers mechanical washing and maintenance services was analyzed. With the OMAX method, the level of productivity was determined for a predetermined time by analyzing fatigue and physical wear for certain schedules. According to the Mexican regulations established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS by its acronym in Spanish), it is necessary to comply with some requirements that are established by law, so once the current environmental conditions were analyzed based on the use of fuzzy logic, an adjustment based on regulations, making the changes required to subsequently measure the final result with OMAX, which showed a productivity increase.

This research study focused on the different ergonomic risk factor for work-related Musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in the job of Cobblers at Jabalpur, India. With the prospect of improving the occupational health risk and safety of the workers involved in this profession. A large number of people associated with this profession in India and in this sector occupational ergonomic issues of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a big problem and a threat to this profession. In order to ensure the objectives are met, the different methodology was used, such as still photography and video photography were used to record different activities. Different types of tools like Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and OWAS were used. Psychophysical measures were investigated by RPE scale and VAS. After the all analysis the result indicating that the tasks in this profession are in the high-risk and demands immediate ergonomic intervention in the form of re-design of the tools used and workstation or/and the design of the work process.

A method to determine drawbacks during REBA implementation inside aseptic areas was established employing opinions from twelve specialists. They assessed six aseptic areas. During the assessment, the specialists wore aseptic garments that difficult the observation of angles adopted by workers during job tasks, load demands and work cycles; information needed to achieve REBA. The method determines critical drawbacks through establish the procedure elements required to implement REBA, define ten main drawbacks, determine critical drawback items using a determination matrix, finally a procedure to implement REBA inside aseptic areas was proposed. It includes changes in the way of measure angles adopted by body segments and work task analysis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of recovery method and refractive status on the generation and recovery progress of visual fatigue in the dynamic visual search tasks. A human factor experiment was conducted, in which a two-factor mixed design was adopted (2 recovery method × 2 refractive status). 31 subjects participated in this study. The results indicated that the refractive error subjects’ fatigue level was always higher than that of normal vision subjects when conducted dynamic visual search tasks. Compared to eye massage, using eye drops could lead to a quick recovery at the initial stage, then slowed down. The recovery trend of using eye massage was closer to a linear trend.

In 2015, Air pollution caused 8.8 million premature deaths worldwide and has reduced life expectancy by 2.9 years [6]. The increasing impact of wildfires and other emissions will lead to more days and locations with poor air quality. This research references and builds on previous work on how visual anchoring within the Air Quality Index (AQI) Alerts rating affects intended behavior change to ultimately protect against adverse health outcomes. Additionally, this study examines how past behavior and personality may impact future behaviors. Results show a significant effect of past behavior change specifically on intent to wear a face mask (t = −2.069, p = 0.0413). However, no effect of behavioral change was found between the two AQI Alert visuals presented as well as no effect between dominant or passive personality. As air quality continues to decrease worldwide the importance of understanding AQI Alerts on resulting behavior change becomes more critical.

Many construction injuries are musculoskeletal related in the form of sprains and strains arising from the handling of materials. The paper reports on a study conducted among construction management students in a South African university, the objectives being to determine their knowledge and perceptions relative to the mass and density of materials and construction ergonomics. Findings include: knowledge relative to the mass and density of materials is limited, and students appreciate that the mass and density of materials impacts on construction ergonomics. Conclusions include: students lack knowledge and awareness relative to the mass and density of materials, and the undergraduate programme must be reviewed in terms of addressing/referring to the mass and density of materials. Recommendations include: tertiary construction management education must address construction ergonomics; employer and professional associations, and statutory councils must raise the level of awareness relative to construction ergonomics and the mass and density of materials.

The present work has the objective of proposing solutions that can adapt a joinery in the municipality of São Gonçalo to the current legislation, which concerns Occupational Health and Safety, having the main goal of providing safe and healthy conditions for workers. The methodology used was divided into two stages: Documentary survey and object recognition and characterization, using techniques such as unsystematic observation, interviews and questionnaires. In the final part of the research, the results of the methodology were presented and the criticality points of woodworking related to Occupational Health and Safety were identified so as to propose improvement projects that meet the employees’ needs inserted in the context of the factory, in order to contribute to a healthier, safer and more comfortable working environment.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to asses whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure from transport truck drivers. Methods: Field measurements of WBV were measured according to the National Standard Decree 594/99, was implemented in Chile through the vibration protocol. They were measured simultaneously according to ISO 2631-1. The Decrees contain legal obligations and minimum requirements for the evaluation by direct measurement, which is the reference method. Results: The sum of the vectors of frequency-weighted r.m.s. acceleration varied between 0.35 and 0.94 m/s2, which meant that none of the vehicles exceeded the action value stated by decree 594/99 (⁠X-Axis 0.71([m/s2]), Y-Axis 0.71([m/s2]) and Z-axis 1,06 ([m/s2]). In general, the dominant vibration direction for the truck driver was the Z-axis. The other axis measurement levels were under the Chilean and European legislation. Significant differences were identified between the levels measured in each of the axes (X, Y, Z) and great differences can be identified between the levels obtained in trucks from the year 2011 and trucks from the year 2019. Despite obtaining high levels on the z axis, none of the measurements exceeded the established limits. Conclusions: The dominant vibration direction varies depending on the transport truck type and the state of the road or highway on which truck circulates. The study shows that no worker is under health guidance caution zone (HGCZ) so the probability of contracting musculoskeletal injuries is very low.

Given the growing success and user base of Social Media websites and, specifically, Social Networks, over the last decade, businesses have transitioned from traditional advertising to digital platforms. Specifically, their audience targeting features make it very easy to promote products and services to defined groups of individuals with specific characteristics. As a result, in addition to standard advertising, organizations, including educational institutions, started using personal and professional Social Networks (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn) as a recruiting tool for reaching potential candidates and interacting with them in a quick informal fashion.In this paper, we explore the human factors in the use of Social Media in recruiting for the Army and we detail the results of a study in which we compared the perspective of recruiters and prospect cadets, especially in the context of initiatives, such as the Delayed Entry Program (DEP).

The interest of the present investigation was carried out along with an electronic branch that is a global leader in electronic engineering components, network solutions, marine telecommunication systems and consumer goods in the city of Tijuana, Baja California Mexico.In a world where business is more competitive, organizations aim to increase their productivity at a lower cost, without affecting the quality of their products, or the health of their workers, so that the economic profit margin can be increased and be able to face the competition. Not only can new technologies improve quality and productivity, this can also be achieved by learning to use the machines at hand effectively. For this reason, in the company under study, the department of electrical connectors is intended to improve productivity with connector assembly machines that are in four parts.In addition to the fact that there is a problem of absenteeism and rotation of the staff with those of entry-level recruits, for this reason the management of this department is analyzing the way to invest capital for the improvement of the connector assembly machines and increase the capacity, in such way to eliminate the night shift.Therefore, the company’s main objective is to increase production capacity and thereby improve the efficiency indicators of connector assembly machines in the department of electrical connectors by 25%. For this purpose, the 3 main approaches of the organization are covered, which are: safety, quality and service (for financial projects), using tools found in the plant, such as CNC, lathe and milling machines, statistical software, ergonomics, CAD and engineering work, to identify relevant information that improves the efficiency in the process of said machinery.This project is an explanatory study, since it provides a profound response on the modification of the connector assembly machine. The method used is inductive since a working hypothesis was formulated and tested. Regarding data collection techniques, different methods were implemented, among which are: time-taking, route method, application of the 5s methodology and design of experiments.According to the results, an increase in the capacity of connector assembly machines was achieved by up to 59%, that is, 500 more pieces per hour.

The excessive mental workload in university students of Engineering careers is an important factor that affects their performance and their health and that, therefore, it is necessary to investigate. The purpose of this study was to examine the academic performance of students who develop their pre-professional practices, to see the impact of time dedication to work in companies and the excessive mental workload resulting in this dedicated time. For this, the industrial engineering students of a Peruvian university were taken as a study sample, focusing on determining the mental workload in university students, and how this influences their academic performance. This is evident when the students, in addition to carrying out their regular studies, must develop their pre-professional practices in companies in the industrial sector, for an average of two to three months, with a dedication of at least 30 h per week, with the expected consequences in their academic performance. For this, the impact of the practice was identified in a group of students attending the seventh and eighth academic semester during the period between 2018 and 2019. Subsequently, the number of credits carried by the students who do not develop pre practices is analyzed. professionals and a student who does carry professional practices and how this influence, in the variables of average grades, in the standardized coefficient of performance and in their cognitive abilities. Finally, the application of a mental workload assessment tool was included, which validated the hypothesis of the excessive mental workload that students have during that period and the negative impact it has on the performance of the majority of students involved. These results can be used to better balance the academic load of the students, so that they do not affect their studies as is the case so far.

In Ecuador, criminal justice has taken an unprecedented role. It is the scene of a policy and institutionalism mired in crisis, the reasons from the right are several. Two of those reasons are exposed by Luigy Ferrajoly [1] as the main ones according to his book Law and Reason. Theory of Criminal Guarantee. The first reason is the expansion of illegality in public life that includes political parties, public administration, businessmen, banks and the entire population linked to the world of politics by dense client relationships and involved in different ways, for convenience or even just for resignation, in the practice of corruption.

Universities must take advantage of their status as generators of scientific knowledge and resort to communication as an ally. The endogenous knowledge process is a path for the development of the identity of higher education institutions, which with responsibility, seek to find new communication alternatives from within, in a feedback process, between local and international, to generate processes of increase.

The action of unconstitutionality, in its legal context, is public and participatory because it is expressly linked to the right of every citizen to participate in the formation, exercise and control of political power. With that purpose, the citizen is granted the power to file public actions in defense of the Constitution and the validity of the law, the validity of which is conformed to the constitutional contents. The importance of the action of unconstitutionality, as a means of constitutional control, is evident; one of the characteristics that adds importance is that it is a means of control within the reach of State bodies, without limiting its origin or invasion of areas of competence, as is the case of the constitutional controversy. In these terms, the action of unconstitutionality may not only address violations of the organic part of the Constitution but may also address violations of guarantees or individual or collective rights, according to the case.

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a group of illnesses associated with the building. From the standard comparison, all standards are aware of Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide, and Ozone. The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand has established the air quality standards in Thailand based on Singapore. But after that, Singapore standards adjusted PM 2.5 down, but Thailand still uses Singapore’s old standard. So, the PM 2.5 value of Thailand is higher than every standard. There are many studies, which study the prevalence, factors, and symptoms of sick building syndrome. They have different results because of different environments. Thai people are not aware of the sick building syndrome, although it is very close to them. Because in the past, Thai people lived in houses with space under houses, providing good ventilation. But nowadays, Thai people have changed to live in the building. They are increasingly exposed to sick building syndrome. Sick building syndrome protection can do in various ways.

Since the 1990s, the extension of urban land in Latin America and the Caribbean has increased considerably, in Ecuador it has doubled, due to a migration from the countryside to the city that generates disorderly settlements causing the use of fruitful soils; consumption of natural resources; environmental damage and alteration of ecosystems. The canton Daule is considered the fourth largest and most populous city in the province of Guayas with an uncontrolled growth of the urban area. Next, we develop the Territorial Economic Development methodology applied to one of the sectors of the Daule canton, where several articulated analyzes are carried out with the actors involved and landscape improvement plans conceived under a systemic approach are proposed. The objective of the work is to preserve the natural heritage of the city, improve the image of the landscape with inclusive designs oriented towards sustainable urban development.

This study presents a proposal for a Mental Health Program, as part of ergonomic management within an organization. The program has three stages of intervention. The primary consists of Assessments, both in Ergonomic Analyzes and in Occupational Medical Examinations, of aspects related to mental health. From the data found in this first phase, it is possible to preventively identify possible psychosocial factors. As a result, we can instruct to participate in the secondary intervention stage, called “Mental Health Tips”, which consists of actions of orientation and awareness of aspects focused on mental or emotional aspects. Finally, there is the tertiary intervention, if worrying psychosocial factors are identified, a multidisciplinary committee will act as support. The program is contributing to the emotional well-being of its employees, who are able to deal with emotions better, focus their attention on the present moment and report feeling much happier and lighter.

This article aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of mental workload from 1990 to 2020. Publication source, publication organization, authors, country, citation of articles, citation of country and organization were recorded and analyzed. Bibliometric maps of authorship, citation, co-citation and network of co-occurrence of keywords are drawn. 11,157 articles and 461,366 cited references were analyzed. The USA dominates the publications (4748, 42.56%) and citations (159434 times). George Mason University (36) is the most productive organization. Murai (59) is the most productive author. Ergonomics is the top journal with the most papers about mental workload. Hart and Staveland’s paper (1988) is the most co-cited. The latest burst keyword analysis shows that “machine learning”, “classification”, “automation”, “physiology” and “mental health” have and burst end time of 2020. As for researchers and practitioners, this paper suggests an analysis of integrated visualization based on the area of mental workload in human factors and ergonomics.

The aim of the present study was to establish the relationship between Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Burnout Syndrome in workers of a health institution in Guadalajara, Mexico. Analytical study was carried out; the study population consisted of 5351 workers. All workers in grassroots positions who answered the questionnaire voluntarily were included. For this study three questionnaires were considered: the first one collected sociodemographic and labor data; the second was the “CVT-GOHISALO” for the identification of the level of QWL in seven dimensions and finally the “Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS)” scale for the evaluation of Burnout Syndrome in three dimensions. The analyzes were descriptive and inferential. The descriptive analysis was used both in the socio-demographic and labor data, satisfaction of QWL and Burnout Syndrome. The association between them was established with Chi square, considering the association if p was lesser than 0.05. For the calculation of Odds Ratio (OR), the low and medium levels of the QWL dimensions were grouped as non-satisfaction and the high level was considered as satisfaction and, for the dimensions of Burnout were handled as absent (low-null) and present (medium and high). Of 5351 workers included in the study, 68.2% were female; the average age being 38.6 years, 31.2% were graduated with a degree. The seniority in the position varied from less than a year to 37 years, being 11.7 years old average.Regarding the evaluation of perceived QWL, 27.6% described as “low”, 43.8% as “average” and 28.5% as “high”. As for the dimensions of Burnout, we found that 30.3% presented “lack of personal realization” 16.5% presented “emotional exhaustion” and 13.5% presented “depersonalization”.Unsatisfaction with QWL in all its dimensions, showed a consistent association with the dimensions of Burnout Syndrome, showing values ​​of risk factor in all cases. As can be seen, the non-satisfaction with the QWL is consistently a risk factor for Burnout Syndrome, being especially high in the dimension of emotional exhaustion.

The aim of this study is to reveal differences of web design from the viewpoint of usability between United States and Japan that have different cultures and design preferences. Nine companies that had websites for their local offices in both United States and Japan were selected for the survey of this study. To compare the usability between United States and Japanese websites, heuristics evaluation was performed by the authors. The authors attempted to find the usability drawbacks from four to six pages including the top page in each company’s website. The total number of usability drawbacks that was identified in the United States and Japanese websites was compared. As the result of the t-test, the usability drawbacks that were observed in the Japanese websites were more than those in the United States websites. The ratio of each of the ten usability heuristics was compared between the United States and Japanese websites. Compared with the United States websites, the Japanese websites had more “aesthetic and minimalist design” drawbacks.

Cross-cultural differences between Japan and US contributed to the attitude toward long working hours, that is, the acceptance of the reduction of working hours. US people seem to be more acceptable to the reduction of long working hours than Japanese people, although both countries have gradually accepted and recognized that the reduction of working hours will eventually lead to high efficiency. Based on scarcity and slack relation, it is reasonable to think that scarce state with less slack in workplaces is not necessarily resolved by increasing manpower or working hour of each worker. This scarcity and slack relationship is more acceptable to US people who tend to be more tolerant to the reduction of working hours.

Ministry of Education in Japan is promoting Japanese students to develop English communication competence and intercultural communication competence. One way that they do this is by encouraging students to study abroad. English communication skills have been reported to improve during study abroad, as short as even one-month study abroad. However, intercultural communication competence is under researched, and intercultural competence has not been reported to develop during short-term study abroad, nor medium-term study abroad. In addition, there has not been any report of clear relationship between English proficiency and intercultural communication competence. This study focuses on investigating the cases of Japanese students studying abroad for one month in Canada. The purpose of this study is to describe cultural learning. The participants of this study are 29 students. Two research questions were generated: Q1) What cultural awareness took place during study abroad? Q2) Did sojourners’ cultural awareness differ depending on the proficiency levels? This case study is a mixed methods case study, in which cases for qualitative analysis are identified by the quantitative study, which was previously reported.

It has been reported that visibility has been reduced as a result of changes in light sources used for inspecting and repairing railway stock from incandescent lamps to LED lights. Notably, workers in their 50s have reported that objects look flat under LED lights. This study examined the effects of the wavelength and illumination levels of lighting on fine depth discrimination ability. The results indicated that appropriate illumination levels and the wavelength of light that result in high visibility might not be different depending on the age.

The current study explores how privacy is covered in the news in two different cultural contexts, by summarizing both an issue framework and a subject diagram utilizing privacy dialogues in the news coverages. Data was collected through Google and Baidu, most commonly used engines in the US and China through 2016 to 2019. Adopting a qualitative method based on the Grounded Theory, 400 news samples were coded following theoretical sampling procedure and reached a theoretical saturation. Our analyses yielded three main topics namely technology, data collection and use, and privacy law making and eight subtopics in the US and China that were framed differently in distrust aspect, and significantly different in reporting perspectives. We also found that subjects covered in privacy news were mainly related to legal topics. And a common ground was identified in the data protecting aspect for both users and data collectors.

Unlike the strong global café culture, the tea industry still suffers from an ageing user base and has failed to engage younger consumers due to a lack of experience and differentiation of tea products or services. However, considering the current trend of ‘health and wellness’, tea could have a good market opportunity to overcome its lack of strong penetration, by promoting its health benefits. Korean tea and its associated culture can in particular provide both physical and mental health benefits. Therefore, it is necessary to consider how tea houses can create the right strategies to satisfy customers. This research paper identifies the value of ‘experience’ design and cultural heritage as well as customers’ demands regarding the experience of a tea house.

While the role of customer service employees is important as they can add value to the products and services in an organization, information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), and automated machines may be more productive than employees. Thus, employees may perceive role conflict. According to previous studies, the perception of role conflict by employees reduces trust in organizations and task performance. This study shows that positive emotion, such as the affective delivery of customer service employees, serves a buffering function and provides a useful antidote in the workplace. Conversely, negative emotion, such as emotional exhaustion due to role conflict, devastates the intrinsic motivation of employees.

Most of the research objects are based on the new village in the West Malaysia peninsula. In order to understand the new village of East Malaysia, this article takes the village of East Malaysia as an example. It analyzes the dissemination of the village in Siburan in the background of the “Operation Hammer”. This paper examines the problems that exist in the development of new villages in Sarawak, puts forward the countermeasures to solve the problem, and has a robust research significance media form facing challenges in the future development road. It is necessary to reflect and innovate this development constantly.

Global transformations of the contemporary world, to which almost all aspects of social existence are subject, seem to be inevitable and their complexity difficult to grasp. On a micro and macro scale, new opportunities and prospects emerge, but also fears and anxieties, which are the contours of the society of the future. The qualitative specificity of new transformations in the relationship between the global and the local, society and the individual, and the links between them, is not without significance for the multi-contextual changes in the world of work, which place new demands upon employees. This vision implies definitely new ways of interpreting the world and the quality of judgments on the condition of contemporary man - including man as a “manager” of his own career. In a knowledge-based economy, which in turn makes the orientation of modern society towards knowledge a reality, the key element is the development of the careers of its members and investing in a career “portfolio”. Commitment to career development is characterized by the development of personal career goals, attachment to, identification with and involvement in these goals. Changes in the world of “borderless” careers update the problem of proactive behavior of individuals pursuing their careers. The distinguishing feature of proactive career planning, management and management is the awareness of being a subject who performs actions in the desired direction and influences the surrounding reality by initiating changes. Involvement in an internally defined career may be an important source of the crystallization of the (professional) identity of a subject, which seems necessary for the development of his or her career in the world of “borderless” careers in the reality of the globalizing world. Identity is formed in the context of social and cultural influences undergoing a permanent change in reality. Identity styles determined by social-cognitive processes refer to individual preferences in the processing of information about the subjective self, in decision making, in the choice of strategy for constructing or avoiding crystallization of one’s identity and the quality of career decisions in the world of “borderless careers”. In a situation where no a priori career scenario guarantees success, an investment in a career identified as “owned” by an entity becomes a necessity and forces its proactive planning and management.

The purpose of this research is to explore the cross-cultural communication perspective with fashion design as the method and China and Thailand as real examples. The design objects are: take Chinese LONG (Dragon in Chinese) and Thai NAGA as cases to study how fashions, as a medium for spreading culture, are able to do crosscultural communication. This study will adopt qualitative research methods which are specifically: (1) Collect the tangible and intangible values of Long and Naga; (2) Design a workshop combining research methodology: focus group and in-depth interview. (3) Apply qualitative analysis to analyze the results; (4) Incorporate the conclusions into the concept of fashion design. The completed tasks include: (1) Research objective cognition of stakeholders in referent cultural backgrounds; (2) Extraction of design concepts on Long and Naga based on stakeholders’ cognition; (3) A demonstration of the new methodology which can be used for fashion designers to effectively extract code in the background of cross-cultural communication. The conclusions can be used to explain: how to extract the design concepts of fashions in the background of crosscultural communication; and how fashions can help reduce misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication. The research can be established as a model for other related disciplines and fields.