OBJECTIVES To determine the magnitude, distribution and associated ergonomic factors of upper extremities musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD) among workers of electronic assembly in Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study. 591 of 853 workers in an electronic and electrical appliance assembly factory in Bangkok, Thailand, participated in this study. A self-administered qu...

In this paper we present the idea of ergonomic instruments: musical devices that focus on minimising the learning curve of musicians by mapping inherent musical actions to the creation of music. We situate ergonomic instruments in the context of existing relevant work, and then discuss a new methodology towards the development of musical instruments including exploration of a musical goal which...

This study compared the effectiveness of the ITT Night Vision Viewer with the Wide Angle Mobility Lamp (WAML) as low-vision mobility devices for people experiencing night blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Both engineering bench testing and functional evaluations were used in the assessments. Engineering evaluations were conducted for (1) consistency of the manufacturer's specification...

The aging workforce is a risk factor for manufacturing industries that contain many jobs with high physical workloads. Thus, ergonomic risk factors have to be avoided in early phases of production planning. This paper introduces a new tool for simulating manual work activities with 3D human models, the so-called ema. For the most part, the ema software is based on a unique modular approach inc...

This was a baseline study on occupational exposure and health problems among women workers in export processing zones. Physical, chemical, and ergonomic hazards were evaluated and measured through workplace ambient monitoring, survey questionnaires, and interviews with 500 respondents in 24 companies (most were female at 88.8%). The top 5 hazards were ergonomic hazards (72.2%), heat (66.6%), ov...

The implementation of a successful ergonomic and medical intervention program designed to reduce the number and severity of injuries and illnesses and the associated levels of discomfort in the workplace is presented. Because of the recent activity concerning the on-again-off-again Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Ergonomic Program Standard questions have been raised as to t...

We evaluated a participatory ergonomic intervention process applied in 59 municipal kitchens. In groups of three to five kitchens, the workers participated in eight workshops, and generated and evaluated solutions to optimize musculoskeletal load in their work. An ergonomist initiated and supported the process. By the end, 402 changes were implemented. Evaluative data were collected using resea...

This paper presents the ergonomic aspects in designing and prototyping of desks cum chairs used in elementary schools. The procedures adopted for the assessment includedthe study of existing school furniture, design analysis and development of prototypes. The design approach proposed a series of adjustable desks and chairs developed in terms of ergonomic concepts. In the development stage, the ...

This paper describes the control and ergonomic evaluation of a ceiling mounted (or support frame suspended) 7-axis surgical robot (HISAR) f o r laparoscopic camera navigation. A key feature of the robot is that i t incorporates a passive wrist for natural compliance with the port of entry into the patient. The use of a previously reported constrained Cartesian controller is motivated and demons...