The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the feasibility of using hand drawn images to identify symbol components for incorporation into warning symbol design software. This software will use an interactive evolutionary computation (IEC) algorithm to generate and evolve symbols mathematically described by a set of numerical parameters. Therefore, participants (N = 100) ages 19–43 (x = 23.2) were recruited to determine these symbol design parameters. Participants were invited to hand draw warning symbols for three referents: fall from elevation, hearing protection, and hazardous atmosphere. A panel of design engineers determined 27 attributes were present in the fall from elevation, 19 in the hearing protection, and 25 in the hazardous atmosphere images. A direct clustering algorithm was used to determine which attributes, or symbol parameters, were most commonly present or conspicuously absent among the clustered image families. For the fall from elevation, hearing protection and hazardous atmosphere referents, the clustering algorithm identified six, four and four symbol parameters, respectively, primarily responsible for distinguishing one drawn symbol from another. Thus, these parameters will be included as evolvable genes in the IEC software.
A key step in the stereotype production method, and in other methods of warning symbol development, is the evaluation of symbol sketches produced by naïve design participants. These sketches provide valuable insight into the expectations of potential warning symbol users about the content and design of the symbol. Until recently, the symbol development process depended heavily on designers' expertise to judge the intent of a participant's sketch and its similarities to other participants' drawings. However, mathematical and computational techniques have been introduced that assist symbol designers by clustering similar sketches by their graphical attributes and evolving new designs from prior sketches based on the most preferred symbolic components. Semantic annotation is used to attach standardized descriptive terms to the sketches which the clustering process uses to discriminate between the otherwise very subjective symbol drawings. Unfortunately, semantic annotation can be a lengthy process of annotators studying the nuances of each sketch. This is incongruent with the real-world usage of warning symbols where an individual's attention is fixated on a symbol for only a few seconds during which time the message must be received. The process of Rapid Semantic Annotation is proposed to better match the field experience of symbol users to the design process and to reduce the designers' time spent on semantic annotation. Symbol sketches for two warning referents ("hot exhaust" and "do not touch with wet hands") were taken from a previous study involving semantic annotation by an expert panel. Thirty sketches were randomly chosen from a larger pool for each referent and presented independently to 6 participants. Participants were given only 5 seconds to view the sketch before recording their semantic annotations in the form of textual terms (e.g. "person" or "flame"). A list of these "attributes" was aggregated from all participants for each of the 30 sketches in a referent, and an annotation matrix was created containing the count (0-6) of participants who annotated each attribute for each sketch. In total, 54 attributes were annotated for the "Hot Exhaust" referent (a 30 x 54 matrix) and 37 attributes were annotated for the "Wet Hands" referent (a 30 x 37 matrix). Weka Simple K-Means clustering was performed on the matrices, and the clustering results are compared to the results produced from the expert panel semantic annotation in the previous study.
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) has not been adopted by OSHA, but it has the potential to impact the format of every safety data sheet (SDS) used in commerce today. This preliminary investigation attempts to investigate the impact of the use of hazard and precautionary symbols on SDS. Participants were able to refer to a SDS, either with or without hazard and precautionary symbols depending on the trial, to assist them in completing an on-line questionnaire. The presence of the precautionary symbols was significant for one pair of SDS, but there were no significant differences found between questionnaire scores for SDS with hazard symbols and SDS with no symbols or the other pair of SDS with precautionary symbols. The participants correctly responded to an average of 72% of the material on the survey. Participants self-reported they referred to the SDS 66% of the time to respond to seven yes/no questions.
BACKGROUND: Lumbar intervertebral disc height loss has been associated with spinal height change (SHC) and low back pain (LBP), including stenosis. Non-invasive methods to improve disc height loss require forms of lying down, which are unconducive to computer work. OBJECTIVE: Intermittent vertical traction (VT) integrated with seated computer work may provide ergonomic alternatives for increasing SHC to promote LBP relief. The primary aim was to develop and introduce a safe VT prototype and dosage to induce and measure SHC. Prototype comfort and LBP ratings were exploratory secondary aims. METHODS: Forty-one participants were stadiometry-measured for pre- and post-intervention SHC from seated VT at 35% body weight removed, supine lying (SL), and sitting at a computer (SIT) without VT. Pain ratings were recorded for those self-reporting LBP. VT prototype evaluations were compiled from a 3-question, 7-point Likert-style survey. RESULTS: SHC increased by 3.9 ± 3.4 mm in VT, 1.7 ± 3.4 mm in SIT, and 4.3 ± 3.1 mm in SL (P< 0.000). Post hoc findings were significant between VT and SIT (P< 0.000), and SL and SIT (P< 0.000). VT and SL LBP ratings both decreased, but not SIT. CONCLUSION: Intermittent seated VT is a promising alternative for postural relief during seated computer work, producing SHC similar to lying down without compromising workflow.
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