This paper gives an overview of the theory of participatory ergonomics interventions and summary examples from a range of industries, including health care, military, manufacturing, production and processing, services, construction and transport. The definition of participatory approaches includes interventions at macro (organizational, systems) levels as well as micro (individual), where workers are given the opportunity and power to use their knowledge to address ergonomic problems relating to their own working activities. Examples are given where a cost-effective benefit has been measured using musculoskeletal sickness absence and compensation costs. Other examples, using different outcome measures, also showed improvements, for example, an increase in productivity, improved communication between staff and management, reduction in risk factors, the development of new processes and new designs for work environments and activities. Three cases are described from Canada and Japan where the participatory project was led by occupational health teams, suggesting that occupational health practitioners can have an important role to play in participatory ergonomics projects.
Since the early 1990s a concept known as Design for Manufacturability (DFM) has developed. In the past much of the ergonomics involvement in DFM has considered the workstations and methods of human assembly operators. The increase in health and safety regulations and the number of employee compensation claims against companies for work related musculoskeletal disorders is providing the impetus for the consideration of Ergonomics for Assembly (EA) by design engineers. This project was undertaken within the context of an automotive manufacturing company. A programme for EA training for product design engineers was developed and a system proposed to support its incorporation in future design work.
Syringes and transfer (or reconstitution) devices are two of the tools used in hospital pharmacy departments during the preparation of medications and nutritional products. The techniques involved when using them were observed and recorded on video, and several of the tasks were then simulated to measure the force exertions required. The forces were found to be high, demanding a considerable proportion of maximum strength in thumb presses, palmar grips and thumb and two finger pinch grips. The use of these tools also involved awkward postures of the wrist and fingers and it is recommended that their design be reviewed.
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