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Ergonomics in Industrial Manufacturing: Human Factors, Workload Assessment, Health Management, and Reducing Risk in the Workplace

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 4249

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Graduate Program in Production Engineering (Ergonomics area), Federal University of Santa Catarina, R. Eng. Agronômico Andrei Cristian Ferreira, s/n - Trindade, Florianópolis 88040-900, SC, Brazil
Interests: occupational biomechanics; applied ergonomics; strength & conditioning; posture; musculoskeletal disorders; technologies applied to ergonomics; workspaces; occupational health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The human body benefits from movement and load applied to its musculoskeletal system. However, an appropriate combination of movement, load, and recovery is critical to maintaining and preserving bodily functions. Therefore, it is necessary to design and organize workplaces to provide favorable conditions for maintaining workers’ health. In this context, to prevent occupational diseases, companies increasingly demand ergonomic studies on the risk factors of work activities and how they can influence the short-, medium-, and long-term health of workers. However, one of the main challenges for companies is the early detection of occupational diseases, because, unlike accidents and injuries, they do not occur suddenly. Fortunately, technical means of dealing with these demands are increasingly available in the literature. In this sense, the multidisciplinary field of ergonomics has become fundamental to dealing with these issues and, thus, harmonizing the relationship between the built workplace environment and the worker. When effective, this can optimize system performance, productivity, and worker health, safety, and comfort. Through in-depth studies, it is possible to define the most appropriate ergonomic actions for each profession, work environment, and specific workplace. In general, intervention is needed in three distinct areas: workspaces, tools, and organization and task planning issues.

Prof. Dr. Antônio Renato Pereira Moro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • workspaces
  • industrial manufacture
  • ergonomics and lean
  • working in the cold
  • occupational health
  • epidemiological data
  • biomechanical overload
  • repetitive movement
  • injuries due to repetitive efforts
  • work posture
  • occupational furniture
  • work tools
  • assessment methods
  • organizational performance assessment
  • technologies applied to ergonomics
  • industrial health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4016 KiB  
Article
Effect of Knife Use and Overlapping Gloves on Finger Temperature of Poultry Slaughterhouse Workers
by Adriana Seára Tirloni, Diogo Cunha dos Reis and Antônio Renato Pereira Moro
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(10), 1314; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21101314 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 878
Abstract
Brazilian poultry slaughterhouses employ many workers, consequently exposing them to various ergonomic risks. This study aimed to analyze the effects of knife use and overlapping gloves on the finger temperatures of poultry slaughterhouse workers. Employees (n = 571) from seven Brazilian poultry [...] Read more.
Brazilian poultry slaughterhouses employ many workers, consequently exposing them to various ergonomic risks. This study aimed to analyze the effects of knife use and overlapping gloves on the finger temperatures of poultry slaughterhouse workers. Employees (n = 571) from seven Brazilian poultry slaughterhouses participated in this cross-sectional study. A Flir® T450SC infrared camera was used to record thermographic images of the workers’ hands. The workers were interviewed about work organization, cold thermal sensations, and the perception of upper-limb musculoskeletal discomfort. Dependent and independent sample t-tests and binary logistic regression models were applied. The results proved that the workers wore up to five overlapping gloves and had at least one finger with temperatures of ≤15 °C (46.6%) or ≤24 °C (98.1%). Workers that used a knife and wore a chainmail (CM) glove on their non-dominant hand had average finger temperatures significantly colder on the palmar surface than the anti-cut (AC) glove group (p = 0.029). The chance of one worker who wore a CM glove to have finger temperatures of ≤15 °C was 2.26 times greater than a worker who wore an AC glove. Those who wore an AC glove and those wearing a CM glove presented average overall finger temperatures significantly lower on the non-dominant hand (products) than the dominant hand (knife) (p < 0.001). Full article
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8 pages, 734 KiB  
Communication
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Problems: A Look at How Employers View Causes
by Roger C. Jensen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081098 - 20 Aug 2024
Viewed by 749
Abstract
Causation concepts for work-related musculoskeletal disorders vary among authors and academic disciplines. The major causation concepts are single-event and repetitive motion. The aim of this short communication is to share findings from a recent survey of United States employers conducted by the U.S. [...] Read more.
Causation concepts for work-related musculoskeletal disorders vary among authors and academic disciplines. The major causation concepts are single-event and repetitive motion. The aim of this short communication is to share findings from a recent survey of United States employers conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics about work-related musculoskeletal cases, and, more specifically, about whether the employers regard the causes of their employees’ musculoskeletal problems as being from a single exposure or from multiple exposures. Recommendations are offered for using terminology consistent with employer understandings. Full article
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Review

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21 pages, 5807 KiB  
Review
World Trends in Dental Ergonomics Research: A Bibliometric Analysis
by Wita Anggraini, Dewi Ranggaini, Annisaa Putri Ariyani and Indrani Sulistyowati
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(4), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21040493 - 17 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1822
Abstract
Dental ergonomics provides an overview of dentists’ work efficiency. The objective of this study was to obtain quantitative information and produce a visualization of the network of scientific publications on the topic of ergonomics and dentistry using bibliometric analysis. Data mining was conducted [...] Read more.
Dental ergonomics provides an overview of dentists’ work efficiency. The objective of this study was to obtain quantitative information and produce a visualization of the network of scientific publications on the topic of ergonomics and dentistry using bibliometric analysis. Data mining was conducted using the Scopus database and Boolean expressions (ergonom* AND dentist*) on 14 April 2023. Data extraction and analysis were performed using Open Refine version 3.5.2., VOSviewer version 1.6.17., VOSviewer thesaurus, Microsoft Excel, and Tableau Professional version 2020.1.2. A total of 682 documents were identified, with the United States having the largest number of documents and citations (89 documents, 1321 citations). Work, Dentistry Today, and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health were the top three sources. Ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are two of the very prominent keywords, with research topics covering prevalence, causes, factors related to causes, prevention, assessment, rehabilitation, evaluation, and intervention. There was no research on ergonomic interventions that collaborated with human factors and ergonomics (HFE). We conclude that the trending topic of dental ergonomics research topics around the world is centered on MSDs. The future research challenge is to apply HFE science to improve the health, safety, efficiency, and quality of dentists’ work. Full article
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