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  • 1. Johnson, Evan Colon and Rectal Surgery Ergonomics in a Teaching Hospital Setting: A Case Study

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Surgeons have been shown to be at high risk for musculoskeletal pain or discomfort due to risk factors they are exposed to during surgery when performing open, laparoscopic, or robotic-assisted surgical procedures. However, little research has been done investigating any risk factors that are specific to colon and rectal surgery or specific to working in a teaching hospital. To investigate these areas further, a case study was performed with an experienced colon and rectal surgeon who works at a large teaching hospital. This involved performing a semi-structured interview with the subject to gain his perspective on his experiences with pain and ergonomics as it relates to his work as a surgeon. Further, data were collected during and from multiple surgical procedures, including electromyography (EMG) data, range of motion (ROM) motion capture data, video data, and SURG-TLX workload assessment data. The results of this case study indicated differences in the muscle activity, range of motion, and postures associated with open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgical modalities. The participant indicated that musculoskeletal discomfort due to his work as a surgeon had affected both his work and outside of work activities, and that the use of robotic surgery alleviated his symptoms. The results of this study may be used to help shape ergonomic practices for colon and rectal surgeons, as well as show areas where further research is needed to understand how the responsibility of teaching affects ergonomics within the operating room.
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    Committee: Steven Lavender (Committee Member); Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 2. Park, Sanghyun Investigating the Impacts of Barriers and Facilitators Affecting the Adoption of Lifting Devices in Health Care Facilities

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    The long term goal of this study is to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders associated with physically demanding activities through the adoption of an ergonomics intervention. The adoption was considered a process that involves multiple stages of behavioral change towards intervention use based on the Stages of Change Model. Factors believed to affect an individual's adoption stage were examined for their positive impact as a facilitator or negative impact as a barrier. The current study was conducted in the context of health care workers' adoption of a lifting device. The aims of this study were to (1) develop a survey instrument that could be used to assess adoption stages of a lifting device and categorize the barriers and facilitators, (2) identify key factors that differentiate between stages and (3) develop adoption models that classify an individual's adoption stage based upon that individual's response to selected factors. This study used a survey instrument to assess individuals' adoption stages and to assess factors that potentially affect individuals at each adoption stage in specific resident-handling situations where a lifting device with a full-body sling is recommended to use by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. These situations include the following: Situation 1 represented the transfer of a non-cooperative resident that was able to partially bear weight, Situation 2 represented the transfer of a cooperative resident unable to bear weight, and Situation 3 focused on repositioning a patient. Survey data were collected from 297 healthcare professionals in 12 skilled nursing facilities. Based on reported frequency of use and intention to use a lift device, an individual was classified as a full adopter, partial adopter, trial user, contemplator, pre-contemplator, or non-adopter. The results indicate that the distribution of adoption stages varies by resident-handling situation. In Situation 1, participants were evenl (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Steven A. Lavender (Advisor); Carolyn M. Sommerich (Committee Member); Emily S. Patterson (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 3. Sai Maudgalya, Tushyati Occupational Health and Safety in Emerging Economies: An India based study

    PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Engineering and Applied Science: Industrial Engineering

    The field of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is currently facing two main challenges: 1) Increasing awareness and buy-in among stakeholders and 2) Considering differences (cultural, behavioral and anthropometric) in an increasingly diverse and global workforce; work environments and practices designed for one group of workers may not be appropriate for other groups. These challenges are most relevant in the context of worker health and safety in emerging economies; a large and comparatively cheaper workforce is a mainstay of these countries and OHS is an imperative to make their economic growth sustainable. This study addresses needs on two fronts: From a research perspective, there is a dearth of data on contextual and cultural variables in a developing country work environment that impact safety performance; most existing safety research on this topic is Western or developed country centric. From a practitioner perspective, worker health and safety is a relatively nascent field in developing countries; practitioners are struggling to understand safety perceptions and attitudes that can help localize safety practices and enable more effective implementation of safety programs. This empirical study has 3 objectives: 1) Determine if a safety culture is present in a developing country, 2) Understand contextual influences (perceptions, behaviors and cultural context) that affect safety culture, and 3) Demonstrate a positive correlation between improved worker health and safety and key business outcomes; a "business case" for worker health and safety will especially help gain support from management teams in the highly cost competitive business climate in developing countries. For the first two objectives, an empirical study was conducted in India using a sample set of 500 individuals (senior managers/executives, supervisors and workers) derived from 22 organizations across 5 sectors (Infrastructure/Energy, Mining, Biotech, Services/IT and Manufacturing) and (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Henry Spitz Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sundararaman Anand Ph.D. (Committee Member); Thomas Richard Huston Ph.D. (Committee Member); David Thompson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 4. Vatan Korkmaz, Sahika Application of participatory ergonomics principles into an educational environment: improving a high school information technology program via interventions

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    The promise and potential of information and communication technologies to improve education in educational environments is offset by potential for problems that can stem from an unhealthy information ecology and/or lack of knowledge about healthy computing. Educational ergonomics is defined as that field of human factors and ergonomics science concerned with the interaction of educational performance and educational design. Opportunities abound for ergonomics expertise to be applied in these educational settings to improve the technology programs for all stakeholders, but especially for primary stakeholders: students and teachers. The long-term goals of this line of research were to improve teachers' effectiveness with technology and incorporating it into their curriculum and to improve the health of students by introducing concepts of healthy computing (computer ergonomics) to them. These goals were addressed in this research through a participatory approach that employed an action research model. Specific aims included 1) establishing small groups of teachers to meet weekly to engage in collaborative exploration of the use of technology in their classrooms and assessing progress of their learning; and 2) establishing a small group of students to learn, in a participatory fashion, about healthy computing and develop instructional and informational materials for other students. Through direct and indirect assessments, positive effects were seen in the teachers and students who participated in the interventions. Results of this study and discussion of the results along with the conclusions that could be made based on the results are included. Limitations of this research and this type of research methodology in general along with future directions, which may be based on this research, are also discussed.
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    Committee: Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor) Subjects:

  • 5. Kachlan, Anas Effects of Cognitive and Precision Demands on Biomechanical Responses During Manual Lifting Tasks

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders in the workforce are highly prevalent, especially in material handling operations. In addition to completing physically demanding work that is required in this domain, workers must also manage concurrent mental demands present in their tasks. Few studies have examined the effect of concurrent mental demands in occupationally-relevant tasks. This study attempted to fill this void by quantifying the effects of varying degrees of cognitive loads and task precision demands on a material handling task by examining these effects on the kinematics and muscle activity of the trunk and shoulders. Methods: Twelve subjects lifted and placed a 5 kg box on a rack at one of three destination heights (low, middle, high) while under a simultaneous cognitive load (no load, simple load, complex load) and/or precision constraint (low precision, high precision). Cognitive load consisted of time-based arithmetic questions where participants were tasked with determining the amount of time remaining from a given time to a target time (e.g., Get to 4:00 PM from 3:15 for simple load or get to 4:10 PM from 3:27 PM for complex load). The primary dependent measures were the angular velocities of the trunk and shoulders as well as muscle activity in the erector spinae, rectus abdominus, external oblique, latissimus dorsi, and anterior deltoid muscles. Results: Significant decreases in angular velocities for both higher cognitive load complexities and higher precision conditions were observed. Additionally, lower 90th percentile normalized muscle activity values were observed as complexity and precision increased. Cumulative muscle activity, however, increased with these increases in complexity and precision. Conclusions: This study examined the impact of varying levels of cognitive and precision conditions on muscle activity and kinematics of the trunk and shoulders. Results indicated that increased complexity and precision led to longer lift t (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Carolyn Sommerich (Committee Member); Steven Lavender (Advisor) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Biomechanics; Engineering; Health Sciences; Industrial Engineering; Kinesiology; Occupational Safety

  • 6. Usmani, Ahmad Raza Determination of Ability to Egress and Ingress Based on Hospital Bed Height

    MS, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering

    Many patient falls are related to the patient's interaction with the hospital bed. Beds with lower bed heights (as low as 13 cm from the ground) were introduced to reduce the impact of injury due to patient falls, with the thinking the lower the bed, less of a fall for the patient. However, the hospital beds with lower heights imposed different kind of issues during ingress and egress, such as lower heights force the knees to be in a biomechanically poorer posture, requiring an individual to generate large motion of the upper body and requiring more strength to stand. The influence of hospital bed height on biomechanics during ingress and egress has been largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of bed height on the ability to ingress and egress, based on quantitative measures. It was hypothesized that medium bed heights will be optimal, as there would be less forces generated and thus decreased risk of a fall. A laboratory study with 24 healthy adults (12 males, 12 females) was conducted to assess the biomechanical parameters at different heights of the hospital bed. The mean body mass indexes for the male population and female population were 25.7±4.1 kg/m2 and 25.7±4.1 kg/m2, respectively. The bed height was varied from 17 inches (43 cm) to 34 inches (86 cm), with an increment of one inch (2.54 cm). Two force plates installed on the floor collected the ground reaction forces (in x, y, and z direction) and the centre of pressures (in x and y direction). Perception of stability and difficulty were collected from the subject for each trial. Furthermore, it was also recorded whether subjects used hand support during each trial of ingress or egress (0, 1, or 2). Statistical analysis of the collected data was performed by comparing means in the form of two factor Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc t-tests in the form of Tukey to determine the significance between ingress/egress and bed height. Bed Height emerged as a sig (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Jay Kim Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Susan Kotowski Ph.D. (Committee Member); Thomas Richard Huston Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kermit Davis Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Health

  • 7. Jung, Kylie Assessment of the Utilization of Ergonomics in Collegiate Varsity Esports Programs

    Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

    Esports is a rapidly growing sport, with serious competitions available at the collegiate and professional levels. There are few studies about the health and wellness of esports players, and almost none concerning the effects of ergonomics. However, there are many ergonomics studies conducted about an environment similar to an esports athlete's workstation—the office environment. The aims of this study were to assess the utilization of ergonomics in the collegiate varsity esports environment and to create some relevant characterizations. Data was collected using a survey distributed online to potentially eligible candidates. Results found that a university's ergonomic support, ergonomic quality of equipment, or an esports director's involvement with ergonomics had no associated effects on one another and that program lifetime had no relationship to the ergonomic support provided by the university. Musculoskeletal disorder risk was shown to be possible, with most discomforts reported being in the upper body, and responses about student behavior in the provided practice space showed promise that university support for ergonomics would have direct impact on student athletes. This study was limited by the lack of a centralized database of competing universities and the low number of responses received. The study has shown the need for more research and created results to be compared for future studies to compare to.
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    Committee: Dale Masel (Advisor); Diana Schwerha (Committee Member); Ana Feger (Committee Member); Jeff Kuhn (Committee Member); Tao Yuan (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering; Occupational Health; Occupational Safety; Sports Management

  • 8. Poska, Evan Ergonomic Analysis of a Novel Shelf Stocking Cart

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 0, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Introduction. Grocery store employees who restock shelves are exposed to risk factors for shoulder- and back-related musculoskeletal disorders, due to the nature of the shelf-stocking task, which requires repetitive reaching to shelves that range in height from inches from the floor to overhead while handling products that range widely in weights and shapes. This study investigated the potential for an ergonomic intervention, specifically a prototype height adjustable stocking cart to reduce the physical demands experienced when stocking shelves. This study compared muscle activity, kinematics, and subjective preferences when participants used the prototype cart versus a traditional, manual stocking method. Methods. Twelve subjects, 9 males and 3 females, participated in this study. A traditional stocking method was compared to the prototype cart method for two types of dry grocery products as they were moved to three different destination shelf heights. Normalized 50th and 90th percentile electromyography (EMG) data and maximum kinematic displacements were collected and analyzed. In addition, a questionnaire was used to assess usability. Results. EMG data, kinematic data, and subjective feedback favored the cart prototype over the traditional method. In general, where there were statistically significant effects of method of stocking (prototype cart v. traditional method), muscle activity was lower for the cart condition when transferring products to a high and a low shelf, and there was no effect of stocking method on muscle activity for the middle shelf; this was the finding for the left trapezius, left and right anterior deltoid, and right erector spinae muscles. The cart primarily benefitted the anterior deltoid and trapezius descendens through reduced shoulder flexion, but some conditions also elicited statistically significant differences in the erector spinae and latissimus dorsi. Spine flexion was reduced in the cart condition as a main effect, but sp (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Steven Lavender (Committee Member); Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 9. Orme, Zachary Biomechanical Investigation of Methods of Grasping a Trombone

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    The present study investigated an ergonomic aid for playing the trombone, the Neotech Trombone GripTM, which assists a trombonist's left hand in supporting the instrument. The objective of the study was to investigate what effect this device has on the left upper extremity while playing the trombone in comparison to the standard, unaided method of grasping it. Understanding players' perceptions and opinions of the device was another objective. Seven trombone players were recruited. Subjects played a scale and a piece of their choice under four conditions: sitting or standing with or without the device on their trombone. While playing, muscle activity in the trapezius, anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, extrinsic finger flexor, and extrinsic finger extensor muscle groups on the left side of the body were collected. Perceptions on the device using a survey were also assessed. Results indicated a consistent decrease in muscle activity in the finger flexor group, and to a lesser extent trapezius muscle, while there was an increase in muscle activity in the finger extensor group, and to a lesser extent the anterior deltoid muscle, while using the device. These effects were more pronounced in players with smaller hands (among the group of participants). Most players subjectively found the device beneficial, and all would recommend it to other players. Overall, the device made playing more comfortable, decreased finger flexor muscle activity, and increased finger extensor muscle activity, indicating some tradeoff between these muscle groups.
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    Committee: Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor); Steve Lavender (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 10. Festa, Brittany A Characterization of the Ergonomic Conditions that Work from Home Employees Experienced During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

    COVID-19 uprooted millions of employees into the “new normal” of working from home. With the rapid growth of home offices, this research further investigates the ergonomic conditions that work from home employees experienced during the COVID- 19 pandemic. An anonymous survey about home offices ergonomics was distributed to friends, family, and colleagues by email and was completed by 85 individuals. 60% of the participants reported discomfort somewhere in their bodies while working from home. 25.49% of the participants who reported pain said that the pain continued when they returned to their office setting. In addition, only 7 out of 85 or 8.24% received any type of ergonomics training. Results indicated that participants with a higher income were more likely to have a designated office in their homes. Participants who received training to work from home were less likely to experience pain. Responses from the survey indicate that overall, participants would prefer a hybrid style of working in the office and remotely. The study concluded that employers should provide their employees with all the necessary tools to creating a safe work from home space by providing training that includes ergonomic techniques, equipment, and resources.
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    Committee: Dale Masel (Advisor) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 11. Leshnak, Shelby The New Normal: An Examination of Home Working Environments in Post-Pandemic America

    MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

    The Covid-19 global pandemic in 2020, has tested companies to their limits. They have pursued new techniques in the industry through sending employees home for long periods of time. They have had to continue their everyday working lives at home during the pandemic. Overall efforts to create this new normal of working have been successful. The new normal of working from home will continue past the end of the pandemic, and will remain a new requirement in every working environment. Working from home has created more convenience, cost savings, and satisfaction for employees. Americans will permanently shift their jobs to inside their homes and we will see the city centers beginning to disperse. Office buildings will become vacant and families will be able to spend more time together. As the shift in culture continues America will see an increase in close knit communities because of social isolation from lack of workplace interaction. These communities will be formed through personal connection and focus on the prosperity of the community, instead of being based on company office location. Working from home is the new normal for employees across America and it will change the future outlook on work-home life.
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    Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

  • 12. Whitehead, Carson Evaluation of the Impact of Process Design and Anthropometric Differences on the Chemical Exposure and Ergonomic Stress of Workers in the Petroleum Industry

    MS, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Medicine: Industrial Hygiene (Environmental Health)

    Workplace conditions (pipe height and gas density), anthropometric variability (worker height), and task orientation (worker posture) in petroleum refining can influence the concentration of chemicals measured in the breathing zone of workers. Consideration of these factors while performing qualitative risk assessment is essential for occupational hygienists to accurately estimate exposure and prioritize assessment and mitigation resources. This study aimed to characterize the impact of these factors by simulating a routine operations task in a laboratory setting, at a predetermined flow rate, using full body mannequins. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey tests indicate that all tested independent variables have a significant impact on the level of gas measured in the breathing zone (p < 0.001). Pipe height was a significant predictor of gas concentration measured in the breathing zone and correlated to the emission pathway for each evaluated gas density. Specifically, measurements of chemical concentration were higher for pipe heights that encouraged the gas to enter the breathing zone of the worker. Worker anthropometry was a significant predictor of gas concentration measured in the breathing zone and results varied for each gas density tested. Specifically, the tall worker (male) chemical concentrations exceeded those of the short worker (female) for methane simulations. Conversely, the short worker (female) chemical concentrations exceeded those of the tall worker (male) for sulfur hexafluoride simulations. This variance is primarily attributable to the vertical and horizontal position of each mannequin's breathing zone relative to the emission source for exposure events. Worker posture was a significant predictor of gas concentration measured in the breathing zone and the results of this study demonstrate that non-neutral postures may be associated with higher levels of chemical concentration for these sorts of manual tasks. The (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Kermit Davis Ph.D. (Committee Chair); M. Maier Ph.D. (Committee Member); Marepalli Rao Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Health

  • 13. McNamara, Nathan Using Decision Trees to Predict Intent to Use Passive Occupational Exoskeletons in Manufacturing Tasks

    Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

    A nontraditional decision tree approach was used to predict worker intent to use passive occupational exoskeletons in various manufacturing tasks. A dataset adapted from a previous study containing 33 records of participant, exoskeleton, and task combinations was used to create multiple decision tree models. Worker intent to use the exoskeleton was used as the target variable for all decision tree models. Data were collected during two separate sessions with fifteen participants at five manufacturing facilities in Ohio. Participants wore exoskeletons for under 30 minutes in each session and answered questions pertaining to personal characteristics, task characteristics, and personal preferences. Response data were used to create practitioner and research decision tree models. The practitioner models classified worker intent to use exoskeletons using only task characteristics and personal characteristics. Research models used personal characteristics, task characteristics, and personal preferences features to predict intent to use with all collected data. Both practitioner and research models may be useful for practitioners and exoskeleton developers for better understanding factors related to intent to use exoskeletons. All models created in the study yielded findings consistent with previous exoskeleton literature. This study demonstrated the ability of classification trees to identify nonlinear relationships in datasets relating to intent to use assistive technologies.
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    Committee: Diana Schwerha Ph.D (Advisor); Gary Weckman Ph.D (Committee Member); Dean Bruckner Ph.D (Committee Member); Timothy Ryan Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 14. Wang, Xueke Understanding the Association Between Cognitive Workload Imposed by Computer Tasks and Computer Users' Biomechanical Responses

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Office computer users experience work-related musculoskeletal disorders including pain in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Previous researchers revealed that there were associations between the cognitive workload imposed by computer tasks and the increased biomechanical load which could eventually lead to adverse symptoms. However, there are limited data that describe how the different components of cognitive workload are associated with changes in computer users' biomechanical response to the work process. At the same time, although furnishings with lumbar support and relevant sitting guidelines have been provided in many office settings, there is limited evidence showing more supportive furniture is effective in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among office computer users. This study investigated: 1) whether computer users are sitting in the suggested neutral position and using the backrest when working on different types of computer tasks; 2) how the causal (task complexity and time pressure) and assessment factors (mental demand, mental effort, and task performance) of cognitive workload are related with the variations in computer users' biomechanical responses; and 3) whether using a footrest can be used to promote the use of backrest in computer tasks. The first stage of this dissertation was an observational study in which computer users' sitting postures were observed and recorded discretely as the observed individuals worked on different types of computer tasks. The findings revealed that chairs' back supports were not being used effectively that the users did not rest their whole back against the backrest. Following the observational study, a laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate how the computer tasks that varied in their level of cognitive workload, which was assessed in terms of mental demand, mental effort, and task performance, are associated with the variations in the computer users' biomechanical responses (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Steven Lavender (Advisor); Carolyn Sommerich (Committee Member); Michael Rayo (Committee Member) Subjects: Biomechanics; Design; Industrial Engineering; Occupational Health

  • 15. Ardiyanto, Ardiyanto Development of A Tool for Assessing Risk Factors Associated with Lower Extremity Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders

    Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Ergonomic assessments are used to determine the appropriate interventions to minimize the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. However, current ergonomic assessment methods for lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders (LE-MSDs) have several limitations. The main objective of the study was to develop a new instrument for assessing risk factors for LE-MSDs. Specifically, this instrument development effort was focused on LE-MSDs of the hip, knee, and foot/ankle using a three-phase process that included development, validity assessment, and reliability assessment. The development of the new assessment tool involved several steps, including literature searches, evidence assessment, a Delphi survey, and tool development. The first three steps were conducted to construct comprehensive lists of risk factors. The steps confirmed 16 risk factors for LE-MSDs in the hip, 27 risk factors for LE-MSDs in the knee, and 19 risk factors for LE-MSDs in the foot/ankle. The tool, LEAT (Lower extremity Ergonomics Assessment Tool), had 47 input questions that assess occupational and worker-specific factors that were determined based on the confirmed risk factors. Scoring tables for calculating risk assessment scores were also developed based on the confirmed risk factors. The outputs of the tool include both quantitative and qualitative indicators: LEAT scores, degree of risk, and explanation of the risk factor exposures found in the assessed jobs, or workers. The second phase was aimed at assessing the preliminary validity of the tool. Two epidemiological measures, namely the tool's sensitivity and specificity, were utilized to determine the validity. The data were gathered by observing sixty-two full-time employees performing their jobs (to gather the needed input about the job factors in LEAT) and afterward interviewing them (to gather the needed input about worker-specific factors in LEAT). The results of the study revealed that the highest performance was observed when classify (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor); Steven Lavender (Committee Member); Stephanie Roewer (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering; Occupational Health; Occupational Safety

  • 16. Stephens, Derek Tools for Ergonomic Intervention: The Development and Analysis of a Cost Calculator

    Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

    The purpose of this study was to determine if safety professionals can use an ergonomic intervention costing calculator, which integrates performance and quality data into the costing matrix, to increase communication and better of decision making for the company. The sample size included 9 participants, which included four safety managers, four EHS managers, and one HR generalist. Results showed that all participants found the calculator very useful, well integrated, and it increased communication across the company. The mean System Usability Score (SUS) score was 82, which is rated as a perfectly acceptable software for use. Recommendations from this study include adding some additional features to the calculator, increasing awareness and availability of the calculator, and conducting further analysis using larger sample sizes. Limitations in this study include small sample size and limited interventions that were tested.
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    Committee: Diana Schwerha (Advisor); Timothy Ryan (Committee Member); Gary Weckman (Committee Member); Tao Yuan (Committee Member) Subjects: Engineering; Industrial Engineering; Occupational Health; Occupational Safety; Systems Design

  • 17. Sun, Chunyi Ergonomic and Time Cost of One-Handed Lifting tasks as a Function of Shelf Height, Item Weight and Walking Distance

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    One-handed lifting tasks are frequently performed in warehouse operations. Often these are small piece-pick order selection jobs that are performed by female hourly employees. These jobs require the picking of single items from open boxes of items, for example, individual bottles of shampoo that are sent to retail stores to replenish stock that has been sold. Often these individual items are picked from boxes located on multi-level flow racks. The objective of this study was to quantify the time cost and ergonomic cost of one-handed lifting tasks as a function of shelf height, item weight, and walking distance. Seventeen participants lifted items of two different weights (0.45 and 0.90 kg) from seven shelf heights ( 10.8, 37.1, 63.5, 89.9, 116.2, 142.6, 168.9 cm) and either walked one step prior to picking up the item (lifting task 1) or lifted the item without needing to take a step (lifting task 2). The dependent variables were the 90th percentile electromyographic (EMG) signals of the right anterior deltoid, right lateral deltoid, left and right erector spinae; the peak value of spine twist, spine flexion, spine lateral flexion, right shoulder flexion and right shoulder abduction; and time required for walking and lifting. Results indicated that shelf height had a significant effect on all postural and EMG variables and that there is a trade-off between the back and shoulder muscle activity across the varying shelf heights. Picking from shelf heights at 142.6 and 168.9 cm resulted in greater shoulder abduction and flexion and higher shoulder muscle activity. Picking from shelf heights at 10.8, 37.1 and 63.5cm increased torso flexion, twisting, and back muscle activity. Item weight significantly affected EMG activity in both shoulder muscles and one of the back muscles. In terms of lifting task, shoulder muscle activities increased in the second lifting task (task 2) which did not require a step. All postural measurements except spine flexion were sign (open full item for complete abstract)
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    Committee: Steve Lavender (Advisor); Carolyn Sommerich (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 18. Ramachandran, Vivek Quantifying the effectiveness of different carpet surfaces in reducing the tibial shock experienced while walking at different paces in dress shoes and flat shoes

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    Prior research has demonstrated the impact of flooring surfaces on tibial shock magnitudes and the relationships between tibial shock values and lower extremity discomfort. Although carpets possess desirable acoustic and insulation properties, possible biomechanical advantages, in terms of tibial shock attenuations when walking on carpets with varied padding thickness, have not been documented. This study aimed at quantifying tibial shock exposures as 31 volunteers walked on four carpeted surfaces with foam pad thicknesses of 0, 1.9, 3.2 and 7.9 mm, as compared to a concrete surface. For each flooring condition, participants walked at three different paces ; 65 (slow), 90 (normal) and 115 (fast) steps/min using two types of footwear. Data were collected using single axis accelerometers attached to the midpoint of the anterio-lateral surface of the shin. A three-way repeated measures ANOVA found that increasing carpet padding thickness significantly reduced tibial shock magnitudes, but the degree of padding required was dependent on the walking pace. Moreover, 0 mm padded carpet provided no significant attenuations in tibial shock relative to the concrete floor. Interaction effects indicated that participants wearing dress shoes experienced lower tibial shock than participants wearing flat shoes and these effects became larger at a faster walking pace or with less carpet padding.
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    Committee: Steven Lavender (Advisor); Carolyn Sommerich (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 19. Preddie, Alaina Glovebox Workers' Range of Motion in Three Gloveports

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    To date, there is no documented data on the differences in range of motion between gloveport types nor worker preference. The information gathered through this study provides a quantitative comparison between three gloveport shapes and orientations (round, vertical oval, and 45° oval) as well as worker ratings and preferences. Thirty-five experienced glovebox workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory were recruited to participate in this study. They performed two reach tasks to assess reach distance in the three ports and rated ease and/or difficulty of working in each port. Finally, the participants were asked to rate which port they most and least preferred. Vertical oval gloveports provided the greatest overall reach distances when compared to both the round and 45° oval gloveports. Most participants rated the vertical oval gloveports easiest to work in and selected them as their preferred gloveport. This study demonstrated the positive effects of vertical oval gloveports in glovebox design. The experienced glovebox workers that participated in this study both preferred working in the vertical oval gloveport and attained the greatest reach distance in comparison to the round and 45° oval gloveports. Future glovebox design should take this information into account along with the processes performed in the glovebox.
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    Committee: Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor); Cindy Lawton (Committee Member); Steven Lavender (Committee Member) Subjects: Industrial Engineering

  • 20. Sillars, Dawn Balancing Act: Female Surgeons Adaptations to the Operating Environment

    Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Industrial and Systems Engineering

    This study used a qualitative approach to attempt to provide further insight into the causal mechanisms for the previous findings of investigations which have documented a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and/or disorders in women surgeons when compared to their male colleagues. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve women surgeons practicing in a range of surgical subspecialties, with a wide range of years of experience. Surgeons described the factors of their work system which resulted in awkward postures, requirements for high levels of manual force, exertions while maintaining static postures, as well as operating while physiologically strained due to minimal opportunities to eat or hydrate, combined with insufficient periods for physical recovery. These factors included manual patient handling, suboptimal task height related to operating room tables, deficiencies in instrument design related to their hand size and strength capacity, and a culture of surgery which does not advance the general well-being of surgeons. Many of the issues raised in these interviews can be addressed through application of known human factors engineering design principles, leading to an operating room environment that
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    Committee: Carolyn Sommerich (Advisor); Steven Lavender (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Engineering; Health; Health Care; Health Care Management; Health Sciences; Medicine; Womens Studies
Release 3.2.12