Physical ergonomics

This chapter reviews the foundation of contemporary human modeling technology for physical ergonomics and presents examples of how digital humans are currently used in industry. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the current development efforts in the area of human modeling. 

Health hazards that cause occupational illnesses present a more complex issue than safety hazards. Health-related hazards must be identified (recognized), evalnated, and controlled in order to prevent occupational illnesses, which come from exposure to them. Health-related hazards come in a variety of forms, snch as chanical, physical, ergonomic, or biological ... 

Physical Ergonomics Physiological, anatomical, and biomechanical characteristics of the human body related to physical activity. 

Industrial hygienists (IHs) analyze, identify, and measure workplace hazards or stressors that can cause sickness, impaired health, or significant discomfort in workers through chemical, physical, ergonomic, or biological exposures. IHs use environmental monitoring and analytical methods to detect the extent of worker exposure and employ engineering, work-practice controls, and other methods to control potential health hazards. 

Incorporating human reliability is a function of education, training, ergonomics, stress, and physical condition. Incorporating this accurately into PSA is difficult. References for doing this are Gertmann (1994) and Dougherty (1988) as well as the many technical reports. 

Ergonomics The science dealing with the application of information on physical and psychological characteristics to workplace design. 

Walk-through survey An examination or inspection of a workplace involving a review of hazardous materials present and/or used, observation of work practices, and consversations with individuals to identify all of the actual or potential chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic hazards. 

The second perspective to be considered in this chapter is the human factors engineering (or ergonomics) approach (HFE/E). This approach, described in Section 2.5, emphasizes the mismatch between human capabilities and system demands as being the main source of human error. From this perspective, the primary remedy is to ensure that the design of the system takes into account the physical and mental characteristics of the human. This includes consideration of factors such as ... 

Human Factors Engineering/Ergonomics approach (control of error by design, audit, and feedback of operational experience) Occupational/process safety Manual/control operations Routine operation Task analysis Job design Workplace design Interface design Physical environment evaluation Workload analysis Infrequent... 

The PIFs increased the likelihood of the strong stereotype takeover in the case study were the fact that the worker was more used to operating the valve for reactor B than reactor A, together with the distracting environment. In addition, the panel was badly designed ergonomically, and valves A and B were poorly labeled and quite close physically. On the basis of the evaluation of the PIFs in the situation, the internal error mechanisms could be stereotype takeover or spatial misorientation. 

Hazards may also result from the interaction between company employees and the work environment these are called "ergonomic" hazards. If the physical, psychological, or environmental demands on workers exceed their capabilities, an ergonomic hazard exists. These hazards, in themselves may lead to fiirther major incidents when the individual cannot perform properly under stress during critical periods of plant... 

Human factors and ergonomics concern the ability of personnel to perform their job functions within the physical and mental capabilities or limitations of a human being. Human beings have certain tolerances and personal attitudes. Tolerances can be related to the ability to accept information, how quickly the information can be understood and the ability and speed to perform manual activities. When information is confusing, lacking or overtaxing, the ability to understand and act upon it quickly or effectively is absent. It is therefore imperative to provide concise, adequate and only pertinent information to do all the tasks associated with petroleum activities. This includes activities associated with emergency fire and explosion protection measures. 

Ergonomics - The study of the design requirements of work in relation to the physical and psychological capabilities and limitations of human beings. 

This safety audit is used for identifying inputs and material flows, processes and intermediates, and final products - but with special attention paid to human-material/process/equipment interactions that could result in (a) sudden and accidental releases/spills, (b) mechanical failure-based injuries, and (c) physical injuries - cuts, abrasions, and so on, as well as ergonomic hazards. Additional sources of adverse effects/safety problem areas are records/ knowledge of in-plant accidents/near misses, equipment failures, customer complaints, inadequate secondary prevention/safety procedures and equipment (including components that can be rendered non-operable upon unanticipated events), and inadequacies in suppliers of material and equipment or maintenance services. 

Rognum TO, Vartdel F, Rodahl K, Opstad PK, Knudson-Baes O, Kindt E, Withey WR. Physical and mental performance of soldiers during prolonged heavy exercise combined with sleep deprivation. Ergonomics 1986 29 859-867. 

The psychological and physiological limitations and capabilities constitute the ergonomics or human factors. It is the most important part of the occupational safety and health program. This is to evaluate personnel capabilities and improve human safety, comfort, and productivity in the workplace. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are the results of ergonomics and limitations of the human body to a sudden change or continuous working on a physical job, especially where most of the jobs are carried out manually. 

Method validation is often based on the combined use of validation procedures. The validation used can be direct or comparative. The selection of the validation procedures should also be justified on a cost-benefit basis as long as the fitness-for-purpose is maintained. Focusing the effort on the most critical factors affecting the test method will lead to a different solution for the validation of exact physical and chemical test methods as compared to that for product or subjective testing. For example, in the validation of ergonomics and sensory test methods not all possibilities are applicable. 

Zimmerman WJ, Eberts C, Salvendy G et al. (1991). Effects of respirators on performance of physical, psychomotor and cognitive tasks. Ergonomics, 34, 321-324. 

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