Ergonomics analysis and problem solving

45 Pages·1993·4.403 MB·English

by  Michael J. Burke

Ergonomics Analysis
and
Problem Solving
Manual
Mike Burke
Taylor & Francis Group
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
First published 1993 by CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
Reissued 2018 by CRC Press
© 1993 by LEWIS PUBLISHERS
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3
Congratulations on your purchase of Ergonomics Analysis and Prob-
lem Solving!
I am certain that with a little investment in time now, you will
hours of and effort down the road. This program has
developing for more than I to recall at the moment. MCI
made a lot of money in the lengthy phone conversations between
myself Sherm the programmer.
To in the evolution of this program, I am that
provide suggestions. The to any questions as
well as resolutions of any problems can be with anyone
this program.
In order to accomplish fill out in the informa-
tion to join the Ergonomics & Problem Solving Users
Group. I promise that your will not be to any mailing lists.
I will out to all members an occasional letter which will discuss
and experiences in using this program.
Name
Address
Phone (Optional)
Fax (Suggested) __
Date Program Purchased
Send the Information above to:
Mike Burke
Ergonomix Inc.
P.O. Box 753
Lake Zurich, Illinois

5
AND
SOLVING OPERATING MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......... - .7
Overview of the Program ....7
Compiling Background Information ,...,8
Identification of Ergonomic Risk Factors ........8
Determination of Ergonomic Interventions .....9
Uses for this Program 11
Part of a Comprehensive Process .....................11
Work Station Design 11
Persons Likely to Benefit from this Program .11
HOW TO USE THE 12
Getting Started ......12
Background Information.. 13
How to Identify Job ......14
How to Add a New Job Title 14
How to Select a Previously Entered Job...... ......15
How to Modify "Jobs Previously Analyzed"
Identification Data 15
How to Determine Job Exposure .....15
How to List Duties ..........16
How to Convert Duties to Tasks ., ......................17
To a Different Duty Than the One Displayed......... 18
How to Convert Duties to Tasks 18
How to Quantify Tasks .........19
How to Changes in Information Entered........ 21
How to Preview, Edit, or Print a Background Report ....21
Risk Identification 26
How to Identification..... .....27
How to Enter an Unsupported Position 28
How to a Forceful Exertion ....28
How to Enter an Environmental Condition... 29
How to Enter an Additional Comment .........29
How to Enter a Sign of Physiological Demand ......29
How to Enter Other Additional Comments at Any Time 30
How to Save the Risk Identification Data 30
How to Review Risk Factors Entered 30
How to Preview, Edit, or Print Risk Factor
Identification Report 30
How to Designate the Job Title for Report Writing .................31
Intervention Discovery .....33
How to Access the Intervention Discovery Screen...................35
How to Move the Cursor from the "Select Intervention
Category" Window to the "Select Intervention" Window .......36
How to Move the Cursor from the "Select Intervention"
Window to the "Select Intervention Category" Window ..36
How to Select an Intervention to be Included in the Report..36
How to Add Additional Comment or Expand upon
a Listed Intervention ...37
How to Add Your Own Intervention Ideas.... ..37
How to Start a New List of Interventions for a Different Job
Title, Duty, Task, or Risk Factor ....37
Some Special Considerations 37
How to Enter a Training Program 37
How to Enter an Exercise Program ..38
How to Preview, Edit, or Print an Intervention
List Report......... ......38
Print Reports .....................40
How to Access the Print Reports Section from the
Main Menu ........40
How to Access the Print Reports Section from the
Intervention Discovery Section ..40
How to Generate A Specific Type Report. 41
How to Generate a Complete Report Made Up of
Several Report Types ...........41
How to Write an Introductory Report..... ........41
How to Generate a Summary and Recommendations
Report ..43
How to Generate a Report About a Previously
Analyzed Job 43
How to Import the Files Into a Word Processing
Program 44
How to Exit Program .......44
How to Modify the Utilities Section ..44
7
INTRODUCTION
Organizations and companies are trying to use the science of
ergonomics to help decrease the incidence of musculoskeletal inju-
ries and illness by redesigning or retrofitting their work stations.
This program will deal with the issue of controlling cumulative
trauma disorders by focusing on the mechanical stresses in the work-
place. It should be understood that while your efforts may be driven
by the need to control cumulative trauma disorders, maximum pro-
ductivity and consistent quality will surely result.
In many cases the number of work stations or processes in need
of ergonomic analysis within a facility is very large. It may be con-
sidered financially unfeasible or impractical for a professional er-
gonomist to provide comprehensive services to an organization or
company. Many companies have turned to in-house individuals or
committees to perform this needed service. In some cases this is an
adjunct to having a professional ergonomist deal with the most
challenging ergonomic situations.
There is a great deal of self analysis that can be performed by
individuals with an understanding of the processes, products, and
politics of their particular facility. In many cases, this type of autono-
mous ergonomics management is even more effective than attempt-
ing to use a professional ergonomist.
Of course, there may be situations where only an outside consult-
ant will be able to provide the necessary service. Use of these initial
steps will help to identify where those situations arise.
This program is a tool to help individuals with limited ergonom-
ics experience to consistently perform work station analysis. It assists
in the production of an ergonomic jobsite analysis report. The opera-
tor enters specific information about the job being studied. This
specific information will be integrated into several interim reports as
well as a final comprehensive report.
Overview Of The Program
The goal of an ergonomic analysis is to identify conditions in a
work station which may act as barriers to maximum productivity,
obstacles to consistent quality, and challenges to immediate worker
comfort and long-term employee well being. Once this identification
process has been completed, various strategies to promote an effi-
cient and safe work environment are determined.
This process involves three separate phases. The phases are back-
8 Ergonomics Analysis and Problem Solving
ground information gathering, ergonomic risk factor identification,
and determination of effective interventions.
Compiling Background Information
In the Background information phase, the job is broken down into
its component duties Each can then be quantified by
the of performance, the number of hours that it is performed,
the total number of per day that it is performed. This
provides a framework up of definable units of time for
the next step, which is the identification of ergonomic risk factors,
The Ergonomics Analysis Problem Solving program
the operator through a of where fields are filled
in to determine a duty list, a task list, and a task quantification list.
Simple arithmetic operations such as ongoing calculation of percent-
for duty and exposure help the novice and professional
alike. Context-sensitive help are available for
the way to define terminology and explain how to get around the
screens,
Following completion of the Background Information phase, the
program can a of reports which can list each task,
a unit of completion for task, indicate the time re-
quired to perform a single unit of completion, present total time that
a target worker performs a task, and finally, state the number of
a task is performed each day.
Identification of Ergonomics Risk Factors
An ergonomic risk factor is a condition or practice in a work
station which may act as a barrier to maximum productivity, an
to quality, or a challenge to immediate worker
comfort or long term employee well being. These risk factors can be
into five basic categories. These are end
positions, unsupported postures, forceful exertions, environmental
factors, and excessive energy demands. Definitions of these terms
cam be found in the Risk Identification section of this manual.
This phase of the program a grid format, allowing a cursor to
move freely throughout the grid. Risk factors are listed along the top
of the grid regions of the body are listed along the vertical axis.
As the operator moves the cursor though out the grid, a general
statement is displayed. This statement of the risk factor and
the body part. When the operator identifies a risk factor, he positions
the cursor at the appropriate position on the grid and hits the <En-
9
ter> key. This brings up a series of menus to help further define this
risk factor. The details are added to the general statement and is
displayed throughout the process.
When a risk factor is identified, then that factor is quantified by
the appropriate details and additional information. This may include
body part position, amount of times it occurs per unit of completion
for that task, type of force, amount of force, type of environmental
factors or amount of time of environmental exposure.
This product of this phase is a list of consistently stated "ergo-
nomic risk factors" and the corresponding job, duty, or task where
they occur.
The program offers the operator the option to perform the risk
identification without performing the complete task breakdown in
the Background Information stage; however this compromise will
require the operator to type in quantity information manually.
Determination of Ergonomic Interventions
The final phase of the ergonomics analysis process is the determi-
nation of effective interventions. In order to insure that as many
interventions as possible are considered, several different approaches
should be pursued. These approaches can be classified into three
different categories. These categories are process modifications,
worker involved interventions, and work station redesign or retro-
fitting.
Process modification looks at the input and the output of the
process. The analyst focuses on the input of the process and consider
how it can be changed to reduce or eliminate the risk factors identi-
fied , Typical considerations here are the position of the input as
presented, the rate at which it is presented, the size, shape, weight,
and even temperature of the input. The same steps are then taken for
the output of the process. This may involve adjustments to the rate
of the output or even the level of completion of the product.
Worker involved interventions are those which require participa-
tion on the part of the worker. Possibilities in this area include
education programs, exercise programs, personal protective equip-
ment, job rotation or light duty programs, or even mandating proce-
dures for the performance of a task.
Workstation redesign or retrofitting includes all the objects that
make up the workstation environment. This would include the work
station itself as well as the tools, carts, environmental conditions, and
many other items. The workstation typically lends itself to the great-
est number of possible interventions.