A fuzzy-QFD approach for the enhancement of work equipment safety: a case study in the agriculture sector

The paper proposes a design for safety methodology based on the use of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method, focusing on the need to identify and analyse risks related to a working task in an effective manner, i.e. considering the specific work activities related to such a task. To reduce the drawbacks of subjectivity while augmenting the consistency of judgements, the QFD was augmented by both the Delphi method and the fuzzy logic approach. To verify such an approach, it was implemented through a case study in the agricultural sector. While the proposed approach needs to be validated through further studies in different contexts, its positive results in performing hazard analysis and risk assessment in a comprehensive and thorough manner can contribute practically to the scientific knowledge on the application of QFD in design for safety activities

Requirements for the Preliminary Design of Innovative Temporary Edge Protection Systems (TEPS) for Construction Works

At present, it is striking that a large percentage of occupational accidents in the construction sector are still caused by falls from height. Therefore, curbing the severe personal, social and economic consequences of these events is not only a commitment but an obligation for all stakeholders in the construction sector. After a review of current fall protection systems on construction sites, the purpose of this study is to establish the preliminary requirements for the design, development and prototyping of a new system which can be used as an auxiliary means to prevent occupational accidents in the construction sector caused by fall hazards at height. Based on the design science research (DSR) methodology, this paper tests the capability of alternative materials (metals, plastics and composites) to withstand the loads required by the regulatory standard UNE-EN 13374:2013+A1:2019 and looks at the improvements they can offer. The results obtained enable new metals and composite materials to be put forward, based on their suitability to the parameters of the risks of falling from height, ensuring that the greatest number of potential situations are addressed. Then, the needs to be satisfied and requirements to be met are listed, prioritised and considered for new temporary edge protection systems (TEPS). Next, the attributes that increase user satisfaction and/or reduce user dissatisfaction are filtered by means of a Kano model, which is applied thanks to the responses of construction designers, coordinators and supervisors. Once these questions are solved, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is performed by a focus group, weighing the Kano contributions and ranking the materials to be selected for the preliminary design of innovative TEPS for construction works. After considering safety, ergonomics, adaptability, sustainability, efficiency, manufacturability and flexibility criteria, the basis for the design of a new temporary edge protection system is establishe

Biopsychosocial Assessment and Ergonomics Intervention for Sustainable Living: A Case Study on Flats

This study proposes an ergonomics-based approach for those who are living in small housings (known as flats) in Indonesia. With regard to human capability and limitation, this research shows how the basic needs of human beings are captured and analyzed, followed by proposed designs of facilities and standard living in small housings. Ninety samples were involved during the study through in- depth interview and face-to-face questionnaire. The results show that there were some proposed of modification of critical facilities (such as multifunction ironing work station, bed furniture, and clothesline) and validated through usability testing. Overall, it is hoped that the proposed designs will support biopsychosocial needs and sustainability

Rethinking the risk matrix

So far risk has been mostly defined as the expected value of a loss, mathematically PL (being P the probability of an adverse event and L the loss incurred as a consequence of the adverse event). The so called risk matrix follows from such definition. This definition of risk is justified in a long term “managerial” perspective, in which it is conceivable to distribute the effects of an adverse event on a large number of subjects or a large number of recurrences. In other words, this definition is mostly justified on frequentist terms. Moreover, according to this definition, in two extreme situations (high-probability/low-consequence and low-probability/high-consequence), the estimated risk is low. This logic is against the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement, which should impose instead both a continuous search for lower probabilities of adverse events (higher and higher reliability) and a continuous search for lower impact of adverse events (in accordance with the fail-safe principle). In this work a different definition of risk is proposed, which stems from the idea of safeguard: (1Risk)=(1P)(1L). According to this definition, the risk levels can be considered low only when both the probability of the adverse event and the loss are small. Such perspective, in which the calculation of safeguard is privileged to the calculation of risk, would possibly avoid exposing the Society to catastrophic consequences, sometimes due to wrong or oversimplified use of probabilistic models. Therefore, it can be seen as the citizen’s perspective to the definition of risk

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Issues in Social Marketing

Social marketing has been contributing historically for a better application of public policy, health and safety, environment, education and human rights. Specifically, four major areas that social marketing efforts have focused over the years are health promotion,injurprevention,environmental protection, and community mobilization. Social marketing, at an industrial organization, emphasizes exchange of ideas between the target audience (i.e. the employees) and the marketer (i.e. the employer). This exchange requires that the employees be persuaded to give up the unsafe behaviors that they are accustomed to, to gain an enhanced level of safety with a greater likelihood of preventing injuries in the workplace. In an organizational context, the internal users are treated as customers and marketing inside the organization is an essential part of delivering value to the organization, and ultimately to the end customer. Therefore, effective management strategies are sought to develop the concept of internal marketing with a view to satisfy the employees and in turn, motivate them to do good work and produce a better product or service. The success of any business enterprise largely depends on its manpower with regard to their professional skill level, positive attitude, job satisfaction, and involvement in quality improvement activities. The important aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the concern for safety and sound health of the workforce, so that employees feel secured and motivated. The concern becomes manifold when the workforce is exposed to menial tasks and occupational risk situations. To make a safe and conducive environment, an organization must build a solid foundation with a clear vision of the future and specific means by which it will achieve the safety mission of the organization. Safety, health and environment systems needs a continual and systematically managed efforts in order to achieve sustainable growth. Presently, many industries are focusing attention on occupational health and safety (OHS) that may help to achieve competitive advantage. This research is concerned with the study of OHS issues in the context of injury prevention social marketing. A detailed study on workplace environment and safety climate makes the implementation of various social marketing principles easier. This may also be useful for the purpose of policy formulation on improving OHS in Indian industries. Three industrial sectors such as construction (Type 1), refractory (Type 2) and steel (Type 3) are considered in this study. These industries are generally viewed as hazardous due to usage of heavy equipment, unsafe and primitive tools, injurious materials and dust produced during operation. The study covers such organizations where size in manpower and investment varies, both organized and unorganized workforce exists, both public and private enterprises exist, and the level of sophistication of tools, methods, and work environment in terms of safety is poor. A study on risk perceptions and understanding of OHS has been conducted in three industrial sectors. Thirty four items are included in the questionnaire through review of related literature and discussion with a focus group. The items are framed to suit the local work practices and culture covering various aspects of OHS. Two hundred eighty eight (or 288) useful responses were tested to examine the validity and reliability of the scale to ensure a quantitative and statistically provenidentification of the responses. The test for quantitative variables was conducted by factor analysis on responses using the principal component method followed by varimax rotation to ensure that the variables are important and suitable for the model using SPSS 16.0. Finally, identified factors were again analyzed using discriminant analysis to highlight statistical difference among practices existing in three sectors. The pattern of influence of input parameters on outputs such as injury level and material damage is difficult to establish, possibly due to existence of some nonlinear relationship among them. Therefore, an artificial neural network (ANN) is adopted to carry out sensitivity analysis and important deficient items have been identified. A comparative evaluation on deficient items among three major types of Indian industries has been made. Quality function deployment (QFD) has been used to develop the system design requirements considering the deficient safety items as voice of customers. The interrelation among the system design requirements is represented in a digraph using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach. A predictive methodology for forecasting various types of injuries has been proposed using fuzzy inference system. As fuzzy inference system can be used with little mathematical knowledge and needs only expert knowledge, it can be easily implemented in the field to predict injury types. Further, fuzzy inference system can deal effectively in imprecise and uncertain situations. In order to transfer best practices among various organizations, a benchmarking study has been carried out using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The study finally provides some useful guidelines for the managers for improving safety performance in selected Indian industrial settings

Apply QFD methodology to capture ‘unheard’ voices of UK care home residents and translate them into quality measurement targets for future improvement

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonIn the planning and delivery of services the voice and choice of consumers have appeared as the foremost key factors. For a large number of organisations the received feedback from customers about the quality of services, which are the criteria and indication of their level of satisfaction play a crucial role in the improvement of quality. Although across developed western communities, the importance of customers’ views has gained acceptance, few studies have been dedicated to the exploration of the voice of the residents in care homes. The review of the literature regarding residents’ satisfaction and quality in care homes revealed that the voices of residents in care homes are usually not heard or are absent. Moreover, the adoption of quality improvement tools in health care has lagged behind that in other industries and there is generally a failure to use an appropriate methodology in care homes, one based on residents’ voice, for improving quality. As a result, the main aim of this research is to investigate residents’ voice regarding improving their satisfaction in care homes. Further, the researcher seeks to obtain data by using an appropriate methodology to assist care home managers in enhancing the quality of the services they offer by assigning weights to quality indicators pertaining to improving quality and residents’ levels of satisfaction. For this purpose, this research employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches to develop a research process entailing: (1) a comprehensive literature review to recognise the phenomenon; (2) interviews with fifteen older people who lived in three different care homes in order to discover the most important residents’ needs and requirements in such homes; (3) a resident survey with one hundred and two residents in thirty five care homes. These were conducted to assess their preferences for the importance of demanded qualities; their satisfaction with provided services and the attributes of each demanded quality based on the Kano model, in order to identify the priority of improvement. Next, (4) there was the development of the House of Quality (HoQ) to optimize quality to assure residents’ satisfaction; and finally, (5) an evaluation study was conducted with thirteen service providers, in order to assess the accuracy and appropriateness of the methodology. This research has contributed towards a better understanding of the residents’ voice, and applying it for enhancing quality and residents’ satisfaction in care homes. For the first time residents’ requirements are prioritised and classified in this context through accurate methods. Moreover, an understanding of the attributes of care home residents’ needs in relation to a Kano model has been elicited. The novelty of this proposed methodology is in utilising the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in care homes to translate the voice of residents’ regarding their requirements into service planning. The research methodology and results facilitate care home managers with a hierarchy for improvement planning at both service and executive management levels

Sustainable interaction with digital technologies : fostering pro-environmental behavior and maintaining mental health

One of the most essential challenges of the twenty-first century is to realize sustainability in everyday behavior. Daily, partly unconscious decisions influence environmental sustainability. Such everyday choices are increasingly shifted toward digital environments, as digital technologies are ubiquitous in a wide variety of everyday contexts. This yields the great potential to positively influence the users behavior toward more environmental sustainability when interacting with digital technologies, for example, through the use of digital nudging. But besides these benefits, research indicates that interacting with digital technologies can lead to a specific form of stress, also known as technostress, that can cause adverse health outcomes. Individuals increasingly suffer from or are at risk of mental health issues like depression or burnout. This demonstrates that it is essential to ensure a sustainable interaction with digital technologies that is both environmentally friendly and healthy, especially for the mind. Addressing individuals interaction with digital technologies requires a broad understanding from all perspectives. The Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) framework represents a guiding structure for studying the interaction of humans with digital technologies. Along with the guiding structure of the HCI framework, the seven research articles included in this dissertation aim to contribute to sustainable interaction with digital technologies. The focus is on two outcomes resulting from the interaction: First, fostering pro-environmental behavior and, second, maintaining mental health. After an introductory first chapter, Chapter 2 focuses on the outcome of fostering pro-environmental behavior when interacting with digital technologies using digital nudging. Chapter 2.1 contributes to a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of DNEs in different behavioral contexts (HCI perspective context) that influence the individuals pro-environmental behavior (e.g., e-commerce shopping behavior). Chapters 2.2 and 2.3 zoom in on two of the behavioral contexts described in Chapter 2.1 to investigate and test the design and effectiveness of specific DNEs in an e-commerce shop and a smart home app (HCI perspective technology) through online experiments. While prior research concentrated on the effectiveness of different feedback nudge features (FNFs) (e.g., different update frequencies), Chapter 2.4 investigates the influence of 25 identified FNFs on user satisfaction in a smart home app through a card sorting approach followed by an online survey based on the Kano model (HCI perspective human). Chapter 3 puts focuses on the outcome of maintaining mental health when interacting with digital technologies, thus avoiding technostress. Chapter 3.1 concentrates on the role of the organization in preventing technostress among their employees (HCI perspective context). It introduces and characterizes 24 primary and secondary technostress prevention measures and determines the relevance of primary prevention measures in reducing different sources of technostress (technostress creators). Out of the 24 technostress prevention measures, two specific measures (adopt a stress-sensitive digital workplace design and use gamification) are addressed in Chapters 3.2 and 3.3. Through a large-scale online survey, Chapter 3.2 derives an understanding of the characteristic profiles of technologies used at the digital workplace, their interplay, and how they influence technostress (HCI perspective technology). Chapter 3.3 focuses on the individuals appraisal (HCI perspective human) of a demanding situation when interacting with digital technologies. After conducting an online experiment, Chapter 3.3 finds that the integration of gamification elements (e.g., points or levels) in digital technologies can reduce the individuals threat appraisal. Lastly, Chapter 4 discusses the results of the seven included research articles and provides an outlook for future research. In summary, this dissertation aims to provide research and practice with new insights into creating a sustainable interaction with digital technologies to foster pro-environmental behavior and maintain mental health.Die nachhaltige Gestaltung des Lebens eine der zentralen Herausforderung des einundzwanzigsten Jahrhunderts. Alltägliche, teils unterbewusste Entscheidungen haben Einfluss auf die ökologische Nachhaltigkeit. Diese Entscheidungen werden durch die Allgegenwärtigkeit digitaler Technologien zunehmend in digitalen Umgebungen getroffen. Dies birgt das Potenzial, die Entscheidungen und somit das Verhalten der Nutzer:innen bei der Interaktion mit digitalen Technologien, beispielsweise durch Digital Nudging, positiv in Richtung ökologischer Nachhaltigkeit zu beeinflussen. Doch neben diesen Vorteilen zeigt die Forschung, dass die Interaktion mit digitalen Technologien eine spezifische Form von Stress, bekannt unter dem Begriff Technostress, auslösen kann, die zu negativen gesundheitlichen Folgen führen kann. Immer mehr Menschen leiden unter psychischen Krankheiten wie Depressionen oder Burnout oder sind akut gefährdet, diese zu entwickeln. Das zeigt, dass eine nachhaltige Interaktion mit digitalen Technologien sowohl umweltfreundlich als auch gesund, insbesondere für die Psyche, sein sollte. Das erfordert zunächst ein umfassendes Verständnis für die Problematik und muss deshalb aus allen relevanten Perspektiven betrachtet werden. Das Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) Framework stellt eine Struktur für die Untersuchung der Interaktion von Menschen mit digitalen Technologien bereit. Das Framework stellt einen ganzheitlichen Ansatz zur Strukturierung und Klassifizierung der Forschung entlang der drei verschiedenen Perspektiven dar. Orientiert an dieser Struktur zielen die sieben Forschungsartikel dieser Dissertation darauf ab, einen Beitrag zur nachhaltigen Interaktion mit digitalen Technologien zu leisten. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf den beiden Ergebnissen der Förderung des umweltfreundlichen Verhaltens und der Aufrechterhaltung der psychischen Gesundheit. Nach dem einleitenden ersten Kapitel fokussiert Kapitel 2 die Förderung eines umweltfreundlichen Verhaltens bei der Interaktion mit digitalen Technologien durch die Verwendung von Digital Nudging. Durch eine strukturierte Literaturanalyse und der anschließenden Entwicklung eines Frameworks trägt Kapitel 2.1 zu einem tieferen Verständnis und einem Überblick der Effektivität von DNEs in verschiedenen Verhaltenskontexten (HCI Perspektive Kontext), die umweltfreundliches Verhalten bestimmen (z.B. Einkaufsverhalten), bei. In den Kapiteln 2.2 und 2.3 werden zwei der in Kapitel 2.1 betrachteten Kontexte vertieft und sowohl das Design als auch die Effektivität spezifischer DNEs in einem E-Commerce-Shop (Kapitel 2.2) und einer Smart Home App (Kapitel 2.3) in Online-Experimenten untersucht (HCI Perspektive Technologie). Kapitel 2.4 konzentriert sich das gut erforschte und wirksame DNE Feedback zur Förderung von energiesparendem Verhalten. Während sich bisherige Forschung auf die Effektivität verschiedener Feedback Nudge Features (FNFs) konzentriert (z.B. unterschiedliche Aktualisierungsfrequenzen), wird in Kapitel 2.4 der Einfluss von 25 identifizierten FNFs auf die Nutzerzufriedenheit mit Hilfe eines Card Sortings und einer Online-Befragung basierend auf dem Kano Modell untersucht (HCI Perspektive Mensch). In Kapitel 3 liegt der Schwerpunkt auf dem Ziel der Aufrechterhaltung der psychischen Gesundheit und somit der Vermeidung von Technostress. Kapitel 3.1 konzentriert sich auf die Rolle der Organisation bei der Prävention von Technostress bei Mitarbeiter:innen (HCI Perspektive Kontext). Basierend auf einer Delphi-Studie werden 24 primäre und sekundäre Technostress-Präventionsmaßnahmen vorgestellt und charakterisiert, sowie deren Relevanz zur Vermeidung von Technostress eingeschätzt. Von den 24 Maßnahmen werden zwei spezifische Maßnahmen (Gestaltung eines stresssensiblen digitalen Arbeitsplatzes" und Einsatz von Gamification) in Kapitel 3.2 und 3.3 behandelt. Kapitel 3.2 trägt durch eine groß angelegte Umfrage zu einem Verständnis für die Charakteristika der am digitalen Arbeitsplatz eingesetzten Technologien und deren Einfluss auf Technostress bei (HCI Perspektive Technologie). Kapitel 3.3 konzentriert sich auf das Individuum und dessen Wahrnehmung einer potenziellen Technostress-Situation bei der Interaktion mit digitalen Technologien (HCI Perspektive Mensch). Durch ein Online-Experiment zeigt sich, dass die Integration von Gamification-Elementen in digitalen Technologien die bedrohende Wahrnehmung der gegebenen Situation des Einzelnen reduzieren kann. Zusammenfassend zielt diese Dissertation darauf ab, Forschung und Praxis mit neuen Erkenntnissen zu einer nachhaltigen Interaktion von Menschen mit digitalen Technologien zu bereichern, die sowohl umweltfreundliches Verhalten fördert als auch die psychische Gesundheit aufrechterhält und somit zu den aktuellen Nachhaltigkeitsbemühungen beiträgt

Monitoring fatigue and drowsiness in motor vehicle occupants using electrocardiogram and heart rate - A systematic review

Introdução: A fadiga é um estado complexo que pode resultar em diminuição da vigilância, frequentemente acompanhada de sonolência. A fadiga durante a condução contribui significativamente para acidentes de trânsito em todo o mundo, destacando-se a necessidade de técnicas de monitorização eficazes. Existem várias tecnologias para aumentar a segurança do condutor e reduzir os riscos de acidentes, como sistemas de deteção de fadiga que podem alertar os condutores à medida que a sonolência se instala. Em particular, a análise dos padrões de frequência cardíaca pode oferecer informações valiosas sobre a condição fisiológica e o nível de vigilância do condutor, permitindo-lhe compreender os seus níveis de fadiga. Esta revisão tem como objetivo estabelecer o estado atual das estratégias de monitorização para ocupantes de veículos, com foco específico na avaliação da fadiga pela frequência cardíaca e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca. Métodos: Realizamos uma pesquisa sistemática da literatura nas bases de dados Web of Science, SCOPUS e Pubmed, utilizando os termos veículo, condutor, monitoração fisiológica, fadiga, sono, eletrocardiograma, frequência cardíaca e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca. Examinamos artigos publicados entre 1 de janeiro de 2018 e 31 de janeiro de 2023. Resultados: Um total de 371 artigos foram identificados, dos quais 71 foram incluídos neste estudo. Entre os artigos incluídos, 57 utilizam o eletrocardiograma (ECG) como sinal adquirido para medir a frequência cardíaca, sendo que a maioria das leituras de ECG foi obtida através de sensores de contacto (n=41), seguidos por sensores vestíveis não invasivos (n=11). Relativamente à validação, 23 artigos não mencionam qualquer tipo de validação, enquanto a maioria se baseia em avaliações subjetivas de fadiga relatadas pelos próprios participantes (n=27) e avaliações feitas por observadores com base em vídeos (n=11). Dos artigos incluídos, apenas 14 englobam um sistema de estimativa de fadiga e sonolência. Alguns relatam um desempenho satisfatórios, no entanto, o tamanho reduzido da amostra limita a abrangência de quaisquer conclusões. Conclusão: Esta revisão destaca o potencial da análise da frequência cardíaca e da instrumentação não invasiva para a monitorização contínua do estado do condutor e deteção de sonolência. Uma das principais questões é a falta de métodos suficientes de validação e estimativa para a fadiga, o que contribui para a insuficiência dos métodos na criação de sistemas de alarme proativos. Esta área apresenta grandes perspetivas, mas ainda está longe de ser implementada de forma fiável.Background: Fatigue is a complex state that can result in decreased alertness, often accompanied by drowsiness. Driving fatigue has become a significant contributor to traffic accidents globally, highlighting the need for effective monitoring techniques. Various technologies exist to enhance driver safety and minimize accident risks, such as fatigue detection systems that can alert drivers as drowsiness sets in. In particular, measuring heart rate patterns may offer valuable insights into the occupant's physiological condition and level of alertness, and may allow them to understand their fatigue levels. This review aims to establish the current state of the art of monitoring strategies for vehicle occupants, specifically focusing on fatigue assessed by heart rate and heart rate variability. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search in the databases of Web Of Science, SCOPUS and Pubmed, using the terms vehicle, driver, physiologic monitoring, fatigue, sleep, electrocardiogram, heart rate and heart rate variability. We examine articles published between 1st of january 2018 and 31st of January 2023. Results: A total of 371 papers were identified from which 71 articles were included in this study. Among the included papers, 57 utilized electrocardiogram (ECG) as the acquired signal for heart rate (HR) measures, with most ECG readings obtained through contact sensors (n=41), followed by non-intrusive wearable sensors (n=11). Regarding validation, 23 papers do not report validation, while the majority rely on subjective self-reported fatigue ratings (n=27) and video-based observer ratings(n=11). From the included papers, only 14 comprise a fatigue and drowsiness estimation system. Some report acceptable performances, but reduced sample size limits the reach of any conclusions. Conclusions: This review highlights the potential of HR analysis and non-intrusive instrumentation for continuous monitoring of driver's status and detecting sleepiness. One major issue is the lack of sufficient validation and estimation methods for fatigue, contributing to the insufficiency of methods in providing proactive alarm systems. This area shows great promise but is still far from being reliably implemented

KEER2022

Avanttítol: KEER2022. DiversitiesDescripció del recurs: 25 juliol 202