A literature review of the anthropometric studies of school students for ergonomics purposes: are accuracy, precision and reliability being considered?

BACKGROUND: Despite offering many benefits, direct manual anthropometric measurement method can be problematic due to their vulnerability to measurement errors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this literature review was to determine, whether or not the currently published anthropometric studies of school children, related to ergonomics, mentioned or evaluated the variables precision, reliability and/or accuracy in the direct manual measurement method. METHODS: Two bibliographic databases, and the bibliographic references of all the selected papers were used for finding relevant published papers in the fields considered in this study. RESULTS: Forty-six (46) studies met the criteria previously defined for this literature review. However, only ten (10) studies mentioned at least one of the analyzed variables, and none has evaluated all of them. Only reliability was assessed by three papers. Moreover, in what regards the factors that affect precision, reliability and accuracy, the reviewed papers presented large differences. This was particularly clear in the instruments used for the measurements, which were not consistent throughout the studies. Additionally, it was also clear that there was a lack of information regarding the evaluators’ training and procedures for anthropometric data collection, which are assumed to be the most important issues that affect precision, reliability and accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results it was possible to conclude that the considered anthropometric studies had not focused their attention to the analysis of precision, reliability and accuracy of the manual measurement methods. Hence, and with the aim of avoiding measurement errors and misleading data, anthropometric studies should put more efforts and care on testing measurement error and defining the procedures used to collect anthropometric data

Image analysis as a basis to the design of wheelchair rugby sportswear

Sportswear clothing plays a very important part in athletes’ performance. Inappropriate fit puts at risk not only the outcome of the sports event but also the safety of athletes. Wheelchair rugby is a good example of athletes wearing sportswear that is inappropriately fitted. The purpose of this study is to analyse, by means of videos and photographs, the patterns of activity and movements performed by the athletes during a set of wheelchair rugby training sessions. This analysis serves not only to inform on the movements and body postures but also on the problems and difficulties caused by the items of sportswear worn by the athletes. From the analysis it was observed that gloves are causing the most problems with performance, whilst tops and bottoms have more impact on comfort

Integrated management systems: on the path to maturity and efficiency assessment

The results from an online survey focusing Portuguese integrated management system (IMS) ruled companies are presented in the present article. These are partial results from an ongoing project aiming the maturity rating and assessment of IMS and companies where implemented. Surveyed companies match partially the national Portuguese profile, namely, on geographic location and company dimension characteristics. Results suggest that motivations, benefits and obstacles related to integration are internal or mainly internal. A sequential over a step by step or “all in” integration sequence as been reported as the most common one among the surveyed companies. Integrated audits seem to be the model adopted by the majority of the companies. Systems managers found implementation sub-systems standards easy or, at least, reasonably easy, to integrate. A major dividing point between surveyed companies is related to the identification of organizational items not susceptible of being integrated. Approximately 55% of the surveyed companies identified those items while 45% did not. Systems managers’ majority did not felt that an ultimate excellence level of integration had been reached by their companies but rather a high integration level corresponding to common organizational structure plus policies and goals, management tools and documental integration. All respondents felt that the overall company performance would be lower (79%) or at least equal (21%) if running through separate management sub-systems. Almost totally agreed that IMS is an add value to the company. Related to responsibility it seem that companies option rely on traditional pyramidal model with an IMS coordinator and a QMS, an EMS and/or an OHSMS sub-systems responsible providing feedback. Finally, process, operations and management monitoring was assessed by the survey. Almost all companies agreed that monitoring was performed by key process indicators (KPI’s), operations process indicators (OPI’s) or management process indicators (MPI’s). Similar results were found when asked about integrated indicators

A model proposal for integrated management systems maturity assessment

Maturity models enabling the assessment of integrated management systems (IMS) are crucial in order to provide a comparison between IMS from different companies. This paper intends to report the efforts made and the methodologies followed to develop an IMS maturity assessment model. Additionally, the paper aims at presenting such model, illustrate its usefulness, and demonstrate how companies may implement it as an organizational guide focusing an ultimate excellence level. Two surveys have been developed. An online survey with 30 questions/statements was held focusing Portuguese companies with more than one certified management subsystem according to the following standards: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001/NP 4397. The survey was supported on Likert type scales, with categorical and multiple option answers/statements. A pre-test was performed in three companies in order to validate the survey. A second survey was developed and submitted to the appreciation of an experts group to assess in what extent each parameter could reflect the management system integration level. The maturity model reported in this paper provides companies with a guiding path in order to achieve an ultimate excellence level. The final model version is sustained on two components, namely, a back office component, describing the statistical relationships between variables, and a front office Capability Maturity Model integrated (CMMi) based component, enabling companies to interact with the model. The back office component was developed through linear and multiple regression models and by statistical significant variables identification affecting an “IMS maturity level” latent variable. Additionally, Pearson correlation was assessed among those variables not statistically related to the latent variable. Front office component has five maturity levels and a “zero level” acting as a pre-requirement and enabling, or not, the access to the maturity assessment model. To access at higher maturity levels the IMS should comply with excellence management requirements, external factors requirements and key process agents’ (KPAs) requirements

Ergonomía de interfaces. Nuevos retos para el diseño de interfaces hombre-maquina

Esta es una conferencia sobre los retos de la ergonomía de interfaces en el futuro, y sobre la forma como se evoluciona el concepto del diseño basado en la experiencia del usuario. La conferencia empieza con un resumen del concepto de diseño basada en la experiencia, que es un concepto que involucra varios otros conceptos, tales como el diseño de interacción, la Interacción hombre-computadora, el diseño de la interface, o la usabilidad. La idea-clave por detrás de estos conceptos es que, no sólo se haga una predicción de cómo los usuarios van a utilizar los productos, sino que se asuma la necesidad de validar las hipótesis formuladas en relación con el comportamiento del usuario en un entorno real. Después de una referencia a el facto de haber una falta de atención con las interfaces, porque se supone que los productos son fáciles de usar, se hace una breve reflexión sobre las interfaces que están siendo pensadas para aplicar en los coches. Se muestran algunos ejemplos de interfaces tecnológicos avanzados en el campo de la industria automovilística, pero también otros que usan el concepto de “invisibilidad", con un robot de cirugía, o la puente de un barco por una sola persona. Después, se habla también de la importancia que los sensores tendrán en un futuro muy pronto y se refiere que será necesario entender más sobre el ser humano en sus diversas dimensiones. Las interfaces serán mucho más que pantallas interactivas sencillas. Por lo que hay que pensar en la aplicación en sistemas críticos del punto de vista de la fiabilidad, como en drones y otros vehículos no tripulados. Se aborda también el tema de del necesario equilibrio entre las capacidades de la tecnología y nuestra privacidad y necesidades, evitando que las tecnologías sean intrusas. Hay muchos ejemplo de buenas tecnologías que son rechazadas por que fueran intrusas. La presentación termina con la referencia a cuatro ejemplos de proyectos en curso en la Universidad do Minho.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Benchmarking on behalf of management systems integration

The integration of management systems, to be effective, requires several organisational features. An integrating concept enabling a common language, a proactive approach, a holistic vision, sustainable objectives and consistence and coherence on action are among those features. All these features will be properly and efficiently achieved considering concepts linked to benchmarking, namely, teammanship, self-management, democracy in management and collaborative benchmarking. This paper is based on an ongoing research project focusing the development of a tool/methodology to assess maturity and effectiveness levels achieved by organizations that implemented an integrated management system (IMS) being its purpose to report and to enhance the potential synergies between benchmarking methodologies and management systems integration. The research, and implicit results, aims organizations that are considering an IMS implementation being the findings transferable to in field environment, being useful to practitioners willing to implement an IMS

Management systems integration: should quality be redefined?

Concepts like interfaces, synergies, fuzzy logic, organisational synapses and networking rule our days. These concepts orbit around the term “interactions”. Literally, interactions are everything. For instance, graphite and diamond are just carbon atoms “interacting” differently. Currently, customers demand a broader vision from organizations. In order to fulfil this demand organizations implemented and certified their management systems focusing different stakeholders’ requirements and according to several organisational standards, being the most reported ones ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Despite of the difficulties to achieve a consensual definition, if we consider concepts like quality tools, “Quality” is mainly an “action” concept. Thus, the main challenge faced by quality management systems (QMS) in an integrated environment would be philosophical: to leave the spotlights of an “action” based approach and to embrace the subtleness of the “interaction” approach. It is common sense that the system defining, promoting and stimulating interactions should not be involved in the action itself. Implications of this new role to play by quality management system are huge. Traditional organisational structures place quality transversally to production processes. It is expected that quality management system adopts a more vertical organisational orientation in order to accomplish new objectives posed by management systems integration. Human behaviour towards item production or service performance should change according new organisational placement by QMS. Each worker despite their organisational function should have a priori and a posteriori quality requirements knowledge, being critical a precise boundaries definition among elements constituting the responsibility chain. Auditing procedures should be adjusted too. Potential synergies between processes, internal and external communication flow, objectives redefinition, policies adjustment and a new vision horizon are among some check-points to be assessed by the audit team. It should be assure that top management commitment is not with a system but with an organisational philosophy. Processes indicators should be available at all time and by several persons. This requirement is not far fetch in our days due to the currently available networks and information systems. Non conformity detection, treatment and correction, under an integrated approach, should not be a middle management meeting of the affected process. In this case, quality procedures should assure that Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety representatives are involved and empowered to discuss decisions to be made. In this article we analyze the reposition of the quality management system after an integration process pointing out the practical implications of this newly perspective. It is intended to be an initial contribution to a newly task already achieved by other systems and sciences: the assessment of “interactions” in management systems

Integrated management systems: survey results from Portuguese companies and experts

The proliferation of several certifiable sub-systems among different type of organizations lead companies to excessive departmentalization. This fact turned out to be, due to several reasons pointed out by numerous authors, disadvantageous. Hence, organizations optioned by integration of their management sub-systems. Academic awareness to this sociological event is mainly related with the fact of integration of management systems (IMS) had been performed empirically, that is, by each organization on their own due to the lack of an International Normative. In this paper it is intended to present the refined results from an online survey focused on Portuguese companies ruled by integrated management systems (IMS). These results will be crossed against a questionnaire under taken through a panel of academic and industry experts in order to weight the parameters surveyed online through a perspective of management system integration degree. The conclusions from this work also address Occupational Health and Safety issues in an integrated environment

Percepción del riesgo de exposición al ruido

1. Introducción El estudio de la relación entre el trabajo y la salud implica una correcta identificación de los factores ocupacionales en juego, así como de sus repercusiones, positivas o negativas, sobre los trabajadores. Para eso, es indispensable la realización de estudios prácticos incidiendo sobre los contextos reales de trabajo, identificando en estos las principales condicionantes del riesgo ocupacional. Entre los varios factores de riesgo ocupacional tiene particular importancia la ..

Percepção do risco de exposição ocupacional ao ruído

1. Introdução O estudo da relação entre o trabalho e a saúde implica uma correcta identificação dos factores ocupacionais em jogo, bem como das suas repercussões, positivas ou negativas, sobre os trabalhadores. Para tal, é indispensável a realização de estudos práticos incidindo sobre os contextos reais de trabalho, identificando nestes as principais condicionantes do risco ocupacional. Entre os vários factores de risco ocupacional tem particular importância a exposição a níveis de pressão s..