Evaluation of Participatory Ergonomic Interventions in Large and Small Business
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| Principal investigator(s): | Richard P. Wells (University of Waterloo) |
| Co-investigator(s): | Larry Brawley, Mardon Frazer, Robert Kerton, M.S. Laing, Patrick Neumann, Robert Norman, N. Theberge (University of Waterloo); Donald Cole, Mickey Kerr (Institute for Work and Health) |
| Institution: | University of Waterloo |
For more information about this study please contact Dr. Richard P. Wells at e-mail: wells@healthy.uwaterloo.ca
Results
The plant where this study was conducted now has a workable, participative process lead by an effective ergonomics change team. Twenty-one improvements with ergonomic impact were initiated and evaluated. Twenty of these improvements demonstrated positive impacts, including: |
- improved muscle activity,
- reduced forces on spinal structures,
- improved preference ratings, and
- qualitative evaluation by ergonomists.
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The majority of participants reported positively about the ergonomics change process: 87% felt their jobs were easier, 86% felt their jobs were safer and 77% felt their jobs were less tiring. Analysis of physical loading data from 8 workers did not demonstrate dramatic decreases in loading. This was primarily due to the dominant physical loading demands associated with the unchanged current production system.
Conclusions
Plant personnel have increased their understanding of – and have had access to – state-of-the-science ergonomics tools and knowledge. Using their training and the evidence from the pre-measure tools, the ECT has made decisions that have resulted in successful interventions.
Based upon a formal qualitative evaluation, the performance of the intervention process, and the interventions themselves, have been identified as being very effective by plant management and labour representatives.
To investigate the generalizability of the process, methods and results, multiple replications of this model are being conducted. Researchers investigating ergonomic risk factors have far greater experimental control compared to intervention research.
Specific research challenges identified in this project include sample size, worker participation, ongoing changes and variability inherent in a production facility, and potential contamination effects from the Intervention to Control Group. The array of assessment techniques, including process measures, detailed physical measures, questionnaires, self reports and interviews is one approach to addressing these challenges.
Relevance
A significant proportion of the causes of upper limb and low back pain cases – and the disability arising because of them – is considered to be related to the design of work and workplaces. Interactions among the ergonomic design of work, worker perceptions of work-related social factors, worker and management personal factors, and the organization of work, are known to influence the incidence and severity of injury, quality and productivity. Therefore, contributors to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are potentially preventable.
However, for any given situation, joint health and safety committees, workers, engineers, ergonomists, senior management, unions and others are faced with decisions regarding whether a particular intervention is likely to be successful and the cost effectiveness of the proposed intervention.
Future Directions
The study team has developed an approach and evaluation strategy for both outcomes and process when implementing ergonomic interventions to reduce WMSD. Its approach now is to test the generalizability of the process by utilizing new plants. The team has also been involved with the design of a new production system. It believes that the development of new tools for engineers is important for a proactive approach to the reduction of WMSDs.
Objectives
The purposes of this research were to: |
- assess the effectiveness of ergonomic changes made in an industrial workplace,
- evaluate the process of ergonomic change, and
- find out if the changes resulting from a participatory ergonomics program lead to:
- reduced physical loading on the body,
- reduced pain and fatigue,
- reduced injury rates,
- improved morale,
- improved productivity, and
- cost justifiable benefits.
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Methods
A manufacturer in the auto parts sector was approached to see if interest was present in conducting a study. Their expression of interest was followed up by securing support from corporate management, plant management and plant labour representatives for conducting the study.
A “steering committee” to guide the study was formed with representatives from corporate office, plant upper management, labour and the researchers. An “Ergonomics Change Team” (ECT), consisting of labour, management and research team representatives, was formed.
Two production lines that manufactured a similar product, were selected for study. Line 1 was the Control group and Line 2 was the Intervention group. Baseline measures were made using: |
- Questionnaires (administered to all workers on Lines 1 and 2), and
- Physical Loading estimates (via biomechanical modeling of all jobs on Lines 1 and 2),
- upper extremity electromyography (EMG) (from 6 randomly chosen workers on each line who were measured on each job on their respective lines).
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The ECT was provided with an ergonomics training program and data from the researchers were shared with the ECT to facilitate identification and quantification of problematic jobs and to assist them in the development of possible interventions. The ECT was constrained in that the production system design could not be changed.
All measures were repeated nine months later. The process of ergonomic changes was evaluated using semi structured interviews with management, supervisory personnel, ECT members and line workers.
Publications
Cole, D., Wells, R., Kerr, M., Laing, A., and the Ergonomic Intervention Evaluation Research Group, “Methodological issues in evaluating workplace interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders through mechanical exposure reduction.” Institute for Work and Health Working Paper #190, November 2002.
Neumann, W.P., Frazer, M.B., Cole, D.C., Wells, R.P., Kerr, M.S., Kerton, R., Brawley, L., Norman, R.W. "A Pilot Project For the Study of Ergonomic Interventions in Manufacturing Environments." Proceeding of the IEA 2000/HFES 2000 Congress, San Diego, California USA. This report is also available on the internet at http://ergonomics.uwaterloo.ca/library/Neu_etal-IEA00b.pdf.
Theberge, N., Granzow, K., Neumann, P., Brawley, L., Frazer, M., Laing, M., Norman, R., Wells, R., Kerton, R., Greco, L., Cole, D. "Participatory Ergonomics: Assessing the Impact of Different forms of Involvement on Reported Outcomes." Proceeding of the SELF-ACE 2001/IRSST Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This report is also available on the internet at http://ergonomics.uwaterloo.ca/library/ace2001_qualitative.pdf.
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