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Abstract Book of 2nd NOVO Symposium: Sustainable Nordic Health Care Systems, 3. - 4.12.2008 Espoo, Finland
- 2008
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Editorial collection (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Preface The Nordic Council of Ministers has since year 2007 granted establishment and development of a Nordic Network for scientists “NOVO-nätverket” (NOrdisk FoU-nätverk inom Vård och Omsorg) regarding research on work environment and efficiency in the health care sector. An additional aim of the network is to communicate with and to practitioners within the field regarding recent research advances with practical implications. The vision of the NOVO network is a “Nordic Model for sustainable systems” in the health care sector. One of the aims of the NOVO-network is to organise a yearly symposium to expose and discuss present and planned research within the field. During the year 2008 dialog meetings with practitioners within the health care sector have been organised in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The aim was to collect information from the end users of our research regarding their needs of knowledge in their strive towards development of “sustainable production systems”. The conclusions from these meetings will be presented at the meeting to create a basis for discussions on how to match our research with the needs of the practitioners. In addition, two key-note speakers will contribute by summing up “state-of-art”. Professor Paul Lillrank presents an overview on “Productivity in Health Care and the work environment” and Dr Harriet Finne-Soveri’s presents an overview on “Care quality and work environment through standardised assessments”. Finally, we have managed to get a good and strong sample of ongoing research in the Nordic countries within the field covered by the NOVO network. The symposium is conducted with the financial assistance of the Nordic Council of Ministers. We want to thank Tuire Westerholm for her professional assistance in the preparation of the symposium.
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- Bao, Shihan, et al.
(author)
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Ergonomic effects of a management-based rationalization in assembly work — a case study
- 1996
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In: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126. ; 27:2, s. 89-99
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to unsatisfactory productivity, a large company in the Swedish manufacturing industry decided to rationalize their assembly system. The intended rationalization comprised several changes with deliberate ergonomic implications. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the rationalization on the physical work load of the operators. The work load was assessed before and after the changes using expert observations, company records and direct technical measurements. The results indicate that the intervention led to only minor changes in muscle load, body postures and movement patterns. Several of the planned initiatives were never implemented, e.g. teaching the workers multiple skills and designing work stations at which a major part of the assembly sequence could be performed. This was mainly due to a policy revision caused by changes in the market situation. In spite of the company's original intentions, the revised production system contained only minor ergonomic improvements. Thus, the realization of the ergonomic potential in a rationalization seems to depend on management culture, as well as factors outside the company.
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- Bao, Shihan, et al.
(author)
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Interactive effect of ergonomics and production engineering on shoulder-neck exposure — A case study of assembly work in China and Sweden
- 1997
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In: International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. - 0169-8141 .- 1872-8219. ; 20:1, s. 75-85
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ergonomic improvements of work station design have been widely embraced as a measure for reduction of physical work load (mechanical exposure) and prevention or control of occupational shoulder-neck disorders. However, other elements of work rationalization, more in the hands of production engineers, may also influence the mechanical exposure. The present study concerns shoulder-neck exposure in a Chinese and a Swedish assembly line workplace. Interactive effects of ergonomic work station design, and production engineering (in terms of assembly line balancing and sensitivity of assembly line layout to production irregularities) on shoulder-neck exposure have been studied. It was shown that the Swedish workplace has a better ergonomic work station design, reflected in more favorable work postures during assembly operations. At the same time, the Swedish assembly line is better balanced and less sensitive to production irregularities, which probably reduces the total duration of idle time during assembly compared with the Chinese line. On the Swedish assembly line, arm movements are more frequent, and trapezius and infraspinatus muscle activation is more repetitive. Muscle activation levels are similar on the two lines. However, a larger proportion of low level muscle activities were found on the Chinese line compared with the Swedish line. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that the mechanical exposure of the assembly workers is a result of counteracting effects of improved ergonomic design of work stations and more effective production engineering.
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- Bao, Shihan, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders at workplaces in the People's Republic of China
- 2000
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In: International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-3548 .- 2376-9130. ; 6:4, s. 557-574
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents 2 musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire surveys in 10 different Chinese occupational groups. Data collected from 1,603 workers using a modified Nordic musculoskeletal disorders symptom questionnaire showed that the 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, particularly in the low back and shoulder-neck regions, was high at many Chinese workplaces. Significant differences existed between occupational groups. Assembly workers usually had higher neck-shoulder complaints compared to workers in most other occupations. However, the nature of assembly seemed also to influence the prevalence rate. Workers at a cassette recorder and a TV set assembly plant appeared to have more neck complaints compared with a group of thermos flask assemblers.
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- Bendix, Tom, et al.
(author)
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An evaluation of a tiltable office chair with respect to seat height, backrest position and task
- 1986
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In: European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0301-5548 .- 1432-1025 .- 1439-6327. ; 55:1, s. 30-36
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The amount of spontaneous movement during seated office work was estimated by analysing the tilting movements of a tiltable office chair. Both movement frequency and amplitude range were considered. The seat inclinations and subjective acceptability were also recorded.The seat was moved more frequently and with a greater range when adjusted 6 cm above popliteal level compared to 1 cm below, or when the backrest was pushed anteriorly or posteriorly compared to a middle position. The greatest acceptability occurred with the highest seat adjustment and the backrest in the middle position. Typing or desk-work influenced movement to a similar extent.
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