| 1. |
- Engkvist, Inga-Lill, et al.
(författare)
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Joint investigation of working conditions, environmental and system performance at recycling centres : Development of instruments and their usage
- 2010
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126. ; 41:3, s. 336-346
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recycling is a new and developing industry, which has only been researched to a limited extent. This article describes the development and use of instruments for data collection within a multidisciplinary research programme "Recycling centres in Sweden - working conditions, environmental and system performance". The overall purpose of the programme was to form a basis for improving the function of recycling centres with respect to these three perspectives and the disciplines of: ergonomics, safety, external environment, and production systems. A total of 10 instruments were developed for collecting data from employees, managers and visitors at recycling centres. including one instrument for observing visitors. Validation tests were performed in several steps. This, along with the quality of the collected data, and experience from the data collection, showed that the instruments and methodology used were valid and suitable for their purpose.
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| 2. |
- Sundin, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Improving the layout of recycling centres by use of lean production principles
- 2011
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Ingår i: WASTE MANAGEMENT. - : Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.. - 0956-053X .- 1879-2456. ; 31:6, s. 1121-1132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There has been increased focus on recycling in Sweden during recent years. This focus can be attributed to external environmental factors such as tougher legislation, but also to the potential gains for raw materials suppliers. Recycling centres are important components in the Swedish total recycling system. Recycling centres are manned facilities for waste collection where visitors can bring, sort and discard worn products as well as large-sized, hazardous, and electrical waste. The aim of this paper was to identify and describe the main flows and layout types at Swedish recycling centres. The aim was also to adapt and apply production theory for designing and managing recycling centre operations. More specifically, this means using lean production principles to help develop guidelines for recycling centre design and efficient control. Empirical data for this research was primarily collected through interviews and questionnaires among both visitors and employees at 16 Swedish recycling centres. Furthermore, adapted observation protocols have been used in order to explore visitor activities. There was also close collaboration with a local recycling centre company, which shared their layout experiences with the researchers in this project. The recycling centres studied had a variety of problems such as queues of visitors, overloading of material and improper sorting. The study shows that in order to decrease the problems, the recycling centres should be designed and managed according to lean production principles, i.e. through choosing more suitable layout choices with visible and linear flows, providing better visitor information, and providing suitable technical equipment. Improvements can be achieved through proper planning of the layout and control of the flow of vehicles, with the result of increased efficiency and capacity, shorter visits, and cleaner waste fractions. The benefits of a lean production mindset include increased visitor capacity, waste flexibility, improved sorting quality, shorter time for visits and improved working conditions.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Work environment, Lean and Agriculture
- 2014
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Ingår i: PROCEEDINGS: 11th International Symposium on Human Factors in Organisational Design and Management & 46th Annual Nordic Ergonomics Society Conference. - : IEA Press. - 9788793130135 ; , s. 661-666
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lean has become the predominant management concept in industry, but its effect on the work environment is debated. Lean has now reached farms and garden nurseries. This paper aims to identify consequences for the physical and psychosocial work environment when Lean was applied in micro-businesses in the agricultural sector. Observations, a questionnaire and interviews were used as methods. It was concluded that the psychosocial work environment became more structured and less stressful. The physical work environment was partly improved by less transportation on the farm. However, consideration of the physical work environment was insufficient.
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| 5. |
- Aronsson, K, et al.
(författare)
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Synergonomi och ögonbesvär hos personal på ögonsjukhus.
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ögonläkare, ögonsjuksköterskor, optiker och annan personal på ögonsjukhus arbetar ofta med synkrävande arbetsuppgifter i dämpad belysning eller helt utan allmänbelysning. Inför den planerade byggnationen av ett nytt ögonsjukhus i Stockholm ca år 2018 gjordes en enkätstudie för att kartlägga ögonbesvär och trötthet hos personalen på S:t Eriks Ögonsjukhus. Studien som är ett multidisciplinärt samarbetsprojekt mellan S:t Erik, Karolinska Institutet och Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, syftar till att optimera belysning, dagsljusinsläpp och ljusmiljö vid det nya ögonsjukhuset.Totalt 265 anställda på S:t Eriks Ögonsjukhus samt 60 röntgenläkare och 45 barnläkare, varav de senare två utgjorde jämförelsegrupper, inviterades till studien. Enkäten som distribuerades baserades på synergonomienkäter av Knave och Hemphälä och bestod av 31 validerade frågor om subjektiva ögonbesvär, nuvarande belysning, tillgång till dagsljus och välbefinnande. Ögonbesvären räknades om till ett gruppmedelvärde (ögonbesvärsindex) med avseende på svårighetsgrad och frekvens. Studien är godkänd av Etikprövningsnämnden. Nittiosex av 265 (33%) anställda på S:t Eriks Ögonsjukhus hade t o m juni 2012 besvarat enkäten tillsammans med 23 röntgenläkare (38%) och 14 barnläkare (31%). Ögonbesvär som torrhets- och gruskänsla var vanligt förekommande hos alla yrkesgrupper på ögonsjukhuset och generellt vanligare hos kvinnor. Då samtliga grupper jämfördes med avseende på ögonbesvärsindex var skillnaden mellan män och kvinnor statistiskt säkerställd (p<0,05). Röntgenläkarna rapporterade högst ögonbesvärsindex och barnläkarna lägst, skillnaden mellan dessa yrkesgrupper var signifikant (p<0,05). Ögonpersonal och röntgenläkare som rapporterade att de ofta arbetade i mörker, associerade detta med ökad trötthet i högre grad än med barnläkarna (p<0,05).Ögonbesvär var vanliga hos ögonpersonalen inkluderade i studien. Den grupp som arbetade mest i mörker hade mer ögonbesvär än den grupp som arbetade minst i mörker. Kvinnor hade mer ögonbesvär än män. Arbete i mörker ökade den subjektiva känslan av trötthet . Optimala ljusförhållanden och bra synergonomi bör ges hög prioritet vid planering av ett nytt ögonsjukhus.
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| 6. |
- Aronsson, K, et al.
(författare)
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Visual ergonomics and eye strain in eye careprofessionals
- 2012
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Ingår i: NES2012 Proceedings. - 9789163711503
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Eye care professionals spend many hours a day in darkness performing visually demanding tasks. A new eye hospital will be built in Stockholm 2018. The current lighting, logistics, and working conditions are analysed in a multidisciplinary project aiming to optimise settings in the new hospital. The main purpose of the present project was to study visual ergonomics and current eye strain in employees at an eye hospital. Ninety-six employees answered a validated questionnaire regarding their experiences of light, visual ergonomics and eye strain problems. Twenty-three radiologists and 14 paediatricians at a university hospital were used as comparison groups. Eye strain was common in all departments at the hospital but was significantly more common only among radiologists compared to paediatricians. Overall, women experienced significantly more eye strain than men.
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| 7. |
- Ayas, Ebru, et al.
(författare)
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Affective engineering evaluation of non-linear trigger switch mechanisms
- 2011
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126.
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The trigger switch mechanisms of nutrunners are important for operators to perceive feedback while tightening bolt joints. Previous studies focus on associations between discomfort evaluations and powered tool operation. This paper addresses how operator preferences are linked with functionality requirements from trigger switch mechanisms. Subjects evaluated five switch mechanism prototypes regarding perceptions of quality, feedback, firmness, and distinctness. Results suggest that loading and unloading phases of trigger operation are significant predictors of perceptions of quality. The trigger switch mechanism with a combination of high peak-drop-bottom forces was perceived with better quality, feedback, and distinctness in comparison to the other mechanisms. The study also revealed that when the switch mechanism was designed to give more distinctness and feedback, higher quality is perceived.
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| 8. |
- Ayas, Ebru, et al.
(författare)
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An Affective Engineering Assessment of a Hospital Bedding System Innovation
- 2011
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126.
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Developing bedding products requires consideration of human-product interactions such as usability and quality aspects besides ergonomics and productivity. Previous studies focus on finding associations between discomfort evaluations and physiological measurements of conventional bedding. The purpose of this study is to assess a new bedding system by observing affective and discomfort perceptions, physical loads, and time usage by nursing personnel. Fourteen nursese valuated a conventional and a new bedding system. Results suggest that nurses’ quality perceptions and overall experiences with the new bedding were positive. Considering physical loads the average time and frequency of bending forward were significantly lower for the new bedding versus conventional bedding. The time analysis yielded significant improvements to make a bed with the new bedmaking system. Quality perceptions were associated with tactile qualities (e.g. soft, nice to touch, etc.) and applicability (e.g. quick setup) for both bedmaking systems.
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| 9. |
- Ayas, Ebru, 1977-
(författare)
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Engineering Quality Feelings : Applications in products, service environments and work systems
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Contemporary quality issues in product design are moving from materialistic to emotional user fulfillment; comprehensive research is needed to examine quality product feelings. This research is directed toward a deeper understanding of user and customer quality feelings for different product types, including services. The quality feelings concept includes dimensions of product quality, especially functionality, ergonomics and aesthetics. The first objective of this thesis is to identify, prioritize and synthesize quality feelings into product attributes in product development applications. The second objective is to explore, test and propose methodological approaches for designing quality feelings into products. Several methods from psychology, ergonomics, statistics and probabilistic methods and heuristics were applied to achieve the objectives. From a methodological viewpoint, Likert scales, free elicitation technique and Just About Right scales were applied for data collection. Multiple Regression, Factor Analysis, Correspondence Analysis, Genetic algorithms, Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Rough Sets (RS) were applied for data analyses. For ergonomic product evaluations, direct observations, 3D workload simulations, time and frequency analyses were conducted. Five product applications are included in this thesis: operator driver cabin design of reach trucks, steering wheel design trigger switch design in right-angled nutrunners, bed-making systemsproducts and waiting room environments. Heuristic methods were found effective when there is a high number of product attributes that interact to provide quality feelings. RS results are consistent with PLS attribute predictions. When the number of product attributes is large in comparison to the number of observations, PLS extracts informative results for quality feelings. The RS method is effective in identifying interactions among design attributes. Quality feelings are associated with both tangible (tactile characteristics) and intangible (quick and easy to use) product characteristics. Words such as safety, functionality, ergonomics, comfort, reliability, supportiveness, usability, feedback, pleasantness, attractiveness, durability and distinctiveness describe quality feelings from tangible products and services. Based on product type, the quality dimensions represented by these words possess different interactions and dependencies. In work environments, products act as prostheses between workers for social interaction, which need to be considered as important quality feelings dimensions.
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| 10. |
- Ayas, Ebru, et al.
(författare)
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Identifying trigger feeling factors
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Conference on Kansei Engineeringand Emotional Research (KEER), Paris, France.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trigger mechanism design in power hand tools is of great importance for communicating with the operator and for providing feedback on operational functioning. Therefore, for a successful power hand tool design, knowledge about how the trigger mechanism feels is required. This study aims to define and investigate the design factors related with trigger tactile feeling for electrical right angled nutrunners. A Kansei Engineering (Affective Engineering) study has been conducted for a comparison between users´ (operators that work at an automotive assembly plant) and product developers´ (product development group of a power hand tool manufacturer) to find common and differing semantic expression dimensions for that. 124 Kansei words (descriptors) were collected from literature, interviews and workshops. These words were reduced to 52 by affinity analysis and evaluated by operators and product developers using semantic differential technique. From the operator group`s responses six factors (explain 87% of variation ) were extracted as, “professional performance”, “safety and tactile feeling”, “usability”, “smooth operation”, ”communication and durability”, “convenient and comfortable” to define trigger feeling. Correspondingly, five factors (explain 89% of variation) “robust and appealing”, “ergonomics and operator performance”, “controllability and predictability”, “creativity and modern” and“powerful” were distinguished for the product development group. Results showed that the start phase and especially quick start of trigger mechanism is more important to operators, while end feedback is more important to product developers. Soft start of the trigger is correlated with ergonomics, optimal, clear operation and performance for product developers while soft start together with end feedback are associated with well-built, convenient and safe trigger characteristics for operators. According to the results from average ratings the Kansei word “ergonomic” has been rated as the most important descriptor for trigger feeling together with “user-friendly”, “easy to use”, “long life time” and “comfortable” for both groups. By developing a questionnaire using the factors and variables identified; this questionnaire can be used to assess views of operators about trigger functioning and to know how do operators feel about new types of trigger mechanisms.
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