Ergonomics SA

Marketing and selling ergonomics

Hayden Searle — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Ergonomics is growing both as a field and as a profession in South Africa. This growth presents a chance to position our profession and ourselves. How will we communicate the unique benefits we offer to corporate clients and all those affected by the Ergonomics Regulations? These and other questions centre on how we market and sell our profession to create positive change. Marketing ergonomics is rarely discussed in the ergonomics literature, and little guidance is given on how it can be done. This paper reviews
discussions of the topic presented in 1990 and uses these to start a modern discussion about marketing and selling ergonomics in South Africa. The paper also points to books, papers, and approaches that students and practitioners could find useful when researching the topic.

Ergonomic disparities in Bọlẹ vending: Anthropometric analysis of worker-platform mismatch and health implications in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Mismatches between worker characteristics and work tools are among the major drivers of many health issues, including musculoskeletal disorders, in long-standing jobs like Bọlẹ vending in Nigeria. This study's objectives were to assess the degree to which the anthropometric characteristics of Bọlẹ vendors match those of their vending platforms, the impact of gender on that match, the postural discomfort associated with the work, and the safety and well-being of vendors in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A crosssectional study design was employed to investigate 116 participants in seven Bọlẹ hotspot locations with a complete surveying technique. Data were collected through pre-tested, questionnaire administration and anthropometric measurements. The collected data were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results showed that males were significantly taller than females, but female participants had a significantly higher mass, waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI) than males. Overall, 15.5% of the participants who were found to be obese were females. The anthropometric results indicated that 44.4% and 61.8% of vendor-platform height did not match male and female vendors’ anthropometric characteristics, respectively. Safety risks reported ranged from bruises (1.7%) to burns (26.7%), and health risks ranged from typhoid (0.9%) to internal heat (18.1%). Long-standing awkward postures and other stressors in the vending of Bọlẹ could increase the risk of experiencing back, waist, leg, and shoulder discomforts.

The effect of submersion in water and breathing modality (assisted breathing versus apnea) on different stages of the information processing chain.

Luke Goodenough, Swantje Wells — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Limited research has explored the impact of working underwater on the cognitive functioning of divers, and even less has focused on the effect of breathing modality (assisted breathing and apnea) underwater. Research on the effect of submersion in water and apnea on cognitive performance is also very limited. As a result, this study aimed to determine the effect of submersion in water and breathing modality on different stages of the information processing chain. This was achieved by testing participants in a laboratory setting under three conditions: on land, underwater with assisted breathing (using SCUBA apparatus) and underwater in apnea (breath hold). Five different tests were used to determine which aspects of cognitive functioning were impaired in which condition. The recognition task results in the assisted breathing condition were significantly faster (p=0.04) but less accurate (p=0.01) than on land. The memory task was significantly slower (p=0.042) in terms of speed in the apnea condition compared to land; however, accuracy was not affected. Performance in the visual detection task was impacted in both underwater conditions compared to land, with speed and accuracy being significantly worse (p<0.01) in the underwater conditions. These results indicate that underwater conditions do not affect response time and tracking performance, whereas more complex tasks are affected. For tasks where an effect was found for only one condition, the effect was attributed to a specific aspect of that condition, either the breath hold or assisted breathing component. The effect was attributed to the actual submersion in water for tasks affected in both underwater conditions. The effect of the different conditions and the nature of the task they impact should be considered for underwater workplaces, as the general equipment used may affect the quality of observations.