Applied ergonomics
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User interface (UI) design can affect the quality of decision making, where decisions based on digitally presented content are commonly informed by visually sampling information through eye movements. Analysis of the resulting scan patterns - the order in which people visually attend to different regions of interest (ROIs) - gives an insight into information foraging strategies. In this study, we quantified scan pattern characteristics for participants engaging with conceptually different user interface designs. ⋯ We conclude that goal-directed search of familiar information results in repeatable scan pattern fragments (often corresponding to information sources considered particularly important), but no repeatable complete scan pattern. The underlying concept of the UI affects how visual search is performed, and a decision making strategy develops. This should be taken in consideration when designing for applied domains.
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Workers with low back pain (LBP) may benefit from wearing a lumbar belt (LB), but the biomechanical and psychological mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Two types of flexible LB (extensible and non-extensible) were compared to a control condition (no LB) regarding pain-related (pain, fear of pain and catastrophizing) and biomechanical (range of motion - ROM) outcomes related to two tasks: maximal trunk flexion-extension and manual material handling. Healthy controls and participants with LBP were tested. ⋯ This was observed even at the beginning of the trunk flexion movement, allowing generalization to many work tasks, that is to say tasks performed with small or deep trunk flexion. The two LBs reduced pain, fear of pain and catastrophizing in subjects with LBP. That may help a gradual re-exposure to physical work activities (disability prevention perspective), or maintaining these activities (secondary prevention perspective), following a LBP episode.
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The objective of this study was to identify baseline predictors of disability and absenteeism in workers with a history of non-specific low back pain (LBP). ⋯ This study highlights the importance of clinical pain and psychological factors in the prediction and potentially the prevention of future disability. Screening tools assessing these risk factors can be useful to evaluate workers with past history of low back pain.
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Comparative Study
Digital, analogue, or redundant speedometers for truck driving: Impact on visual distraction, efficiency and usability.
Existing literature does not draw conclusions as to which speedometer type is better for truck driving. A digital speedometer would be more beneficial when obtaining absolute and relative readings, while an analogue speedometer would be more efficient and less distracting when detecting dynamic speed changes. Redundant speedometers, which simultaneously present digital and analogue speedometers, appear increasingly in vehicles, but no information is available on their ergonomic qualities. ⋯ This study compared the efficiency, usability and visual distraction measures for all three types of speedometers in a simulated truck driving setting. The task-dependant results were confirmed for the digital and analogue speedometer. The redundant speedometer combined the benefits of each type presented separately, which highlights interesting theoretical and applied implications.
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For paramedics, loading a stretcher into an ambulance is an activity with a high risk of back injury and accidents. The objective of this study was to document strategies paramedics use at work while loading a powered stretcher into an ambulance. A total of 249 stretcher loading operations performed by 58 paramedics, and 51 semistructured post-intervention interviews were analyzed. ⋯ Some strategies that were necessary to complete the stretcher loading operation seemed to have negative impacts on the workers' health, such as repositioning the stretcher. This action wastes time and requires significant physical efforts, as it is usually done alone. This study suggests some potential solutions, related to equipment, training, workers and work organization, to reduce the risk of injury while loading stretchers.