Engineering approach to Workspace Design

Workspace design plays an important role in ensuring
workers safety and welfare. The issue is more
pressing in the manufacturing industry, where many
workers must remain in a standing position, assume
awkward postures, and perform repetitive tasks for
extended periods of time. In this research, an
electromyographic measurement technique was used to
measure muscle activity on four back muscles: the
trapezius p. descendenz, the deltoideus p.
scapularis, the infraspinatus, and the latissimus
dorsi. The results showed a statistically
significant (p 0.05) impact of left versus right
side of the body, the degree of rotation to the right
side of the body (0, 30 and 60 degrees rotation to
the mid-saggital plane), BMI level: (normal weight:
( 25 kg/m²) versus overweight: ( 25 kg/m²), and
tasks (high versus low frequency). In this study,
the role that workers and workspace variation play is
clearly associated with an increase in the amplitude
of EMG at the targeted back muscles.

Topics covered in this text include:
. Manufacturing context issues
. worker postures
. Repetitive tasks
. Muscle activity measurement
. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Autorentext

Dr. Edem G. Tetteh is an Assistant Professor of Industrial andLogistics Technology in the Department of Engineering andTechnology at Virginia State University. He earned his Ph.D.from Purdue University.

Klappentext

Workspace design plays an important role in ensuringworkers safety and welfare. The issue is morepressing in the manufacturing industry, where manyworkers must remain in a standing position, assumeawkward postures, and perform repetitive tasks forextended periods of time. In this research, anelectromyographic measurement technique was used tomeasure muscle activity on four back muscles: thetrapezius p. descendenz, the deltoideus p.scapularis, the infraspinatus, and the latissimusdorsi. The results showed a statisticallysignificant (p 0.05) impact of left versus rightside of the body, the degree of rotation to the rightside of the body (0, 30 and 60 degrees rotation tothe mid-saggital plane), BMI level: (normal weight:( 25 kg/m²) versus overweight: (= 25 kg/m²), andtasks (high versus low frequency). In this study,the role that workers and workspace variation play isclearly associated with an increase in the amplitudeof EMG at the targeted back muscles.Topics covered in this text include: . Manufacturing context issues. worker postures. Repetitive tasks. Muscle activity measurement. Body Mass Index (BMI)