Ergonomics - Assignment

This is an individual assignment and should be submitted by each student. You may work together and/or discuss your answers. You should have read Chapters 15-19 and 23 in the text prior to doing this assignment.

1. Select two different makes of automobile (i.e., Chevrolet and Toyota). Compare the controls used with respect to size, shape, location, conspicuity, and so forth. Give your opinions of the advantages and disadvantages of the different designs.

2. For an "oil" display in an automobile, discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of using a (1) digital display, (2) analog gauge or (3)"idiot light."

3. Discuss lock-out/tag-out procedures with emphasis on the concept of "zero mechanical state."

4. For a department with 5 injuries in a year, 30 days charged, and 100,000 h worked in a year, calculate the (1) injury rate and (2) severity rate.

5. Discuss the "gray area" between "unsafe act" and "unsafe condition." Include in your answer a discussion of how a supervisor may make a different determination than a union official for the same set of circumstances. [NB: Operators may be "written up" for unsafe acts.]

6. Discuss the relative responsibilities of the company and the employee when an operator is injured because a guard has been removed from a machine.

7. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of "job rotation." Include in your answer the issues of product quality, cross-training, and operator satisfaction.

8. Briefly describe active, passive, and working rest. Give an example of each.

9. Companies often use cleansers in various stages of the production process. A common mistake made is to consider only the chemicals an operator is working with directly, ignoring the fumes which may come from an adjacent work space. Is an exposure for 8 hours per day to 500 ppm of acetone and 150 ppm of toluene from an abutting work station legal? Assume the TLV for acetone is 750 ppm and the TLV for toluene is 200 ppm. Show calculations.

10. List the eight engineering controls for toxic materials and the four administrative controls. Give an example of each.

Ergonomics Exercise

Determine allowances you would recommend for the following jobs. Justify your selection with computation or technical source. You may use the forms on ERGO or forms used at your workplace(MS word)

Reference: Konz 7th Edition Chapter 24
( can also use any reference)

Background: Most proper work standards include allowances for personal time, unavoidable delay and fatigue. There may be additional allowances for environmental considerations.

A. Office Worker
You have a data entry operator who works from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. with a 30 minute lunch break (unpaid) [e.g. 7 ½ hours work day]. There is a 10-minute break (paid) at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Job requirements involve processing payment claims where accuracy and precision are demanded. There is pressure for volume as the company has a policy to process forms within three business days after submission. Talking with fellow workers on non-business matters while entering data is discouraged and non-emergency telephone calls from family or friends are forbidden. The operator is seated performing the job. The space is conditioned and well lighted.

B. Dock Worker
This operator works from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. in on an unconditioned loading dock. Summer temperatures reach 85o F with 90% humidity and winter temperatures regularly drop below 20o F with wind-chill below zero. The work consists of 40% operating a fork lift and 50% operating a hand jack loading and unloading trucks (cartons up to 60 pounds and stacked up to 3 high). There is limited lifting and assistance provided for any carton over 50 pounds. There are two paid breaks - one 15 minutes and one 20 minutes - each shift. The operator has to wait on bills of lading and other shipping documents regularly, totaling 15 to 30 minutes per shift.

C. Machine Operator

The operator tends two machines which form fill and carton breakfast cereal. The rate for each machine is 120 boxes per hour. The OEE (uptime x quality x efficiency) averages 85% for each machine and is monitored each shift. The machine runs 24/7, but the operator works five 8-hour shifts per week (rotating). A relief operator comes for a 15-minute break and a 30-minute lunch, both paid. The operator is standing while at the machines.

The write-up should be done on the computer with any data sheets (calculations/diagrams) appended. Be sure to list any assumptions given.

Include in your write-up the reasons for your allowances and recommendations on ways to reduce allowances where applicable.