Digital Commons Network^™

‘A Healthy Mtu’ A Mixed Methods Baseline Programme Of Research To Empirically Inform A Campus Health Promotion Initiative Within An Irish Higher Education Setting, Andrea Bickerdike

Theses

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been called to lead global health promotion actions, yet there remains a dearth of empirically informed ‘Healthy University’ (HU) initiatives. This thesis constituted a baseline mixed methods needs assessment to inform a settings-based health promotion (HP) initiative (‘A Healthy MTU’) within a multi-campus ‘case’ HEI in Ireland (Cork campuses of MTU, formerly CIT). Specific aims were to (i) investigate student and staff health metrics, and (ii) identify the cultural and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing within the case HEI setting. Using a phased, mixed methodology (QUAN-QUAL), five sequential empirical studies were undertaken. Quantitative data …

Student Perception On Acceptability And Usefulness Of Sit-Stand Desks In College Classrooms, Abiola Kuilan

Theses

Sedentariness has been proved to be a major cause of various health concerns. Given that a full-time college student in the US spends more than 15 hours per week sitting in a college classroom, it may be an ideal setting for implementation of Sit-Stand Desk (SSD) to reduce college students’ sedentary time. Graduate and undergraduate students (N = 178) of NJIT were randomly recruited to complete a need based online assessment survey. Participants' mean (SD) age was 22.4(4.7) years old, 63% identified as male, 33% identified as female while 4% were of the other gender class. Among the participants, 44.3% …

Back And Shoulder Exoskeletons For Occupational Use: A Review, Erkan Ozan

Theses

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for a large portion of all work-related injuries according to OSHA. Back and shoulder-related disorders make the most of work-related MSDs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Exoskeletons emerged in recent years with the potential to reduce the risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Their use in occupational settings is increasing, and exoskeleton designs are rapidly evolving. This paper reviewed recent scientific articles (2015 and after) that evaluated back and shoulder-support passive industrial exoskeletons. The findings of these articles are summarized and analyzed to assess the benefits of passive upper-body exoskeletons by …

Cold Storage Work And Cold Protective Gloves – A Review, Daena Charles

Theses

The rise of e-commerce and the increasing demand for online grocery shopping and delivery has prompted the growth of warehouse workers subjected to cold temperature working conditions. To ensure food safety and the preservation of inventory, majority of these e-grocery warehouses are cold storage with temperatures from 10°C to -23°C. Exposure to such cold working environments can have effects on the workers comfort, performance and health. As the demand for workers in cold temperature environments increases, it is important to understand how this environment affects the workers and the challenges it may present.

This review evaluates how working in cold …

Sedentariness, Productivity, Perception And Long Term Health Effects Of Sit-Stand Workstation At Work: A Literature Review, Danielle Mengistab

Theses

Sedentary behavior has been increasingly identified as a contributor to poor health outcomes and sit-stand workstations (SSW) have been introduced in offices to potentially reduce these adverse effects. This thesis presents a review of literature on SSW as they relate to musculoskeletal complaints, sedentary behavior, users’ perception after short- and long-term use, productivity and cardiometabolic markers. To be included in the review, studies were required to include the adult working population subject to a sit-stand workstation intervention with above outcome measures. The review indicates that on an average, SSW has decreased sitting time by about 85 minutes per eight hour …

Effects Of 8 And 12 Hour Non-Rotating Shift Schedules For Security And Protective Services Workers, Zuleyha Aydin

Theses

Shiftwork is a major feature of working life in today’s world. Increasing the workday length is a new trend in alternative work schedules. The features of a shift system operation can have an impact on sleep, alertness, and the well-being of shift workers. The objective of this study is to evaluate security and protective services employees working in non-rotating shift systems of 8- hour and 12-hour schedules. New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Public Safety Department staff was studied to examine how non-rotating shift schedules affect sleep, alertness, and wellness under five different work schedules.

A survey instrument, approved by the …

Get A Grip: Analysis Of Muscle Activity And Perceived Comfort In Using Stylus Grips, Evanda Vanease Henry

Theses

The design of handwriting instruments has been based primarily on touch, feel, aesthetics, and muscle exertion. Previous studies make it clear that different pen characteristics have to be considered along with hand-instrument interaction in the design of writing instruments. This should include pens designed for touch screens and computer based writing surfaces. Hence, this study focuses primarily on evaluating grip style’s impact on user comfort and muscle activity associated with handgrip while using a stylus-pen.

Surface EMG measures were taken approximate to the adductor pollicis, flexor digitorum, and extensor indicis of eight participants while they performed writing, drawing, and point-and-click …

An Analysis Of The Physiological And Psychological Wellbeing Of Irish Naval Service Personnel, Cliodhna Sargent

Theses

Whilst all military cohorts have been seen to experience both physiological and psychological stressors during occupational duties, the naval service experience different stressors due the prolonged periods of time spent at sea. Research has analysed some of these stressors however many them have focused on how individuals are affected because of time spent in combat zones. The Irish Naval Service (INS) is an organisation under the Irish Defence Forces organisation and as such many of its physiological and psychological assessment procedures have come from the Defenee Forces. Very limited researeh has been carried out in relation to the INS as …

Farm Deaths And Injuries: Changing Farmer Attitudes And Behaviour On Farm Safety, Kieran O'Connell

Theses

While the Irish agricultural sector accounts for just 6% of the working population of Ireland, it consistently has the highest proportion of fatal incidents of any sector - generally ranging from between 35% and 45% of all workplace fatalities in any given year (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). This was again evident in 2014 where 55% (30 of the 56) of the fatal workplace incidents were in the agricultural sector (Health and Safety Authority, 2015). Agriculture has an ageing workforce with the average age of an Irish farmer now standing at fifty-seven and farmers are eight times more likely to …

Effects Of Onsite Stretching Exercise On Employee Musculoskeletal Discomfort And Wellbeing, Kellie L. Caldwell

Theses

To fight high incidence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort complaints among the maintenance workers in a large transportation company, this pilot intervention study of an on-site stretch and flex exercise program was implemented. The participants (n=62) were maintenance workers; whose age ranged from 26 to 69 years.

A 4½-minute video was created which included still images of human figures performing stretches, while a voice recording instructed how to perform each stretch. Exercises targeted the neck, shoulders, triceps, hamstrings, and quadriceps. The exercise program was conducted 5 days a week for 5 consecutive weeks, during daily shift meetings.

The results of …

Ergonomic Evaluation Of Shoulder Muscle Activation During Light Weight Hand Tool Exertion Task, Gul Ahmed

Theses

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of shoulder muscle activation during hand exertion tasks using a light weight hand tool by working individuals. Electromyography (EMG) of trapezius, supraspinatus, triceps, and pectoralis major was conducted for 45°, 0° and -45° arm angles, for three different reaches i.e. normal, maximum and extreme and three different push forces low, medium and high. Ten volunteers participated in the experimental study. The effects of push force and reach distance were found to be statistically significant for all four muscles. However the effect of change of angle was not found to be statistically significant, …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Asymmetric And Dynamic Lifting Task, Xiaopeng Jiang

Theses

Lifting tasks is one of the leading causes of occupational lower back disorders (LBD). Aimed at deriving internal forces of human musculoskeletal system during lifting, biomechanical models are utilized to address this problem. This thesis provides an indepth literature review of such modeling, and the results of experiments used to address LBD issues.

An isometric pulling experiment was conducted to study the correlation between electromyography (EMG) and predicted muscle forces by AnyBody Modeling System™ with increasing hand loads. An infinite order polynomial (min/max) optimization criterion predicted percentage of maximum muscle forces, which achieved 98% correlation with normalized EMG. In a …

Effectiveness Of Safety Training, Mayeanna Kamara

Theses

The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of safety training modalities which are specifically designed for the non unionized workers in the construction industry. The main hypothesis is to determine whether multimodal and extended training improves the effectiveness of the learning aspects and safety consciousness among the trainees. The study conducted a literature survey on the factors that affects safety outcomes in construction industry, especially for the non unionized workers. The study developed a survey instrument to evaluate effectiveness of safety training. This study intended to prove that a video training is not enough and that hands …

The Effect Of Handle Characteristics Of A Hammer Stapler On Biomechanical And Physiological Response, Wayne Latta

Theses

Frequent and prolonged use of an improperly designed hand tool not only affects productivity but may also cause painful symptoms which, if left untreated, can develop into chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study was undertaken to assess the effects of ergonomic guidelines related to grip characteristics of a hammer stapler. Specifically, surface composition, shape, and angle of grip were investigated. Three commercially available hammer staplers were selected for this study. Tool #1 had a basic grip design, Tool #2 had a somewhat improved grip design, and Tool #3 incorporated most of the ergonomic design guidelines in terms of grip surface, …

Long Driving Hours And Health Of Truck Drivers, Stephen J. Benstowe

Theses

In recent time, the health of truck drivers has become a concern for regulatory agencies and safety professionals all over the world. Fatal and non-fatal injury rates for truck drivers are among the highest of all occupations. Truck driving is an important and tedious job. Driving for long hours, drivers are confined to a small space, sit with static lower and upper extremities posture, mentally focus and absorb vibrations.

This thesis provides an in-depth review of the literature related to the problems of long distance truck drivers and commercial motor vehicle operators. The Literature suggests that continuous exposure of truck …

An Ergonomic Job Analysis Of A Work Process Within A Glovebox, Tamara Mcnair

Theses

Gloveboxes have been used in various industries to protect the user and environment from hazardous materials and/or isolate the materials from environmental contamination. As the use of gloveboxes continues to grow in an effort to reduce contamination and the dependency of personal protective equipment as well as increase the level of safety through containment, technical design specifications have been studied and investigated to great lengths. Unfortunately, ergonomic design criteria for this enclosed and restricting workstation have not been extensively investigated or documented.

This research evaluated ergonomic risk factors associated with the use of a glovebox in a pharmaceutical production facility. …

Effect Of Glove Port Height On Upper Body Stress For Performing Laboratory Work, Jason Mark Williams

Theses

Glove boxes are used in many industries to constrain environmental contamination and protect the worker from harmful or hazardous exposures. This research specifically evaluates the effect of height of the glove box arm ports on the efficiency of task performance and physiological costs of work for the glove box users.

Seven male and two female participants performed liquid mixing and vial filling tasks within a portable glove box. The tasks were designed to simulate common glove box tasks performed in pharmaceutical and laboratory settings. Each participant repeated the designed tasks while the glove port height was set at two different …

Do Industrial Back Support Belts Reduce Stress In Asymmetric Lifting?, Ryan Jamor Brown

Theses

The objective of this research is to determine the effects of wearing a back support belt during repetitive asymmetric lifting in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, static lift capacity, body discomfort rating and subjective rating concerning the effectiveness of a back support belt. The type of belt used in this study was of knit nylon and elastic construction designed for industrial use.

Eight female participants lifted a crate from the table to knuckle height at a rate of three lifts per minute for a period of 20 minutes; one set with wearing back support belt and one without back …

How Much Weight Is Too Much For Manual Lifting : Determining A Weight Limit Guideline For Team-Effort Lifting Tasks, Piyush G. Chapla

Theses

Manual material handling is the primary cause of musculoskeletal injuries, which includes injuries related to lower back, at the workplaces in the U.S. Of all the manual material handling tasks, lifting has been the leading contributor to lower back injuries. These injuries may be induced by several risk factors associated with lifting tasks, weight of the object being lifted being one of them.

Weight limit guidelines have been developed by various groups recommending the weights that workers can lift safely without sustaining injuries. However, these guidelines are aimed to serve individual lifting tasks. Even though team lifting is a common …

Osha Laboratory Safety Standard 29 Cfr 1910.1450 And Achieving Compliance In The Microelectronic Laboratory, Danielle M. Digironimo

Theses

This thesis is a practical application of occupational exposures to hazardous substances in a microelectronics laboratory. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard for the safety in laboratories is (29 CFR 1910.1450). The application is a demonstration of the implementation of the standard in a university setting. Hazards that exist in laboratory settings are very complex and the task of providing a safe workplace can become increasingly complicated. A laboratory can and does impose different health and safety concerns that a standard industrial workplace setting might not have. The need for a laboratory safety standard program to be implemented …

An Ergonomic Assessment Of The Airline Baggage Handler, Stephen P. Salomon

Theses

A material or baggage handler is responsible for loading and unloading baggage and materials from inbound/outbound aircraft flights and transferring the materials to and from the baggage holding and sorting areas and back to the passengers or output source. Baggage handlers work in all types of inclement weather, all over the airport, and in-and-around the aircraft. The baggage handler's job entails repeated lifting pulling, pushing, squatting, twisting, kneeling, and stretching of the arms and back, which makes the baggage handler's job one of the more challenging material handling jobs to ergonomically assess and make corrections for. The aim of the …

Patient Handling Ergonomics, Paul Reichert

Theses

The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers has been well documented in the medical and ergonomic literature. The epidemiological evidence demonstrates high injury rate among nurses, nurse's aides, therapists and other medical workers who frequently handle patients. The biomechanical research has shown large compressive forces developed in the lumbar spine performing various patient handling transfers that exceed the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's recommended guideline. One of the most strenuous patient handling tasks is transferring the patient from bed to the chair and vice versa.

One of the objectives of this thesis is to design and conduct …

A Case Study Of An Ergonomic Evaluation For A Shop Floor Facility, Ivan Siguencia

Theses

The aim of this paper is to discuss and recommend solutions for the ergonomic hazards present in a shop floor type of manufacturing facility. This type of study is important since the ergonomic issues that concern the shop floor worker are different than those faced by the assembly line worker. The shop floor employee for the most part enjoys work satisfaction, task variety, and is able to control his own work pace. From an ergonomic standpoint, this is the preferred work environment.

The focus of this paper is a case study. This study is a one-day ergonomic assessment of a …

Intermittent Noise Sampling And Control Strategies In The Hospital Environment, Rosarito M. Guerrero

Theses

Noise in the hospital environment can have negative effects on both patients and hospital staff. Unwanted noise can be disturbing and often annoying thus, interfering with patients' sleep and obstructing work performance of the hospital staff. A research study was conducted in the hospital unit to identify and develop methods of intervention for intermittent noise and their source. Routine staff work activity generated noise levels above EPA hospital noise recommendations. A sound level meter and video camera was used to capture noise between the work-shifts. The video camera captured digital readings generated by the sound level meter which, helped identify …

Effects Of Cold Stress On Worker Performance In A Refrigerated Warehouse, Margarita Chernyshov

Theses

The effects of cold stress were evaluated on worker performance in a low temperature environment. Level of clothing protection was compared to the functional ability of working on various tasks. Physical as well as mental effects were discussed to develop a basis for the physiological adaptations due to cold stress. The study focused on workers that performed various simple and complex tasks in a refrigerated warehouse with a temperature range 32° - 40°F. Surveys were distributed to employees who presently and previously worked in this refrigerated area. The "Picker" and "Feeder" tasks were analyzed as they pertain to this low …

Whose Turn Is It Anyway : The Impact Of Job Rotation On The Reduction Of Cumulative Trauma Disorders, Francesco Dimiceli Jr.

Theses

In today's fast-paced world, repetitive activity on the job has become very demanding. Many workers are suffering from injuries known as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). Job rotation can be an effective and powerful tool when seeking to minimize CTDs by allowing workers to experience different activities, thereby distributing the physical demands on the workers' bodies.

A case study was conducted on a northwestern New York manufacturing facility to identify the presence of excessive work stressors and to formulate potential corrective actions, including an analysis of their current job rotation system. The jobs were evaluated using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment. …

Tactile Hazardous Material Information System (Thmis), Alejandro Ruiz

Theses

In today's work environment, many dangers exist around that can harm workers who are not aware of the hazards in their environment. If these workers happen to be visually impaired, then identifying those hazards with the present labeling systems would be difficult. The Hazardous Material Information System (HMIS) was chosen to be adapted with tactile patterns and numbers. The tactile patterns and numbers would not change the layout and intent of the HMIS, but enhance its effectiveness.

Five tactile patterns and five tactile numbers were designed to be recognizable and simple. The patterns and numbers were tested and observed to …

Proactive Technique For Workplace Chemical Exposure, James A. Duru

Theses

The rapid increase in the number and quantities of chemicals released into the environment has been accompanied by a lack of adequate pre-released testing for advance health outcomes. Chemicals which serve as feed stock to millions of industries all around the world to produce and process food, cosmetics, equipment, and energy to propel industries, automobiles, home heating and electricity have serious adverse health consequences. They are hazardous. These substances can explode, ignite, react and corrode. Adapting the definition of the international program on chemical safety, a "hazard" is a source of danger. This thesis proposes some proactive prevention techniques useful …

Safety Guidelines For Occupational Hazards To The Reproductive System, Laverne Raquel Ogieste

Theses

Most workers are unaware of the hazards to the reproductive system that surround them in the workplace, and therefore, few if any precautions are taken to avoid unnecessary exposures. In this research, safety guidelines were developed in order to eliminate such dangers from occurring or reoccurring.

These guidelines were developed by reviewing case studies of occupational hazards to the reproductive system, including federal laws and regulations related to safety within the workplace. The following forms were also developed in order to formulate suitable safety guidelines for occupational hazards to the reproductive system. They are: an occupational reproductive survey, a reproductive …

Hazard Recognition And Regulation : An Asbestos Chronology, Diane A. Colson

Theses

One hundred years after it was first mined, several uses of asbestos were banned in the United States. The latency period that typifies asbestos-related diseases was but one factor in the delayed recognition of asbestos as a health hazard. Many other factors delayed the initiation of practical measures to alleviate the hazards.

Controversies surrounding exposure to asbestos continue. Epidemiological studies have answered many questions, but many others are, and may remain, unanswered. Some of the controversies surrounding exposure to asbestos are embedded in the development of the United States of America as a country. An understanding of the historical basis …