TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of an observation-based tool for ergonomic exposure assessment in informal electronic waste recycling and other unregulated non-repetitive work
AU - Acquah, Augustine A.
AU - D'Souza, Clive
AU - Martin, Bernard
AU - Arko-Mensah, John
AU - Nti, Afua Asabea
AU - Kwarteng, Lawrencia
AU - Takyi, Sylvia
AU - Botwe, Paul K.
AU - Tettey, Prudence
AU - Dwomoh, Duah
AU - Quakyi, Isabella A.
AU - Robins, Thomas G.
AU - Fobil, Julius N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Most existing ergonomic assessment tools are intended for routine work. Time- and cost-efficient observational tools for ergonomic assessment of unregulated work are lacking. This paper presents the development of an observation-based tool designed to investigate ergonomic exposures among informal electronic waste workers that could be applied to other unregulated jobs/tasks. Real-time coding of observation is used to estimate the relative duration and intensity of exposure to key work postures, forceful exertions, movements, contact stress and vibration. Time spent in manual material handling activities such as carrying, lifting and pushing/pulling of working carts are also estimated. A preliminary study conducted with 6 e-waste workers showed that the tool can easily be used with minimal training and good inter-observer agreement (i.e., 89% to 100%) for most risk factors assessed. This new assessment tool provides effective and flexible options for quantifying ergonomic exposures among workers engaged in unregulated, highly variable work.
AB - Most existing ergonomic assessment tools are intended for routine work. Time- and cost-efficient observational tools for ergonomic assessment of unregulated work are lacking. This paper presents the development of an observation-based tool designed to investigate ergonomic exposures among informal electronic waste workers that could be applied to other unregulated jobs/tasks. Real-time coding of observation is used to estimate the relative duration and intensity of exposure to key work postures, forceful exertions, movements, contact stress and vibration. Time spent in manual material handling activities such as carrying, lifting and pushing/pulling of working carts are also estimated. A preliminary study conducted with 6 e-waste workers showed that the tool can easily be used with minimal training and good inter-observer agreement (i.e., 89% to 100%) for most risk factors assessed. This new assessment tool provides effective and flexible options for quantifying ergonomic exposures among workers engaged in unregulated, highly variable work.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111141079&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1071181320641216
DO - 10.1177/1071181320641216
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85111141079
SN - 1071-1813
VL - 64
SP - 905
EP - 909
JO - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
JF - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
IS - 1
T2 - 64th International Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2020
Y2 - 5 October 2020 through 9 October 2020
ER -