Introduction Failure-to-identify hunting incidents occur when a hunter, believing they are shooting at an animal, shoots at another human. Anecdotal evidence from the hunting community suggests that heightened arousal or excitement (“buck fever”), liquid intake, food intake, sleepiness and personality factors may be contributory factors to such incidents. Hunters who have shot other people based on

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among manufacturing workers. Exposure to non-neutral postures and high movement speeds associated with MSDs among manufacturing workers may depend on the extent of the variability in the work tasks performed (i.e., predominantly “cyclic” versus “non-cyclic” work). The objectives of this study were to (i) compare mean levels of full-shift exposure summary

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of the most frequently occurring musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs. Strategies for preventing CTS in the workplace include interventions such as ergonomics, education, exercise, physical therapy, and occupational health. The purpose of this study was to provide a general overview based on the review of scientific literature regarding strategies used for

Archived video footage from a previous task analysis study where children attempted to open prescription vials outfitted with 42 mm (diameter) push and turn closures was reviewed and grip postures were characterized based on a grip taxonomy presented by Rowson & Yoxall which investigated adult grips (2011). Video review was conducted to identify the types of grip postures children aged 3–5 years utilized

Manual material handling is common in supermarkets and may be a contributing factor to the high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly to the lower back. This cross-sectional study applied state-of-the-art musculoskeletal models driven by kinematic data obtained in two supermarkets to estimate joint reaction forces in the knees, shoulders and lumbar spine under dynamic lifting

This study investigated the effects of simulating self-motion via a head-mounted display (HMD) on standing postural sway and spatial presence. Standing HMD users viewed simulated oscillatory self-motion in depth. On a particular trial, this naso-occipital visual oscillation had one of four different amplitudes (either 4, 8, 12 or 16 m peak-to-peak) and one of four different frequencies (either 0.125

Automated vehicles are expected to enhance driving safety and comfort. In order to fulfil these expectations, they have to be widely accepted and used. Implementing an acceptable driving style is therefore a must. Previous research on automated vehicle acceptance has largely concentrated on the effects of driving dynamics. This study takes a different approach and focuses on the effects of the driving

To support safety and efficient care, effective integration of technology into the timepressured, high-risk healthcare environments is critical. This systematic literature review aimed to highlight the impact of technology on the physical environment as well as the facilitators for and barriers to technology integration into complex healthcare settings, including operating rooms and trauma rooms. PsycINFO

The strong driving forces for ageing in place demand sustainable solutions for the housing and care of older people and the health and safety of home- and health-care staff. The aim of the study was to elucidate staff experiences of providing home- and health-care to older people living in ordinary housing. This study was part of a larger project investigating the relation between home design and conditions

Post-operative delirium (POD) is a health hazard condition for the patients and it is associated with increased costs for the healthcare system. Following a system-theoretic approach, firstly a model, then a questionnaire, have been designed to probe the collective awareness about POD throughout the entire patient's perioperative pathway. The 58 reported answers pointed out that most of the information

Various researchers have proposed pupillometric indicators to assess a person's cognitive strain. However, to distinguish the variation of pupil light response from psychosensory pupil response in experimental field conditions is a challenge. The Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA) addresses this problem by wavelet separation. This research investigates the ICA's sensitivity for multiple level task-evoked

Office workers can spend significant periods of time being stationary whilst at work, with potentially serious health consequences. The development of effective health interventions could be aided by a greater understanding of the location and environmental context in which this stationary behaviour occurs. Real time location systems (RTLS) potentially offer the opportunity to gather this much needed

Direct-measurement-based methods for assessing workloads of the hand or elbow in the field are rare. Aim of the study was to develop such a method based on the Threshold Limit Value for Hand Activity Level (TLV for HAL). Hence, HAL was quantified using kinematic data (mean power frequencies, angular velocities and micro-pauses) and combined with electromyographic data (root-mean-square values) in order

This paper presents the results of an extensive survey concerning the experience of safety footwear end-users. Safety footwear has been in widespread use across many industries worldwide since the 1970s, and has become an essential part of industrial Personal Protective Equipment. The number of women entering predominantly male industrial environments, and requiring safety footwear is rising, and this

Quantifying the workload and postural demand on vascular surgeons provides valuable information on the physical and cognitive factors that predispose vascular surgeons to musculoskeletal pain and disorders. The aim of this study was to quantify the postural demand, workload, and discomfort experienced by vascular surgeons and to identify procedural factors that influence surgical workload. Both objective

This study aims to investigate the effects of non-driving-related tasks (NDRTs) on the transition of control in highly automated driving (HAD) by investigating the effects of NDRT physical, visual, and cognitive attributes during transition of control. A conceptual model of the takeover process is proposed by dividing this process into motor and mental reactions. A laboratory experiment was conducted

Profile of cybersickness and balance disturbance induced by virtual ship motion alone and in combination with galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) remained unclear. Subjects were exposed to a ship deck vision scene under simulated Degree 5 or 3 sea condition using a head-mounted virtual reality display with or without GVS. Virtual ship motion at Degree 5 induced significant cybersickness with symptom

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent in the supermarket sector with manual material handling being one of the most commonly identified occupational risk factors. This cross-sectional study applied inertial motion capture and electromyography (EMG) to measure full-body kinematics and muscle activity of trapezius descendens and erector spinae longissimus during 50 manual material

Sustained non-neutral postures of the head/neck are related to transient neck discomfort and longer-term disorders of the neck. Periodic breaks can help but the ideal length and frequency of breaks are yet to be determined. The current study aimed to quantify the effects of three work-rest strategies on fatigue development. Participants maintained a 45-degree neck flexion posture for a total of 60 min

In order to be able to develop a hammer drill with which the user can work as ergonomically and productively as possible, the relevant influencing factors must be known. In addition to the unknown influence of the drilling direction, there is a lack of understanding of the relations between user forces, human fatigue, and productivity. To analyze these relations, an experiment was carried out with

The present experimental study involved 346 university students without self-reported disability and investigated the perceived symbolic meanings of the International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA) along with its associations with stereotypes toward wheelchair users and the perceived inclusiveness of the social climate. Participants were randomized into four groups with exposure to either the ISA, Motion-symbol

Falls during stair descent pose a major health concern. A stronger understanding of recovery from balance loss during stair descent is needed to guide fall prevention strategies and environmental design. We characterized balance recovery strategies, trunk and center-of-mass (COM) kinematics, and handrail use following unexpected forward balance loss during stair descent, and the effect of perturbation

Minimal footwear has become more ubiquitous; however, it may increase slip severity. This study specifically examined the slipping kinematics of flip-flop sandals. Invoked slips from standing were evaluated in dry and wet tile, and a unique wet footbed + wet tile condition, with 40, 50, and 60% bodyweight (BW) committed to the slipping foot. Water did not alter peak slip velocity (PV) at 40% BW, but

Public transport systems are vital services in urban environments. The design of these complex socio-technical systems is continuously evolving to accommodate larger populations, and their adaptation is essential in supporting the successful and sustainable development of cities and regions. An essential part of this adaptation includes working to increase passenger safety and to minimise their risk

Motion sickness (MS) is known to be a potentially limiting factor for future self-driving vehicles – specifically in regards to occupant comfort and well-being. With this as a consideration comes the desire to accurately measure, track and even predict MS state in real-time. Previous research has considered physiological measurements to measure MS state, although, this is mainly measured after an MS

The research represents one of the first major qualitative studies to subjectively investigate fatigue amongst city bus drivers. Funded by TfL (grant no. 94050), the study considers the perspectives of both the bus drivers themselves and their managers. It explores opinion specifically in relation to how fatigue influences or is influenced by bus driving, and how this is managed. Data was collected

The introduction of Industry 4.0-enabling digital technologies in industrial work systems are creating various sociotechnical challenges affecting overall system performance and human well-being. In this paper, we propose a framework for (re)designing industrial work systems in the transition towards Industry 4.0. The framework combines human factors and ergonomics, work system modeling, and strategy

Dr. Ben-Tzion (Bentzi) Karsh was a mentor, collaborator, colleague, and friend who profoundly impacted the fields of human factors and ergonomics (HFE), medical informatics, patient safety, and primary care, among others. In this paper we honor his contributions by reflecting on his scholarship, impact, and legacy in three ways: first, through an updated simplified bibliometric analysis in 2020, highlighting

Objective The railway industry in Indonesia has grown substantially in the past five years, with greater network and tracks length that will double in 2030. There has been a growing concern, however, that fatigue among front-line personnel have not been addressed satisfactorily. This study aimed at evaluating the degree of fatigue among passenger train drivers and suggested practical recommendations

Chronotype refers to individual differences in the timing of circadian sleep-wake cycles and subjective alertness throughout the day. It is a potential factor influencing people's driving behaviour, but no research has explored the mechanisms underlying this topic. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between morningness-eveningness preferences and driving behaviour and the mediating

It is clear that the cognitive resources invested in standing are greater than in sitting, but six of eight previous studies suggested that there is no difference in cognitive performance. This study investigated the effects of sitting and standing workstations on the physical workload and cognitive performance under variable cognitive demand conditions. Fifteen participants visited two times for testing

Digital human modeling software uses biomechanical models to compute workers' risk of injury during industrial work processes. In many cases, the biomechanics are calculated using quasistatic models, which neglect the body's dynamics and therefore might be erroneous. This study investigated the differential effect of using a dynamic vs. a quasistatic model on spinal loading during combined manual material

Stair design can influence the risk of stair falls. Stair nosings are intended to provide greater foot accommodation, although to date little is known about how the nosing shape can affect foot trajectory during stair ambulation. This study investigates the impact of different nosing shapes (round, square, tapered, and no nosing) on foot clearance and overhang measures during stair ascent and descent

Twenty participants (18 males and 2 females) completed postural stability assessments before and after 4-h exposure to whole body vibration (WBV) in four experimental conditions: (a) vertical-dominant WBV with vertical passive air suspension, (b) multi-axial WBV with vertical passive air suspension, (c) multi-axial WBV with multi-axial active suspension, and (d) no WBV condition. Center of pressure

This study was conducted at 5 Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs). A cross sectional survey was administered to 134 workers who routinely lift and mobilize patients within their workplaces’ safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) programs, which are mandated in all VAMCs. The survey was used to examine a comprehensive list of SPHM and non-SPHM variables, and their associations with self-reported

For shoulder muscle prevention, we investigated individual shoulder muscle performance and fatigue patterns in various external conditions, including three different % maximum voluntary contractions, six shoulder angles and 60-s durations of exertion. The rating of perceived exertion was also measured for comparison. The upper trapezius (UT), middle deltoid (MD), pectoralis major (PM), latissimus dorsi

Automated aids are engineered to support operators’ decision-making in complex and task-saturated environments, alerting them of system status and critical incidents. However, even the most advanced technologies are susceptible to failure. Monitoring imperfect automated systems poses unique challenges related to operator attention and workload. This study empirically examined the effect of unreliable

This study was designed to validate a short-duration sustained visual search task for the assessment of sustained attention in process control environments. The task consists of 10 short dynamic scenarios, which require participants (N = 121) to monitor simulated operating power transmission interfaces, and identify system faults. A vigilance decrement was demonstrated throughout the sustained visual

Medication safety during care transitions is a significant challenge, especially for older adults prescribed multiple medications. Using a systems approach to understand barriers to and strategies for safe medication management throughout high-risk periods of hospital-to-home transition is one important step in designing effective interventions. Framing the care transition as a collaboration between

There is increasing interest in applying systems Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) methods in sport. Risk assessment (RA) methods can be used identify risks which may impact the performance of individual athletes, teams, and overall sports systems; however, they have not yet been tested in sport. This study sets out to apply and compare three systems thinking-based RA methods in the context of elite

There is limited evidence on the efficacy of insole materials to reduce plantar pressure during regular walking and loaded walking. In-shoe plantar pressures and subjective footwear comfort were recorded in twenty healthy participants at a self-selected treadmill walking speed in six conditions: two commercial insoles or no insole, and with or without carrying a load in a backpack. A single-material

The effect of the load's center of gravity (CoG) on manual materials handling tasks received little attention in literature. The motivation of this study was to examine the effects of handle height, load's CoG height and load on lifting tasks. Eighteen participants performed 27 lifting tasks, including 3 handle heights (10, 30, 50 cm) by 3 load's CoG heights (10, 30, 50 cm) by 3 loads (7, 14, 21 kg)

This paper investigates whether spring-foam technology in an aircraft seat-pan can reduce weight and at the same time provide equal or better comfort. Firstly, through literature studies and using an iterative design process a prototype seat-pan was designed and developed using spring-foam technology. The (dis)comfort of this seat was compared with a standard aircraft seat-pan. Twenty two participants

Touchscreen has gained increasing popularity. However, little is known about touchscreen use in vibration environments. This study aimed to examine the effects of control-to-display gain (GAIN) and operation precision requirement on touchscreen operations in varied vibration environments. Twenty participants attended an experiment where they were instructed to perform three types of basic touchscreen

Employing a field-based monitoring paradigm, the current study examined day-to-day fluctuations in actigraphy-based sleep recordings, cognitive performance (10-min psychomotor vigilance test; PVT), and self-reported recovery status among 14 submariners throughout a 67-day military mission. Mission averages reflected suboptimal sleep that was of short overall duration (5:46 ± 1:29 h per 24-h day) and

Despite the emergence of head-worn displays at work around forty years ago, few studies have appeared about their impact on job content. To investigate this, a systematic literature review was conducted on these devices and job content, defined as job demands and controls. In total, 3481 studies were identified using five scientific databases. After applying selection criteria, reference searches,

Thousands of people work in the precast/pre-stressed concrete industry every day. Due to the design of the precast/prestressed concrete product itself and the processes required for its production, employees are occasionally exposed to hazards. The industry recognizes this and devotes a significant amount of time and investment to mitigate these hazards and protect employees from harm. It is essential

Although lots of assistive devices have been studied to fight against caregivers' work-related musculoskeletal disorders, stand-and-turn devices effects on biomechanical constraints are still unknown. The aim of this study is to provide and compare quantitative data on loads in the low back area resulting from the use of a motorless stand-and-turn device and from manual patient handling. Nine caregivers

The risk of motion sickness is considerably higher in autonomous vehicles than it is in human-operated vehicles. Their introduction will therefore require systems that mitigate motion sickness. We investigated whether this can be achieved by augmenting the vehicle interior with additional visualizations. Participants were immersed in motion simulations on a moving-base driving simulator, where they

Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) is an occupational hazard affecting employees working with transportation, construction or heavy machinery. To minimize vibration-induced pathologies, ISO identified WBV exposure limits based on vibration transmissibility and apparent mass studies. The ISO guidelines do not account for variations in posture or movement. In our study, we measured the transmissibility and apparent

We present a novel view of transitions from the lens of patient ergonomics (the “science of patient work”), which posits that patients and other non-professionals perform effortful work towards health-related goals. In patient work transitions, patients experience changes in, for example, health, task demands, work capacity, roles and responsibilities, knowledge and skills, routines, needs and technologies

The aim of this research is to investigate whether visual feedback alone can affect a driver's trust in an autonomous vehicle, and in particular, what level of feedback (no feedback vs. moderate feedback vs. high feedback) will evoke the appropriate level of trust. Before conducting the experiment, the Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) were piloted with two sets of six participants (before and after iterations)

Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology has brought a shift in the traditional role of the driver. This paper applies a user-centred design approach to designing a new AV interior to better support drivers. Three empirical studies were conducted, involving a total of 92 drivers (with 44 in Study 1, 12 in Study 2, and 36 in Study 3) to explore user needs and requirements in an AV. In Study 1, safety and

Nurses in long-term care homes often crush pills into a fine powder using a manual pill crushing device. This study provides novel quantitative data on muscle loading experienced during pill crushing. The influence of surface height, number of pills and device orientation were studied in twelve muscles of the upper extremity. Variations in the work surface height and number of pills crushed resulted

Musculoskeletal injuries of the lumbar spine occur frequently among military service members and are associated with heavy backpack loads. Musculoskeletal modeling and simulation facilitate biomechanical evaluation to compare different backpack designs. We developed a backpack attachment model that can be tuned to represent various load distributions between the torso and pelvis. We generated walking

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of using alternative mast climbing work platform (MCWP) designs on trunk motion and postural stability with masonry workers while performing bricklaying and stepping down tasks using a conventional MCWP setting (i.e. with a step deck) as well as two types of production tables (straight- and L-shaped). The trunk angles and postural sway parameters

Countdown timers (CDTs) for pedestrians and cars have been shown to produce various effects, including improved efficiency and decreased safety. This study aimed to explore adaptive behaviours of cyclists towards a CDT to green traffic light, conducted as a before-after study in real traffic. Cyclists adapted to the CDT by searching for and using the information that it provided, mainly in terms of

Objective To identify requirements for human-in-the-loop simulation capabilities and improve their utility in predicting and optimizing soldier-systems integration. Background Technological development rates within the military are rapidly increasing. Emergent technologies often exclude in-depth consideration of human-system interactions until the physical prototyping phase. Human-in-the-loop simulation