Industrial Ergonomics

Industrial ErgonomicsIndustrial Ergonomics

Since the first applications in 2009, as Spin Off of the University of Udine, ErgoCert has set itself the goal of objectifying a growing number of ergonomic risk factors, applying high-tech tools and developing specific data measurement and analysis protocols.

This in order to overcome the limits of the observational nature of the current biomechanical overload assessment methods, which entail a not negligible effect of the assessor's subjectivity, as well as some difficulty in evaluating complex situations (e.g. long work cycles).

INSTRUMENTS AND CONDUCT OF SURVEYS

The tools used during the inspection have been chosen on the basis of their practical applicability on a large scale in production contexts (mapping of production sites):

The application of these tools does not significantly increase the typical inspection time, and allows to base the subsequent analyses on quantitative instrumental data.

The instrumental inspection requires the involvement, if possible, of 2 operators per station, representative of the anthropometric extremes (5th and 95th percentiles), in order to carry out the work cycles of interest several times.

xsens

MVN Biomech – Xsens ®
Instrumental analysis of movement
and postures through the inertial system

foto

dinamo

ERGOCERT SOFTWARE AND DELIVERED EVALUATIONS

ERGOCERT SOFTWARE

ErgoCert Analyzer

Frequency of incongruous and static movements and postures of the upper limbs and spine, vertical and horizontal position of the hands, as well as the provision of an automatic pre-count of the technical actions (OCRA method).

analyzer small

ErgoCert EAWS Analyzer

Automatic recognition of full body postures (section 1), applied manual force and grip types (section 2), manual handling of loads (section 3).

EAWS small

OTHER SOFTWARE

BoB (Biomechanics of Bodies)
Estimate intra-disc compressions and muscle activations

EAWS small

Petra

Calculation of risk indices (OCRA, NIOSH / VLI, push-pull).

petra

OUR TECHNICAL-SCIENTIFIC PATH

Here are the main steps that have led ErgoCert to the development of specific software and dedicated analysis protocols:

Evaluation by inertial motion capture systems of the incongruous postures of the upper limbs (OCRA), and subsequently of the static postures of the lumbar and cervical spine (ISO 11226):
- - - Increase in detection accuracy and database (several employees)
    - Possibility to carry out complete sessions of work cycles, even long-lasting ones
    - Speed in data processing
    - Adherence to the surveying of the technical gesture, since the operator does not feel observed

Surveying for NIOSH / VLI assessment:
- - - Objectification of the vertical and horizontal position of the hands

Application of "BoB" (Biomechanics of Bodies) in order to estimate intra-disc loads and muscle activations:
- - - Graphical representation of muscle activations and intra-disc loads
    - Quantification of the values referred to above

Full body automatic posture recognition (OWAS - EAWS1 method):
- - - Assessment of assumption and maintenance of upright, seated, kneeling, climbing postures
    - Increase in detection accuracy and database (several employees)
    - Possibility to carry out complete sessions of work cycles, even long-lasting ones
    - Speed in data processing
    - Adherence to the surveying of the technical gesture, since the operator does not feel observed

Automatic pre-counting of technical actions (OCRA method):
- - - Increase in detection accuracy and database (several employees)
    - Possibility to carry out complete sessions of work cycles, even long lasting ones
    - Speed in data processing
    - Adherence to the surveying of the technical gesture, since the operator does not feel observed

Development of a sensorized glove to evaluate the activation of the different areas of the hand and estimate the applied force:
- - - Measurement of the level of use of the different areas of the hand
    - Automatic recognition of grip types
    - Force measurement for calculation to be included in the various risk assessment protocols

Main Ergonomically Relevant Standards and References:

ISO 11226:2000 - Ergonomics -- Evaluation of static working postures
UNI ISO 11228-1:2009 - Ergonomia - Movimentazione manuale - Parte 1: Sollevamento e trasporto
UNI ISO 11228-2:2009 - Ergonomia - Movimentazione manuale - Parte 2: Spinta e traino
UNI ISO 11228-3:2009 - Ergonomia - Movimentazione manuale - Parte 3: Movimentazione di bassi carichi ad alta frequenza
ISO/TR 12295:2014 - Ergonomia - Documento per l'applicazione delle norme ISO alla movimentazione manuale di carichi (ISO 11228-1, ISO 11228-2 e ISO 112283) e la valutazione delle posture di lavoro statiche (ISO 11226)
UNI EN 1005-1:2009 - Sicurezza del macchinario - Prestazione fisica umana - Parte 1: Termini e definizioni
UNI EN 1005-2:2009 - Sicurezza del macchinario - Prestazione fisica umana - Parte 2: Movimentazione manuale di macchinario e di parti componenti il macchinario
UNI EN 1005-3:2009 - Sicurezza del macchinario - Prestazione fisica umana - Parte 3: Limiti di forza raccomandati per l’utilizzo del macchinario
UNI EN 1005-4:2009 - Sicurezza del macchinario - Prestazione fisica umana - Parte 4: Valutazione delle posture e dei movimenti lavorativi in relazione al macchinario
UNI EN 1005-5:2007 - Sicurezza del macchinario - Prestazione fisica umana - Parte 5: Valutazione del rischio connesso alla movimentazione ripetitiva ad alta frequenza

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