Ergonomics Assignment
Textbook: Lehto, M. R., & Landry, S. J. (2013). Introduction to human factors and ergonomics for engineers (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Read Chapter 3: Design of work areas, tools and equipment
Read Chapter 4: Assessment and design of the physical environment
Instructions: This assignment involves reading two scenarios and then answering each question that follows the scenarios. Insert your responses just below each question.
Scenario one allows you to focus on thinking about the area near the immediate work space.
Scenario #1: Expanding upon the truck driver's scenario from Unit I, Ben is delivering pipe to an oil field in North Dakota. The pipe comes from a yard in Texas where the driver picked up the load. During the trip up to the delivery site, Ben notices a large red mark on his upper arm. As the trip progresses, the red mark appears to look infected and ulcerated. Ben delivers the load and then seeks medical attention. The diagnosis is a bite from a Brown Recluse Spider, which requires overnight hospitalization, surgical debridement, and then additional treatments of intravenous antibiotics.
Question 1. As you visualize the employee's environment, how might this driver have been bitten by the spider? Explain the normal habitat for the Brown Recluse Spider and what might be done to prevent such a bite from occurring again.
Question 2. The truck trailer is a flatbed type of trailer and the pipe is loaded on the trailer and then secured. The pipe is loaded from a pile on the ground. As the pipe is loaded, the driver has to secure the load. The pipe is loaded in Texas in July. Describe what temperature and humidity issues the driver might have to face and mitigate while loading and securing the pipe on the trailer.
Question 3. Explain the hazards associated with working around the loading and unloading of material as it relates to line of fire, pinch point, and falls. How would each of these issues be addressed by the driver prior to beginning the evolution of loading and unloading?
Scenario #2: Beth, the office worker from Unit I, is working in a new office setting. The building construction has just been completed and the workers are now completing their tasks inside the new office building. As the workers are new to the building, several issues start to appear before they are communicated to the building manager.
Question 1. Several employees begin complaining of headaches and eye strain while at work. Individually, the employees seem to take the complaints in stride, but during one particular meeting the complaints come to light. Describe several items that might cause this type of complaint in multiple workers in a new building.
Question 2. Beth has now taken possession of her new work area. All new furniture has been installed with new tools for the desk and surrounding areas. Give examples of measurements that could be taken from the employee (anthropometry) and apply them to making adjustments to the work space area.
Question 3. Discuss the OSHA regulation General Duty Clause 5(a)(1) as it relates to this scenario. Also, explain the OSHA General Duty Clause 5(b) as it might relate as well.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.