Occupational Safety & Ergonomics - Exam 1

Which functions is the Digestive system responsible for?

1.) Breakdown of food materials 2.) Absorption of food materials

What are the 4 key questions of work physiology?

1.) Can the job be safely accomplished by people for the required duration and using the prescribed tools and methods? 2.) Which methods are easiest? 3.) Can a specific individual perform a job safely? 4.) How should jobs be ranked? (for compensation and fatigue/rest cycle purposes)

What are the two types of Fatigue and their effects?

1.) Central (nerve related) Loss of motivation and effort Neuromuscular "recruitment" minimized Decrease in voluntary motor drive resulting in loss of output Psychosocial issues 2.) Peripheral (muscle related) Loss of action potential in brain Impairment in transmission across motor plates Accumulation of lactic acid and other wastes in skeletal muscles Oxygen "debt" in skeletal muscles

What are the 6 levels of body systems?

1.) Chemical 2.) Cell 3.) Tissue 4.) Organ 5.) Organ System 6.) Organismic

What are the 4 aspects of Natural Mapping?

1.) Conceptual Compatibility - map 2.) Movement Compatibility - joystick 3.) Spatial Compatibility - stove 4.) Modality Compatibility - fire alarm

What are the three main types of ergonomics injuries?

1.) Cumulative Trauma Disorders 2.) Acute strains, sprains, pulls, and traumatic injuries 3.) Human Factors incidents (system failures)

What are the general effects of aging?

1.) Decline begins around 30 years 2.) Progressive loss of muscle mass 3.) Lost muscle tissue replaced by fat 4.) Decrease in maximal strength 5.) Diminishing muscle reflexes

What are two methods for preventing CTDs?

1.) Ergonomics programs 2.) Controls (Hierarchy of controls) Engineering Controls: "design the hazard out" Administrative Controls: job rotation, limiting exposure, changing ways or methods Personal Protective Equipment: easiest and cheapest

Which functions is the Respiratory system responsible for?

1.) Exchange of gases between outside and inside of the body 2.) Gets gas molecules to and from blood

Endurance and static recovery is a function of ________________ and __________________

1.) Fatigue 2.) Contraction duration

An Italian physician in the 1700s recognized two workplace hazards, those are:

1.) Harmful character of materials handled 2.) Irregular motions and unnatural postures

What are methods to measure heart rate?

1.) Heart palpitations 2.) EKG 3.) Light 4.) Sounds

What are some contributors to Neurovascular disorders?

1.) High frequency of repetition 2.) High forcefulness of exertion 3.) Awkward postures 4.) Duration of exertion 5.) Mechanical pressure 6.) Vibration 7.) Exposure to cold 8.) Lack of rest 9.) Psychosocial factors (mindset)

Which functions is the Endocrine system responsible for?

1.) Hormones 2.) Chemical Regulation of body activities (growth, development, metabolism, stress-coping)

What are the 3 types of Ergonomics?

1.) Informational (dealing with Human Factors) - concerned with information interfaces and transfer 2.) Physical - concerned with physical interfaces including workplace and tool design 3.) Organizational/Macro - concerned with the design of organizations, jobs, or activities

What are some of the risk factors for low back pain?

1.) Lifting/ forceful movement 2.) Awkward postures 3.) Heavy physical work 4.) Whole body vibration 5.) Bending/Twisting 6.) Pulling/Pushing 7.) Sedentary Work 8.) Driving vehicles

Multiple Materials Handling activities include:

1.) Lifting/lowering 2.) Pulling 3.) Carrying 4.) Pulling

What are the 4 most common methods for collecting anthropometric data?

1.) Mechanically (tools) 2.) Photographically 3.) Simulations or mock-ups 4.) Computerized or automated methods

How can you minimize the Compressive force?

1.) Minimize the distance the object is held horizontally away from the body 2.) Minimize the distance the arms and torso are held horizontally away from the body

Which functions is the Muscular system responsible for?

1.) Movement and posture 2.) Circulation 3.) Responding to Somatic (voluntary) nervous system 4.) Breathing 5.) Expelling wastes

What are the 4 body systems most relevant to work physiology?

1.) Muscular 2.) Cardiovascular 3.) Respiratory 4.) Nervous

What is included by the Nervous system?

1.) Neurons 2.) Brain 3.) Spinal cord

What are the usual problems encountered with work environments?

1.) Not optimal 2.) Not controlled

What are the top two most disabling U.S. Workplace injury of today?

1.) Overexertion involving outside sources 2.) Falls on same level

What are two approaches to assessing CTDs?

1.) Passive (informal) - Watch, Listen, Talk, Review 2.) Active (formal) - lifting guides, CTD risk index

What are the root causes of Human Factors systems and what do they result in?

1.) Physical Design errors - confusing and difficult systems 2.) Procedural Design errors - non-optimal performances

What are the differences in the risk factors of Physical Ergonomics v. Cognitive Ergonomics?

1.) Physical Ergonomic risk factors often DO result in disabling injuries but DO NOT result in death or total system loss 2.) Cognitive Ergonomic risk factors often DO NOT result in disabling injuries but DO result in total system loss

Which functions is the Integumentary System responsible for?

1.) Protecting internal body 2.) Providing external support 3.) Containing sensory receptors

Which functions is the Skeletal System responsible for?

1.) Providing internal support 2.) Allowing muscle attachment 3.) Producing blood cells

Which functions is the Nervous system responsible for?

1.) Regulates all body activities 2.) Responsible for learning and memory 3.) Communicates with other parts of the body

What are the 3 types of muscle tissue?

1.) Skeletal 2.) Smooth 3.) Cardiac

What are 5 of the most common Tendon disorders and what do they cause?

1.) Tendinitis - inflammation of tendon 2.) Tenosynovitis - inflammation of surrounding membrane 3.) Ganglionic Cysts - accumulation of fluid on tendon (usually on wrist) 4.) Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) - overuse of lower arm (pain OUTSIDE elbow) 5.) Golfers' elbow (medial epicondylitis) - overuse of lower arm (pain INSIDE elbow)

What are 2 common Neurovascular disorders?

1.) Thoracic Outlet Syndrome - involves shoulder and upper arm; caused by compression of nerves and blood vessels between neck and shoulder 2.) Vibration (Reynaud's) Syndrome ("White Finger")

What are three high risk occupations for MSD's?

1.) Transportation and materials moving 2.) Production 3.) Health care

Which functions is the Lymphatic system responsible for?

1.) Transporting clean fluids back to the blood 2.) Draining excess fluids from tissues 3.) Removing debris from body cells 4.) Transporting fats from the digestive system

Which functions is the Circulatory system responsible for?

1.) Transporting nutrients and gases to cells 2.) Removing waste from cells

Factors affecting Multiple Material Handling:

1.) Worker characteristics 2.) Material/container characteristics 3.) Task characteristics 4.) Work practices

Environmental conditions can act to magnify ________________ and _________________ risk factors, including:

1.) cognitive, physical 2.) Heat, cold, vibration, mental & emotional stress, and contact stresses (corners, edges, handles)

Fewer than ____ of those suffering from lower back pain due to overexertion return to their jobs

1/3

MSD's account for nearly _____ of lost time injuries

1/3

Overexertion injuries account for nearly _____ of all occupational injuries in the US annually

1/4

___ of overexertion injury involves pushing and/or pulling

1/5

Which proportion of the US working population has suffered a MSD?

15%

____ of overexertion injury claims involved lifting of loads

2/3

Bending at the waist causes the back to support ____ times the normal weight?

6

Overexertion is the primary cause of ____ % of lower back pain

60

While standing straight, the back supports ___ % of body weight?

70-80

What is Anthropometry?

A part of anthropology concerned with measurements of the human body to determine differences in race, individuals, etc.

What is the key objective of the body when responding to stress?

A return to Homeostastis

What is the difference between a safety feature and a safety procedure?

A safety feature is a safety tool (ex. airbag or auto-close mechanism on a box cutter) used to prevent a future accident and a safety procedure is a procedure (ex. putting on a seatbelt or closing a box cutter) , sometimes involving safety features, used to prevent a future accident

Which Italian physician is most closely linked to the development of OSE?

Bernardino Ramazinni

What is a common nerve disorder?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - caused by compression of the Median Nerve (swollen tendon sheath inside carpal tunnel)

Which types of ergonomic injury involves repetitive movement, strain, and overuse syndrome?

Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD)

What are the two types of Ergonomic risk factors?

Cumulative and Acute

What can influence Ergonomic risk factors?

Environment and Personal characteristics

How is Human Factors Engineering different from Ergonomics?

Ergonomics focuses on physical and mechanical considerations while Human Factors focuses on cognitive concerns

What is an example of a 3rd Class lever in the human body?

Forearm/elbow while holding weight in hand

The higher the MAC% and the greater the duration of the exertion, the _____________ the required recovery time

Greater

What is an example of a 1st Class lever in the human body?

Head balancing on spine

What is the focus on human beings and their interaction with products, equipment, facilities, procedures, and environments used in work and everyday living?

Human Factors Engineering & Ergonomics

How does the Nervous System communicate to other parts of the body?

It receives information from receptors, transmits and interprets the information, then formulates appropriate responses to be sent to the effector organs It also controls and coordinates functions throughout the body and helps maintain homeostasis

What does the Respiratory system include?

Lungs, trachea, mouth, and nose

Which functions is the Urinary system responsible for?

Maintaining balance of chemicals in body

Anthropometric features are generally __________________

Normally Distributed

What are the system key words?

People and things, Purpose, Interaction/interface, Environment

What is a key concept in Anthropometry?

Percentiles

What is the process of controlling hazards to an acceptable level?

Safety

What is an example of a 2nd Class lever in the human body?

Standing on toes and coming back down using calves

What are the two types of anthropometric data?

Static and dynamic

What is the "trunk" and why is it important in OSE?

The "trunk" includes the shoulder and back and is responsible for 36% of all MSD cases

What is Biomechanics?

The application of mechanical principles (namely, the internal and external forces and the effects of those forces) in the study of living organisms

Fatigue (measured in MVC%) is a function of _________________

The difficulty of work

What are the differences in the risk factors of Physical Human Factors v. Cognitive Human Factors?

There is significant overlap. Some stressors affect both physical and cognitive performance since Human Factors is multidisciplinary

What does the Endocrine system include?

Thyroid, Pancreas, and Pituitary gland

What is the goal of work physiology?

To ensure workers can perform a task safely and efficiently within their environment and to accurately measure the amount of energy required to perform the job

What are some of the major concepts of Human Factors Engineering?

Visibility, Feedback, Natural Mapping, "Cost of Compliance", Operational Environments, Safety Features v. Procedures, Constant Communication

How do nerve disorders usually develop?

When nerves are exposed to pressure from had, sharp edges at work

What is included by the Urinary system?

bladder, kidneys, and liver

What can impact the applicability of anthropometric dimensions?

clothing and environmental conditions

What are some of the major impacting factors on Anthropometric data?

gender, ethnic origin, age, generation, obesity (current largest)

What is included by the Circulatory system?

heart, blood, and vessels

What is included by the Lymphatic system?

lymph nodes, glands

A Neurovascular disorder involves ____________________

nerves and adjacent blood vessels

What is included by the Digestive system?

stomach, esophagus, and intestines