• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.568-579
• /
• 2014

For the commemoration of 40 years of Industrial Engineering in Korea, Ergonomics in Korea for the last 40 years are presented in this paper. Historical backgrounds, past achievements, and key historical landmarks are explained and analyzed. In addition, a keyword content analyses on the 1,005 titles from the research paper published from 1983 to 2014 are conducted to display the structural patterns of the changes of research focus of the ergonomics in Korea. Finally, some important perspectives with regard to the prospects for the future of ergonomics in Korea are also summarized.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.91-102
• /
• 1998

History of the Sensibility Ergonomics is explained. Concepts, definition, and research methods on the human sensibility are proposed for systematic applications of human sensibility studies to product and environment developments. Sensibility Ergonomics was born in socio-technological environments where consumers required aesthetic and satisfactory products in addition to useful and usable ones, and manufactures were trying to develop consumer-oriented, user-friendly products. Sensibility Ergonomics is defined as "multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary processes for developing products and environment as usable, comfortable and satisfactory with the information on human sensibility." Human sensibility is functionally defined as "feelings generated when perceived sensory and information stimuli are reflected from memory which has been accumulated through personal experiences." Human sensibility is affected by at least three factors: personal, social, and cultural. Consumers evaluate products in three aspects : functional, sensorial, and cultural sensibilities. Human sensibility is personal, dynamic, and ambiguous. It is generated reflectively and intuitively against external stimuli. No Physiological responses are accompanied, and one cannot control his/her sensibility. However, the sensibility affects the decision making or behavior of the person. To understand the human sensibility many inter-disciplinary methods should be used instead of one-variable approach. Micro-scopic studies such as Questionnaire, interview, behavioral analysis, and psychophysiological experiments can be performed. In addition, social and cultural studies are essential to understand an individual's sensibility. Results of sensibility studies can be applied to setup new interactions between human and machine through sensible(or affective) human-machine (computer) interfaces. Human-oriented and user-friendly products can be made with the information on human sensibility.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.331-336
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of the craniocervical posture on swallowing and hyoid bone movement with sitting posture in wheelchair, and to provide basic data for developing a treatment program for dysphagia. A total of sixty healthy adults without a history of dysphagia who were guardians or care assistants of inpatients at Hospital K underwent video fluoroscopy performed by physiatrists from April to July 2009. The results of the fluoroscopy were analyzed based on the measurement of hyoid bone movements. The hyoid bone movement(horizontal, vertical, and diagonal) was significantly high in the neutral craniocervical, chin-tuck, and sixty degrees extension postures, in descending order(p<.05). It was found that the neutral craniocervical posture is the most effective posture for hyoid bone movement with sitting posture in wheelchair.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.11-20
• /
• 1990

Recorded injury identified the role of falls in producing injury througout all segments of the nation. The Economic and social costs arising from falls has been established in numerous sources, both nationally and from the intermational literature. Recorded injury also indicated the potential features of falls, the need for a basic understanding of the energy exchange mechanism involved and the subsequent rehabilitation processes required. It appears unlikely that any other major cause of injury has an etiology so little researched and consequently, so little understood, which in turn has prevented the development of an intervention strategy or a scientically based control technology of falls. This paper will emphasize how the postural changes of foot are related to slip/fall severity in different environmental conditions. Lidewise, we will examine the whole slip/fall cycle through the biomechanical parameters involved in a range of walking speed and floor slipperiness

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.247-261
• /
• 2016

Objective:The aim of this paper is to discuss the nuclear safety culture in Korea. Background: Recently, Korean nuclear field has met a strong anti-nuclear trend after a few happenings, as well as Fukushima accident, which are turned out to be caused by organizational pitfalls and safety culture defects in general. Method: We review the concepts and constructs of safety culture based on the brief history of the nuclear safety culture that IAEA mainly raised after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Additionally, we give a comparative discussion on the approach to the safety culture with U.S. Results: Finally, we discuss the three technical domains and propose six selected domestic issues related to the nuclear safety culture for coping with the demanding requests on nuclear safety in Korea. Conclusion and Application: We suggest several recommendations and a research direction in the form of a re-start line for the nuclear safety culture in Korea.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.19-27
• /
• 2007

Despite the widespread use of laterally wedged insoles for patients with knee osteoarthritis and medially wedged insoles for controlling rearfoot pronation, an understanding of the effects of wedged insoles was limited and sometimes controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of wedged insoles on the kinematics and kinetics of normal gait. Ten male subjects without history of lower limb disorders were recruited. Each subject performed four gait cycles under each of seven conditions; shod with 5$^{\circ}$, 8$^{\circ}$ and 15$^{\circ}$, 8$^{\circ}$ and 15$^{\circ}$ laterally wedged insoles. In order to determine statistical differences among seven conditions, the measured temporal spatial variables, angular displacements, joint moments, and ground reaction forces were compared with a one-way analysis of variance. Some significant changes induced by wedged insoles were apparent in joint moments and ground reaction forces. The medially wedged insole increased the laterally directed ground reaction force and varus moments at the ankle force and varus moments at the ankle and the knee.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.93-101
• /
• 2008

Wedged soles and rocker soles are widespread shoe designs used to prevent the disorders and reduce the pain of the lower extremity caused by arthritis or diabetic feet. In this study, the effect of a shoe with a laterally wedged sole and a rocker sole simultaneously was analyzed on the kinematics and kinetics of the ankle joint during normal walking. Eight male participants without a history of lower extremity disorders were recruited. Each participant performed twenty walking cycles for each of three walking conditions: bare foot, wearing normal shoes and wearing shoes with laterally wedged rocker soles. The differences between the three walking conditions were statistically investigated including spatio-temporal variables, angular displacements, joint moments and ground reaction forces. The results showed that the laterally wedged rocker sole decreased the sagittal variation of angular displacements as well as the frontal/sagittal average moment on the ankle joints compared to the flat sole. In addition, the rate of angular displacements and loading decreased during the heel contact phase.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.197-204
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cumulative fatigue of trunk muscles and the period of recovery time during repetitive lifting and lowering task with two different frequencies(4 times/min and 6 times/ min). Eight healthy males with no prior history of LBD(low back disorders) volunteered for this study. Subjects had 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes recovery time respectively while they were preforming the lifting and lowering task at 15% level of MVC. EMG signals from six trunk muscles were collected and the fatigue level was analyzed quantitatively. In results, the fatigue levels of LES(left elector spinae), RLD(right lattissimus dorsi), LLD(left lattissimus dorsi), RRA(right rectus abdominis) and LRA(left rectus abdominis) were recovered when 3 minutes recovery time was given at 4 times/min frequency. However, the fatgue level of RES(right elector spinae) was recovered when 4 minutes recovery was given. On the other hand, when 6 times/min frequency was used, the RLD, LLD, RRA and LRA were recovered at 5 minutes of recovery time. But for RES and LES, it took longer than 5 minutes to be recovered. This results can be applied to design the adequate length of recovery time to control the cumulative fatigue of trunk muscles in industry with repetitive lifting and lowering task.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.93-107
• /
• 2000

The excessive exposure to powered hand tools can cause damage to nerves, impair blood circulation, and musculoskeletal damage. The symptoms associated with hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) include numbness, tingling, pain and subsequent reduced dexterity of the hands. This study was performed to report the prevalence of the HAVS and evaluate its related factors among the workers using powered hand tools. Total 282 workers in 11 plants of Kyungki and Inchon areas were examined. A standard symptom questionnaire was developed and administered to collect information on personal characteristics, work history, operating conditions, tool characteristics, and subjective symptoms of HAVS. Mean values (standard deviations) of the age, the duration of powered hand tools used, and the daily hours using powered hand tools were 38.3(8.9) years, 79.3(62.2) months and 6.0(2.6) hours, respectively. 132 workers(46.8%) showed vibration-induced white finger symptoms according to the Taylor-Pelmear classification, and 30 workers(10.6%) were interfered with the work. The results of a multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for age and daily working hours showed that smoking, work duration, weight of tools, and continuous work over 2 hours were significantly associated with the symptom of HAVS.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study was to define the effects of noise and background music on the trunk muscle fatigue during dynamic lifting and lowering tasks. Six healthy male subjects with no prior history of low back disorders participated in this study. The participants were exposed to two levels of background noise such as 40dB noise and 90dB noise and three levels of background music such as no music, slow music, and fast music. Six different combinations of background noise and background music were played while the participants were performing the lifting task at 15% level of Maximum Voluntary Contraction. Electromyography signals from six muscles were collected and fatigue levels were analyzed quantitatively. In results, the 90dB noise increased trunk muscle fatigue and slowed down the recovery. The trunk muscle fatigue was the lowest when the fast music was played for as background. After recovery, the 90dB noise increased trunk muscle fatigue. The trunk muscle fatigue was the lowest when the slow music was played for as background. The results can be useful to manage the cumulative fatigue of trunk muscles due to background noise and music during repetitive lifting and lowering tasks in industry.