Study of the effectiveness of a participatory ergonomics intervention in reducing worker pain severity through physical exposure pathways

A participatory ergonomics programme was implemented in an automotive parts manufacturing factory. An ergonomics change team was formed composed of members from management and the organized labour union. It was hypothesized that the physical change projects implemented as part of this process would...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ergonomics 2005-02, Vol.48 (2), p.150-170
Main Authors: Laing, Andrew, Frazer, Mardon, Cole, Donald, Kerr, Mickey, Wells, Richard, Norman, Robert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Ergonomics
Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Industry
Injuries
Intervention
Medical sciences
Musculoskeletal Diseases - prevention & control
Musculoskeletal disorders
Occupational Diseases - prevention & control
Occupational hazards
Pain
Participatory
Physical demands
Program Evaluation
Surveys and Questionnaires
Workload
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Summary:A participatory ergonomics programme was implemented in an automotive parts manufacturing factory. An ergonomics change team was formed composed of members from management and the organized labour union. It was hypothesized that the physical change projects implemented as part of this process would result in decreased worker exposures to peak and cumulative physical demands and reduced worker perceptions of physical effort and pain severity. A quasi-experimental design was employed, utilizing a sister plant in the corporation as a referent group. A longitudinal questionnaire approach was used to document pre-post changes in worker perceptions. In general, the physical change projects were rated as improvements by workers and were successful at reducing peak and/or cumulative mechanical exposures. However, there were few systematic changes in perceived effort or pain severity levels. Explanations include the confounding effects of differential production rate and staffing changes at the intervention and referent plants and/or insufficient overall intervention intensity due to a relatively short intervention period, plant and team ambivalence towards the process and the low overall impact on exposure of the particular changes implemented.
ISSN:0014-0139
1366-5847
DOI:10.1080/00140130512331325727