Human Factors Engineering- IE 342 King Abdul Aziz University

Fall 2021 College of Engineering

Thursday 15th Oct, 2020 Assignment#3 Department of Industrial Engineering
Student's Name: Computer No.:

Q1. (A) Assign (True) or (False). Circle the incorrect information in the faulty sentences &
CORRECT if needed:
True False
1. Awkward posture and exertion force are two major causes of musculoskeletal ( ) ( )
problems.

2. The height of the work surface should be 150-400 mm above elbow height while
performing heavy assembly work with standing posture. ( ) ( )

3. Muscles with larger cross-sections are able to exert larger forces. ( ) ( )

3. The musculoskeletal system makes up about 40-50% of an individual’s body ( ) ( )

weight.

4. One of the main principles of using hand tools is maintaining a straight wrist. ( ) ( )

5. During very heavy work, the worker’s energy can reach to 40 kJ/min, and the ( ) ( )
worker’s heart rate is approximately 160 beats/min.

6. Pushing task is associated with more MSDs hazards than pulling task. ( ) ( )

7. Job rotation is one of the administrative controls that used to reduce the risk of
Manual Materials Handling tasks. ( ) ( )

8. Muscle fatigue occurs when the demand of energy exceeds about half of the ( ) ( )
maximal oxygen uptake.

9. Basal metabolism refers to the increasing levels of energy expenditure from rest
level to work demand level. ( ) ( )

10. For minimizing energy expenditure, design the job for static work rather than
dynamic work. ( ) ( )

11. NIOSH lifting guidelines are based on a maximum compressive force of 3.4 kN at
L5/S1. ( ) ( )

12. L5/S1 means lifting a Load of 5 kg requires a muscle Strength of 1 kN. ( ) ( )

 13. Borg-RPE score can be converted easily into VO2 max if multiplied by 10. ( ) ( )

14. The friction of floor should be as high as possible to prevent worker's slipping in
pushing/pulling tasks. ( ) ( )

15. Electroencephalography and reaction time test are examples of fatigue measuring
methods ( ) ( )
1 16. High fatigue levels are associated with short reaction time. ( ) ( )
17. To minimize the risk of manual material handling, redesigning the job is preferred
over personal protective equipment. ( ) ( )

Q2. Answer the following questions:

Define "heavy work":

State the four categories that are used to classify manual material handling task
characteristics:
1)

2)

3)

4)

In summary, state the three main types of fatigue in industrial environment:

1)

2)

Mention the three types of physical workload measurements. Give examples.

2)

3)

5. Explain each term used in the revised NIOSH lifting equation and how it impacts the
RWL. In what ways does the revised equation differ from the original? How to interpret the
value of lifting index (LI) calculated by NIOSH lifting equation?
Q3. A worker needs to lift boxes that contain small spare parts for a sewing machine from a flat
conveyor and place each box onto a roller cart (as illustrated in Figure 1), 4 times per minute over an
8-hour shift. However, the weight of each box is 13 kg, and lifting each box requires a high level of
caution, since the boxes are not have handles. Also, the worker needs to twist her torso about 45º to
put each box onto the roller cart. You need to (a) determine the recommended weight limit (RWL)
and Is the worker at risk of MSD? and (b) provide your recommendation and solutions.

Figure 1: The worker lifts the box from

the conveyor to the roller cart

Q4.Order picker picks a 17-kg items 350 times a day (8-h shift) from storage slot and put them on a
manual cart. The average height of items is 140 cm, the average horizontal distance of the worker to the
items in the slot is 45 cm. The picker twists 60o during lowering. The height of the cart surface is 38 cm.
The items are provided with proper handles. Is the worker at risk of MSD? If yes, propose solutions.
Q5. Calculate the energy expenditure in kcal/min for tasks with the following measurements. Classify the
task (light, moderate, heavy, very heavy, extremely heavy). Calculate the rest period on an 8-hour work
day.

1. A task resulting in energy expenditure of 1380 kJ/hour

2. A task resulting in a worker's heart rate of 145 beats/min

3. A task with a score of 13 on Borg-RPE scale

Q5. The breathing rate (Va) for a worker during a physically demanding task was 45 l/min, corresponding
to oxygen consumption (VO2) that is about 55% of the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max).

1. Calculate the energy expenditure (E) in kcal/min.

2. Identify the work severity and calculate the rest period recommended by NIOSH knowing that
the working thermal condition is comfortable.

3. Is it safe for the worker to take the whole rest in one period? How do you know? What do you
recommend?

4. If a change in the operation condition occurred (i.e. working outdoor with poor weather
condition) resulting in higher thermal conditions with a WBGT of 29OC, what will be the needed
rest period? Again, can the worker take the whole rest period once?