Environmental information for people with visual impairment in Mexico - or what they need and how they use it.

From an ergonomics perspective, the environmental characteristics should facilitate user activities. Matching user capabilities to demands of the environment is essential. However, about some users such as those with visual impairments, there is little information available for use in designing products and spaces. There is also a gap in information regarding the commutes and needs of the visually impaired, making it even more difficult to establish how environments should be designed to include this population.This study aimed to identify the information needs of people with visual impairment in terms of: 1) Daily life activities, 2) Wayfinding in the complex built environments, 3) Use of the signals provided by the environment 4) Characteristics of the environment which reduce the usability of a space and may put the user in danger, and 5) Safety perception. Data were obtained through a semi-structured interview to which eighteen adults responded. All had either complete blindness or severe visual impairment. For orientation, the most common references were texture or changes in ground level/surface, along with such ambient elements as noise or smells. Information presented in Braille was reported as little used, due to difficulty in finding such information. Regarding safety, participants reported feeling unsafe; most mentioned crossing the street as a major risk. Using auditory, tactile or even olfactory signals may provide important information while commuting: thus, designing signals which consider and highlight these senses is paramount. Assessing features and location of existing tactile signals is also required, to identify opportunities for improving the safety and independence of people with visual impairment.

Síntomas músculo-esqueléticos en trabajadores operativos del área de mantenimiento de una empresa petrolera ecuatoriana / Musculoskeletal symptoms in the area of operational maintenance of an oil company workers

CONTEXTO: Al ser considerada la ergonomía como una disciplina de carácter científico, que evalúa los riesgos ergonómicos en el medio ambiente laboral, puede evitar enfermedades ocupacionales y accidentes del trabajo, contribuyendo a mejorar las condiciones laborales en una organización. OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia de síntomas músculo-esqueléticos en trabajadores operativos del puesto de trabajo mantenimiento de una Empresa Petrolera Ecuatoriana. METODOLOGÍA: Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal en 102 trabajadores de sexo masculino, correspondientes al puesto de trabajo de mantenimiento de una empresa petrolera, situada en una locación de la Provincia de Sucumbíos, durante el año 2013; la edad comprendida estuvo entre 18 y 49 años. Para la recolección de datos a cada uno de los trabajadores, previo consentimiento informado se aplicó: un Cuestionario Socio-Demográfico, una Historia Médica Ocupacional y el Cuestionario Nórdico Estandarizado. RESULTADOS: La mayor prevalencia de síntomas músculo-esqueléticos, se encuentra en el grupo de trabajadores de entre 30 y 40 años de edad, en las regiones anatómicas: espalda baja 66 (64,7%), seguido de espalda alta 44 (43,1%), cuello 38 (37,3%) y hombro 27 (26,5%), siendo los más afectados los puestos de trabajo técnico-eléctrico y técnico-mecánico. La regresión logística binaria determinó que las variables no son estadísticamente significativas y, por lo tanto, por sí solas no explican la aparición de síntomas Músculo-Esqueléticos. CONCLUSIÓN: Se concluye que existe una elevada prevalencia de síntomas músculo-esqueléticos en la población estudiada, por lo que se recomienda efectuar una evaluación ergonómica exhaustiva de los puestos de trabajo y posteriormente buscar mecanismos y estrategias de control y prevención de riesgos ergonómicos, con la finalidad de minimizar el desarrollo de lesiones músculo-esqueléticos en la población de estudio.

CONTEXT: When considered ergonomics as a scientific discipline that evaluates ergonomic hazards in the working environment, you can prevent occupational diseases and industrial accidents, helping to improve working conditions in an organization. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in workers operating as a maintenance work Ecuadorian Oil Company. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 102 male workers, job for the maintenance of an oil company, situated in a location in the province of Sucumbíos, in 2013, the age range was between 18 and 49. To collect data for each worker, informed consent was applied: A Socio-Demographic Questionnaire an Occupational Medical History and the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. RESULTS: The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms are in the group of workers between 30 and 40 years old, in the anatomical regions: lower back 66 (64,7%), followed by upper back 44 (43,1% ), neck 38 (37,3%) and shoulder 27 (26,5%) being the most affected stations mechanical technician and electrician work. Binary logistic regression determined that the variables are not statistically significant, and thus alone do not explain the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the study population, so it is recommended that a comprehensive ergonomic evaluation of jobs and then find mechanisms and strategies for control and prevention of ergonomic hazards, with the aim minimize the development of musculoskeletal injuries in the study population.

Evaluación de sobrecarga postural en trabajadores: revisión de la literatura / Workers postural overload assessment: literature review

INTRODUCCIÓN: Las lesiones músculo-esqueléticas tienen un enorme y creciente impacto en el mundo. Son la mayor causa de dolor y discapacidad. Debido a su alta prevalencia y a su asociación con otras morbilidades, causan un importante impacto socioeconómico. OBJETIVO: Describir el estado que guarda la investigación nacional e internacional acerca de sobrecarga postural en trabajadores, mediante la identificación y análisis de publicaciones científicas especializadas. MÉTODO: Revisión documental descriptiva analítica. Se incluyeron documentos del año 1999 al 2012, publicados en bases de datos y revistas electrónicas en idioma inglés, español y portugués, utilizando las palabras clave sobrecarga postural, evaluación ergonómica y métodos ergonómicos. Se seleccionaron 50 artículos. RESULTADOS: Las publicaciones fueron 5 en portugués, 20 en inglés y 25 en español. Los métodos ya existentes son de utilidad para identificar sobrecarga postural, en diversas actividades económicas. CONCLUSIONES: No existe hasta el momento un método de evaluación integral, cuya aplicación sea sencilla, y los resultados más completos, que incluyan más variables para evaluar la sobrecarga postural. Esto sugiere la necesidad de proponer nuevos métodos.

INTRODUCTION: Musculoskeletal injuries have a huge and growing impact on the world. They are the main cause of pain and disability. Due to its high prevalence and its association with other morbidities, they cause an important economic impact. OBJECTIVE: Describing the state of the national and international research on workers postural overload through the identification and analyzing specialized scientific publications. METHOD: Review of descriptive analytical documents. Documents included were from 1999 to 2012, published in electronic databases and journals in English, Spanish and Portuguese languages, using the keywords postural overload and ergonomic assessment and ergonomic methods. 50 articles were selected. RESULTS: 5 Publications were in Portuguese, 20 in English and 25 in Spanish. Existing methods are useful for identifying postural overload in various economic activities. CONCLUSIONS: There is no a method of comprehensive evaluation so far, which has a simple implementation and better results, including more variables to assess postural overload. This suggests the need for proposing new methods.

Contribution of mental workload to job stress in industrial workers.

This study's central objective is to determine how several individual, organizational and ergonomic factors influence the relationship between job stress and mental workload for workers in an electronics company. A cross-sectional study was made as a test of hypotheses regarding that relationship. The sample is composed of 95 workers, of both sexes, from the electronics industry in the metropolitan zone of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Ergonomic conditions were evaluated with the Ergonomic Evaluation List, stress was evaluated by administering the SWS-Survey to groups of subjects, and mental workload was evaluated with the NASA-TLX Workload Index. Using Cochran's and Mantel-Haenzsel statistics, the odds ratio for each of the independent variables was {e}stimated as a risk factor for job stress, and analysis was later conducted by means of logistic regression for those risks found to be significant. Of the 95 worker participants, 26.3% presented a high level of job stress and 17.9% of the workers were found to present high levels of mental workload. The results show that working hours, mental demand, temporal demand, and frustration when faced with a given task may be considered risk factors for job stress.

La carga de trabajo mental como factor de riesgo de estrés en trabajadores de la industria electrónica / Mental workload as a stress risk factor in workers from the electronics industry

The purpose of the present study was to determine how some individual, organizational and ergonomic factors influence work stress and mental workload. Participants were 95 workers (male and female) from an electronics organization located in the metropolitan area of the city of Guadalajara, México. Ergonomic conditions were evaluated through the Ergonomics Evaluation List (OIT); Mental work load was analyzed with the NASA-TLX (Hart & Staveland, 1988) and stress was measured with the SWS-Survey (Gutiérrez & Ostermann, 1994). Odds Ratio was obtained for each variable as risk factor for work stress and a logistic regression was conducted with those risks that were significant. Results show that work schedule, mental demand, temporary demand and frustration on the task can be considered as risk factors for work stress.

El objetivo central de este estudio es determinar, en trabajadores de una empresa electrónica, como influyen algunos factores individuales, organizacionales y ergonómicos en la relación estrés en el trabajo y carga de trabajo mental. La muestra se compone de 95 trabajadores de ambos sexos de una industria del ramo electrónico de la Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, México. Se evaluaron las condiciones ergonómicas a través de la Lista de Evaluación Ergonómica (OIT); la carga de trabajo mental con el Índice de Carga de Trabajo NASA-TLX. (Hart & Staveland, 1988) y el estrés con el SWS-Survey (Gutiérrez & Ostermann, 1994). Se obtuvo la razón de momios o de productos cruzados (Odds Ratio) de cada una de las variables como factores de riesgo para el estrés en el trabajo y se efectuó un análisis de regresión logística con los riesgos que resultaron significativos. Los resultados señalan que la duración de la jornada, la demanda mental, la demanda temporal y la frustración ante la tarea pueden considerarse factores de riesgo determinantes para el estrés laboral de estos trabajadores.