Computer-aided ergonomics: a case study of incorporating ergonomics analyses into workplace design

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Computer-aided ergonomics: a case study of incorporating ergonomics analyses into workplace design

Feyen, R. / Liu, Y. / Chaffin, D. / Jimmerson, G. / Joseph, B.

One of the primary goals of computer-aided ergonomics is to develop software tools that allow ergonomics information to be accessed at the earliest stages of design. This case study discusses a PC-based software program that allows a designer to quantify a worker's biomechanical risk for injury based on a proposed workplace design. The program couples an established software tool for biomechanical analysis, the three dimensional static strength prediction program (3DSSPP), with a widely used computer-aided design software package, AutoCAD. The use of this 3DSSPP/AutoCAD interface in the proactive analysis of an automotive assembly task is described and the results compared with an independent assessment using observations of workers performing the same task. Both studies yield similar conclusions, suggesting that proactive use of such software tools may be a valid tool in evaluating proposed workplace designs. In this context, issues in the analysis of the workplace design regarding the use of supporting ergonomic tools, assumptions, and posture selection are discussed.