ENVIRONMENTAL

ERGONOMICS

SITI ZAWIAH MD. DAWAL

Dept. of Engineering Design and

Manufacture
Faculty of engineering
University of Malaya

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Workstation Environment

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 TEMPERATURE
Most workers are exposed to excessive heat at one time or
another. In many situations, artificially hot climates are
created by the demands of the particular industry. Miners
are subjected to hot working conditions due to the increase
of temperature with depth, as well as a lack of ventilation.

Textile workers are subjected to the hot, humid conditions

needed for weaving cloth. Steel and aluminum workers are
subject to intense radioactive loads from open hearth
furnaces and refractory ovens. Such conditions, while
present for only a limited part of the day, may exceed the
climatic stress found in the most extreme, naturally
occurring climates.

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THEORY
The human is typically modeled as a
cylinder with a shell, corresponding to the
skin, surface tissues, and limbs, and with a
core, corresponding to the deeper tissues of
the trunk and head.

Core temperatures exhibit a narrow range

around a normal value of 98.6° F (37 C). At
values between 100-102° F (37.8-38.9° C),
physiological performance drops sharply.
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At temperatures above 105° F
(40.6°C), the sweating
mechanism may fail, resulting in a
rapid rise in core temperature and
eventual death.

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The heat exchanges between the body and its environment
can be represented by the following heat balance equation:

S=M±C±R–E

Where: M = Heat gain of metabolism.

C = Heat gained (or lost) due to convection.
R = Heat gained (or lost) due to radiation.
E = Heat lost through evaporation of sweat.
S = Heat storage (or loss) of the body.

For thermal neutrality, S must be zero. If the summation of

the various heat exchanges across the body result in a heat
gain, the resulting heat will be stored in the tissues of the
body, with a concomitant increase in core temperature and
a potential heat stress problem.

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Measurement Of Thermal
Conditions

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 There are five basic
components:
Air Temperature or Dry-Bulb Temperature
Relative Humidity
Wet-Bulb Temperature
Radiant Temperature
Air Velocity

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 WBGT
Probably the most commonly used index in
industry today establishes heat exposure limits
and work-rest cycles based on the wet bulb
globe temperature, or WBGT (Yaglou and
Minard, 1957), and the metabolic load. In slightly
different forms it is recommended by ACGIH
(1985), NIOSH (1986), and ASHRAE (1991). For
outdoors with a solar load, the WBGT is defined
as:
WBGT = 0.7 NWB + 0.2 GT + 0.1 DB
and indoors or outdoors with no solar load, the
WBGT is:
WBGT = 0.7 NWB + 0.3 GT
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 Thermal Comfort
Many attempts have been made to combine
into one index the physiological
manifestations of these heat exchanges with
environmental measurements. Such
attempts have centered around designing
instruments intended to simulate the human
body, or devising formulas and models
based on theoretical or empirical data to
estimate the environmental stresses or the
resulting physiological strains.

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Once the WBGT is measured it can be
used with metabolic load of workers to
establish the amount of time an
unacclimatized worker and acclimatized
worker are allowed to work under the
given conditions

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 Acclimatization
Continuous or repeated exposure to hot or
cold conditions bring about a gradual
adjustment of body functions, resulting in
a better tolerance of the climatic stress.
Acclimatization to heat is demonstrated by
increased sweat production, lowered skin
and core temperature, reduced heart rate.

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The process- acclimation is very
pronounced within about a week and full
acclimatization is achieved within about
two weeks.
Interrupting heat exposure for just a few
days reduces the effects of acclimatization
and return to a moderate climate is
entirely lost after about two weeks.

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A healthy person can adjust to dry or
humid heat.
Acclimatization to heat does not depend
on the type of work performed or whether
the work is heavy and of short duration or
moderate and continuous.
A healthy and well trained person
acclimates more easy than someone in
poor physical condition
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 Effect of heat
Cardiovascular effects
- increase blood flow from core to skin
- increase heart rate

Effects on muscles
- competition for blood b/w skin and
muscle –lack oxygen- lactic acid build up –
muscle fatigue
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Dehydration
-loss water –sweating – dehydration –rise
of core tempt – muscles cramp

Effect of mental performance

-?

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 EXERCISE
Consider an unacclimatized construction
worker at 400kcal/hr with a thermal load
of WBGT = 25 O C. How long the worker
would be able to work in such condition?

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 ILLUMINATION
The basic theory applies to a point source of light (such as a candle) of a
given luminous intensity, measured in candelas (cd)
Light emanates spherically in all directions from the source. The amount
of light striking a surface, or a section of this sphere, is termed
illumination or illuminance and is measured in foot-candles (fc).
The amount of illumination striking a surface drops off as the square of
the distance (d) in feet from the source to the surface:

illuminance = intensity/d2

Some of that light is absorbed and some of it is reflected (for translucent

materials, some is also transmitted), which allows humans to "see" that
object and provides a perception of brightness.
The amount reflected is termed luminance and is measured infoot-
lamberts (fL). It is determined by the reflective properties of the surface,
known as reflectance:

luminance = illuminance X reflectance

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Illustration of the distribution of light source
following the inverse-square law

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 ILLUMINANCE
Recognizing the complexity of extending the point source
theory to real light sources (which can be anything but a
point source) and some of the uncertainties and
constraints of Blackwell's (1959) laboratory setting, the
IESNA adopted a much simpler approach for determining
minimum levels of illumination (IESNA, 1995).

The first step is to identify the general type of activity to be

performed and classify it into one of nine categories,
shown in Table 6-2. A more extensive list of specific tasks
for this process can be found in IESNA (1995). Note that
categories A, B, and C do not involve specific visual tasks.
For each category, there is a range of illuminances (low,
middle, high). The appropriate value is selected by
calculating a weighting factor ( - 1, 0, + 1) based on three
task and worker characteristics,
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Recommended Illumination Levels for Use in
Interior Lighting Design

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Weighting factors to be considered
in selecting specific illumination
level within each category

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Show in table 6-3. These weights are then
summed to obtain the total weighing factor.
Note that since categories A, B, and C do not
involve visual tasks, the speed/accuracy
characteristic is not utilized for these
categories, and overall room surfaces are
utilized in place of task background. If the
total sum of the two or three weighting factors
is -2 or -3, the low value of the three
illuminance is used; if - 1, 0, or + 1, the middle
value is used; and if + 2 or + 3, the high value
is used.

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 Example 1

For highly critical inspection for small size

assembly task and worker’s age below 40
with critical accuracy and reflectance.
What will be the specific illumination?

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 Example 2

For surgical operation with surgeon’s age

of between 40 – 55 with critical accuracy
and reflectance. What will be the
illumination?

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 GLARE

Glare is the excessive brightness in the

field of vision. This excessive light is
scattered in the cornea, lens, and even
corrective lenses (Freivalds, Harpster,
and Heckman, 1983), decreasing visibility
so that additional time is required for the
eyes to adapt from light to darker
conditions.

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Also, unfortunately, the eyes tend to be
drawn directly to the brightest light
source, which is known as
phototropism.

Glare can be either direct, as caused

by light sources directly in the field of
view, or indirect, as reflected from a
surface in the field of view.
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Direct glare can be reduced by
using more luminaires with lower
intensities, using baffles or
diffusers on luminaires, placing
the work surface perpendicular to
the light source, and increasing
overall background lighting so as
to decrease the contrast.
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Reflected glare can be reduced by using
non-glossy or matte surfaces and
reorienting the work surface or task, in
addition to the modifications
recommended for direct glare. Also,
polarizing filters can be used at the light
source as part of glasses worn by the
operator

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The other areas of the room should reflect lower
and lower percentages of the light as one moves
downward from the ceiling until the floor is
reached, which should reflect no more than 20-
40 percent of the light, to avoid glare. To avoid
excessive luminance, the luminaires should be
evenly distributed across the ceiling.

Direct lighting de-emphasizes the ceiling surface

and places more of the light on the work
surfaces and the floor. Direct-indirect lighting is
a combination of both.
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Reflectances recommend for room
and furniture surfaces in office

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Reflectance of typical paint and
wood finishes

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 LIGHT DISTRIBUTION
Luminaires for general lighting are classified in
accordance with the percentage of total light output
emitted above and below the horizontal (see Figure
6-4).

Indirect lighting illuminates the ceiling, which in turn

reflects light downward. Thus, the ceilings should be
the brightest surface in the room (see Figure 6-5),
with reflectance above 80 percent.

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Artificial Light Source

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 LIGHT SOURCES
Two important parameters related to artificial lighting are
efficiency (light output per unit energy; typically,
lumens/watt) and color rendering.

Efficiency is particularly important, since it is related to cost;

efficient light sources reduce energy consumption.

Color rendering relates to the closeness with which the

perceived colors of the object being observed match the
perceived colors of the same object when illuminated by
standard light sources.

The more efficient light sources (high- and low-pressure

sodium) have only fair to poor color rendering
characteristics and consequently may not be suitable for
certain inspection operations where color discrimination is
necessary. 37
Types of industrial ceiling-mounted luminaires

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 COLOR
Both color and texture have psychological
effects on people. For example, yellow is
the accepted color of butter; therefore,
margarine must be made yellow to appeal
to the appetite.

• Perhaps the most important use of color

is to improve the environmental conditions
of the workers by providing more visual
comfort. Analysts use colors to reduce
sharp contrasts, increase reflectance,
highlight hazards, and call attention to
features of the work environment.
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Sales are also affected or conditioned by colors.
People recognize a company's products
instantly by the pattern of colors used on
packages, trademarks, letterheads, trucks, and
buildings.
Some research has indicated that color
preferences are influenced by nationality,
location, and climate. Sales of a product
formerly made in one color increased when
several colors suited to the differences in
customer demands were supplied.
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Bright light entering from a window
Solution ?

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Glare from overhead light source
(Figure 3)

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Monitor with a glare screen
(Figure 4)

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