Human Factors and Ergonomics

Heavy load carrying and musculoskeletal health: An exploratory study of biomechanical risk factors among sand miners in Pokhara, Kaski District, Nepal

Koyuncu A
Bates M
Petrin Z
Cope M
McCoy S
Prata N
Sijali T
Harris Adamson C
2021

A data-driven approach to understand factors contributing to exoskeleton use-intention in construction

Kim S
Moore A
Ojelade A
Gutierrez N
Carisa Harris-Adamson
Alan Barr, MS
Srinivasan D
Nussbaum MA
2023

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) remain an important heath concern for construction workers. Occupational exoskeletons (EXOs) are a new ergonomic intervention to control WMSD risk, yet their adoption has been low in construction. We explored contributing factors to EXO use-intention, by building a decision tree to predict the intention to try an exoskeleton using responses to an online survey. Variable selection and hyperparameter tuning were used respectively to reduce the number of potential predictors, and for a better prediction performance. Performance was assessed...

Perceived benefits, barriers, perceptions, and readiness to use exoskeletons in the construction industry: Differences by demographic characteristics

Nancy Gutierrez
Aanuoluwapo Ojelade
Sunwook Kim
Alan Barr, MS
Abiola Akanmu
Maury A. Nussbaum
Carisa Harris-Adamson
2024
Exoskeletons (EXOs) are a promising wearable intervention to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorder risks among construction workers. However, the adoption of EXOs may differ with demographic characteristics. Survey data (n = 361) were collected from construction industry stakeholders and a summation score method was used to summarize respondent's benefits and barriers to EXO use, along...

05/21/2025: Bilateral Assistance from Active Knee Exoskeletons to Reduce the Difficulty of Occupational Lifting and Lowering Tasks

About the webinar:

Approximately 7 million workers in the United States work in jobs that primarily require lifting, lowering, and moving materials. This type of worker has the highest rates of injury among professions monitored by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Injuries can either be caused by acute accidents, or over time by repetition and overuse. Regardless of the cause, these injuries are often debilitating for the worker and costly for the employer. Robotic automation has been increasingly used to replace workers, but these robots are expensive to purchase and require...

ERG110 | 10/12 - 12/13/2026 | Evidence-Based Human Factors and Ergonomics

This course is designed to prepare you to be a competent consumer of research by applying a thorough critique of various papers and applying conclusions from published research into ergonomic practice. You will read various research articles and identify the study objectives, aims, and hypotheses as well as critique the study methods for appropriate study design, generalizability, sources of bias, and threats to validity. You will also learn about observational studies (cross-sectional, prospective, retrospective, and case-control), intervention (parallel and multi-factorial randomized...

04/23/2025: Poultry Processing and Worker Health: Results from the PULSE Study

About the webinar:

The PULSE Poultry Study evaluated over 1,000 workers across 11 plants in 2024 to understand how the speed of chicken processing affects workers’ risk of muscle and joint problems. 81% of evaluated workers were found to be at high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders, with jobs involving fast, repetitive tasks like trimming or deboning especially risky. The faster workers had to handle chicken parts (called ‘worker speed’ or ‘piece rate’), the higher their hazard and risk of developing injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.

03/19/2025: Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Applications in Injury Surveillance and Prevention

About the webinar:

This presentation will explore some of the machine learning and natural language processing approaches for analyzing noisy injury narratives collected from hospital emergency rooms and for identifying emerging product injuries from online data sources. Learners will also discuss how vision-based machine learning systems can be used for detection of personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance for safety glasses.

ERG150 | 05/26 - 7/20/2025 | Macroergonomics: A Systems Approach to Human Factors and Ergonomics

This 8-week, asynchronous online course presents fundamental concepts from multiple disciplines that are essential to understanding and implementing macroergonomics principles. The course begins with introducing core topics from systems theory, socio-technical systems approach, organizational behavior and design, participatory ergonomics, and implementing integrated organizational interventions. The class continues with an exploration of various case studies where macroergonomics interventions occurred along with recognizing successful factors in designing and implementing organizational...

Professional Certification

CERTIFICATION TYPES: ONLINE HF/E COURSE ACCREDITATION

This program includes six eight-week courses, designed specifically to prepare individuals for certification by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (link is external) (BCPE). Courses can also be used to demonstrate competency and fulfill educational requirements by the...

ERG140 | 03/24 - 05/18/2025 | Human-Centered Design

This 8-week, asynchronous online course will focus on the role of Human Factors & Ergonomics (HF/Ergo) in the design of occupational tasks and consumer products. The course starts with an introduction to human-centered design concepts and the design process, followed by an overview of human capacity including a detailed examination of anthropometry, as this is essential for human-centered design. Next, we cover the use of engineering design optimization methods such as motion capture, force measurement and digital human modeling and simulation software, and the use of validated...