Iranian Journal of Ergonomics

Color and Its Impact on People in the Workplace: A Systematic Review Article

Hemn Zarei

Background and Aim: A good work environment is a place where one can feel relaxed and focused. In the field of environmental psychology, color is one of the environmental factors that greatly influence human perception and behavior. The purpose of this systematic review study was to investigate the effect of color on work environment.
Methods: This article is a systematic review study. Full-text and English-language articles published in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar were searched using the following keywords: Color perception, color ergonomics, color psychology, color effect, mental health and Workplace. The search was without time limit, and 45 eligible articles were reviewed.
Results: Initially, 262 articles were identified from different databases. Among them, 93 articles met the criteria for entering the study. After that, 48 articles were removed from the study due to lack of experimental studies and 45 articles were selected for final review. A total of 18 studies focused on color priority, 25 studies on mood and emotions, 6 studies on health outcomes, and 19 studies on the effect of workplace color on work-related outcomes. The results showed that color has a significant effect on emotions (eg mood), well-being (eg stress, comfort, well-being) and performance (eg productivity, creativity).
Conclusion: Workplace color should be considered as one of the main ways to promote the (mental and physical) health of individuals.

Analysis of Occupational Accidents Based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS): A Case Study in a Copper Mine

Ahmad Soltanzadeh

Background and Aim: Occupational accidents are recognized as one of the major concerns in the mining industry. The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of occupational accidents in a mine for 10 years using Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS).
Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 664 mining accidents during 2009-2018. The tools used in this study included accident reporting checklists, human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS), and a team approach to analyze these accidents. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS AMOS v. 23.0.
Results: The accident frequency rate (AFR) was 15.10±3.34. The results of 10-years accident analysis in this mine based on HFACS model showed that the highest contribution of each parameter to the four layers including unsafe acts, preconditions for unsafe acts, unsafe supervision and organizational influences were respectively devoted to perceptual error (64.4%), Physical environment (29.5%), inadequate supervision (59.6%), and organizational process (65.6%). The results of structural equation modeling showed that the AFR is directly and indirectly affected by the layers of the HFACS model (P<0.05). The most significant impact on the AFR was related to the unsafe acts layer.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that all four causal layers of human factors were effective in mine accidents, in addition the HFACS model is highly effective for unsafe acts-based accidents analysis, so it can be used for future planning to reduce accidents in the mining sector.

Dimensional Accommodation of Common Harvesting Combines’ Seat with Operators’ Anthropometric Characteristics and Proposition the Proper Dimensions Based on Ergonomics Principles

Hossein Navid

Background and Aim: Agricultural combine harvesters play a crucial role in cereal productions. A combine operator performs almost all harvesting activities in seated posture. As an interface of the biomechanical system of operator’s body and combines’ mechanical system, seat has major effect on operator’s safety, health, and comfort. A successful design of seat is not achievable without considering the anthropometric characteristics of user population in geometric design. In current study, the accommodation of common harvesting combines’ seat with Iranian operators’ body dimensions has been investigated.
Methods: This study was conducted in Bijar, the widest county of Kurdistan province in the west of Iran. Eight anthropometric dimensions including weight, stature, shoulder height, elbow rest height, popliteal height, buttock-popliteal length, shoulder breadth, and hip breadth were measured on a sample of operators. The accommodation of seat pan width, upper backrest width, lower backrest width, seat height, armrest height, seat depth, and backrest height were investigated based on logical equations.
Results: There was a considerable mismatch between evaluated combine seats and the anthropometric dimensions of operators. Selecting 440, 370, 440, 410, 260, 430, and 415 mm for respectively seat pan width, upper backrest width, lower backrest width, seat height, armrest height, seat depth, and backrest height can increase the match percentage to a range of 62.2% to 100%.
Conclusion: The dimensions of available combine harvester seats are not suitable for Iranian population. However, considering the anthropometric dimensions of operators can improve the seats ergonomically. It should be noted that a design based on corresponding national and international standards cannot guarantee the geometrical accommodation of seats.

Study of Daytime Lighting at Official Rooms and Its Relation with Personnel's Cognitive Performance, Alertness, Visual Comfort and Sleep Quality

Rostam Golmohammadi

Background and Aim: Undesirable lighting at work environment causes visual and non-visual effects on employers. The aim of this study was to compare the quantity and quality of combined and artificial lighting in daytime and its relationship with the indexes of mental performance.
Methods: This study was carried out at 65 rooms and on 81 employees randomly selected from different clusters. Measurement of lighting parameters was done using a spectrometer. To assess the cognitive function, the Pshycomotor Vigiliance Task (PVT) test and for the sake of visual comfort, alertness and sleep quality, the Conlone, KSS (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) and PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) questionnaires were used respectively.
Results: Most artificial sources used in the rooms included fluorescent lights in different shapes and colors. The average indexes of combined lighting was more than artificial lightings (P<0.001). Visual comfort was correlated with high color temperature (P=0.006, r = 0.315). The employees with natural lighting had less visually impairment. The sleep quality of the subjects was related to the type of work environment lighting (Chi²=0.59, P=0.44). Alertness of subjects exposed to high color temperature or natural light was better at 8 and 11 hours. The results of cognitive performance test showed no significant difference between different lighting conditions.
Conclusion: Using natural light or artificial lights with adequate illuminance and high correlated color temperature can increase the alertness and visual comfort to some extent and improve the sleep quality of day staff employers.

Investigating the Physiological Fit of Janitor, Safety Guard and Facility Workers with Their Jobs

Rashid Heidarimoghadam

Background and Objectives: One of the most important aspects of ergonomics is physiologic balance between human characteristics and their jobs. This study aimed to investigate the physiological characteristics of janitor, safety guard and facility workers of a work organization and determine their physiological fit.
Methods: A total of 70 staff were evaluated using Queen's college step test, N20 body composition analyzer, SECA scale, RS800CX Polar pacemaker. Descriptive statistics and analytical tests including ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used. The data was analyzed using SPSS 20.
Results: Body Mass Index (BMI) and fat percentage (Fat%) of employees were beyond the optimal range, but Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) were in the range. Also, the average Maximum Volume of Oxygen consumption (VO_2max) were 42/1±62/33 mL/kg/min and the average of working capacity (maximum Physical Work Capacity: PWC_max) were 16/63±4/46 kcal/min.
Conclusion: The results indicated that the level of some physical characteristics is inappropriate, physical fitness is poor and individual capabilities and job requirements are not in balance. Using standardized recruitment tests, providing the possibility of sports activities (by organizations) and finding integrated indicators that simultaneously take into account the physical, mental, social and environmental capabilities of individuals to determine work capacity (by researchers), can be facilitating steps to establish an ergonomic balance in the workplace.

Development and Exploring the Effectiveness of an Educational Package for Coping with the Occupational Stress of a Flight Crew

Mohamad Asgari

Background and Objectives: Job stress is among the factors that affect job performance. The present study aimed at the developing and studying the effectiveness of an educational package to cope with the occupational stress of the flight crew.
Methods: The research method is mixed (qualitative & quantitative). The statistical population in the qualitative section consists of elites and informants in the field of coping strategies for the flight crew’s stress and seven people were selected by targeted sampling method. In the quantitative method, the statistical population included Mahan flight crew and forty people were selected through convenient sampling and they were randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups. The quasi-experimental method with an unbalanced control group was used. The Vandroff ’s Job Stress Questionnaire was used for measuring the dependent variable. The data were analyzed by Multivariable Variance method and Independent t-test for differential scoring using SPSS 25 software.
Results: The results indicated that the educational package of coping with occupational stress led to the reduction of stress in the flight crew. The analysis of each occupational stress components showed that the training for coping with the occupational stress is effective for, Decision-making Power, job & time strain, role ambiguity, value deficiency, as well as social support from the manager and colleagues.
Conclusion: Thus, according to the effectiveness of the educational package for coping with occupational stress, it is recommended that this package be used in other airline companies and also by the psychologists and consultants who utilize occupational therapy for the occupational stress of the flight crew.

Investigating the Effect of Perceived Organizational Support in Breaking the Organizational Silence with Mediator Role of Affective Commitment on Employees of Governmental Offices in Qom

Ebrahim Rahimi

Background and Objectives: The silence of employees has become a critical issue for organizational development, referring to deliberate neglect of important ideas, suggestions and opinions about their work. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of variable organizational support perceived by employees on breaking the silence with the mediating role of emotional commitment.
Methods: The statistical population includes 900 governmental employees from which 273 persons have been selected using Cochran formula and random sampling method. Information gathering tools include Eizenberger (1986) perceived organizational support questionnaires, Allen & Meyer (1990) affective commitment Questionnaire and Silence climate questionnaire of Vakola and Bouradas (2005). After gathering requested information from the participants, the information was analyzed by Microsoft Excel 2016, SPSS 23.0 and smartpls3.
Results: The results showed that perceived organizational support was positively correlated with employee silence. The results also showed that the emotional commitment mediates the relationship between perceived organizational support and employee silence.
Conclusion: Given the relationship between perceived organizational support and emotional commitment with employee silence, it is essential for planners to consider these components.

Investigating the Causes of Nursing Errors and Its Reduction Countermeasures in Recent Studies: A review

Mostafa Pouyakian

Background and Objectives: Nursing errors are a serious threat to patient safety, which can lead to increased public concern and distrust of recipients of health care services and refusal to undergo treatment. Therefore, the present study examines types of causes of nurses' errors, reasons for not reporting them and ways to reduce errors.
Methods: The present study was a narrative review study of English and Persian articles on nurses' errors in the period (2008-2018) and was done in 2019. Articles were searched in three internal databases such as SID, Magiran and Iran Medex and five external databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Springer.
Results: Most nursing errors were in the form of functional errors. Risk factors were divided into nurse, organization, ward, and patient-related error factors. The reasons for nurses' failure to report errors include professional reputation and legal problems. Error reduction strategies are such as nursing education and management controls.
Conclusion: Nursing errors have been studied in various ways. These studies are not only aimed at identifying nurses' errors, but also to enhance knowledge and knowledge about the possible causes and preventive factors. The benefits of this view of the articles lead to the provision of appropriate health care services, proper planning for hospitals by managers, and the advancement of nursing education. However, fewer studies have used modern methods of hazard identification.