Model Based Work Assessment: Combining Spatial and Temporal Modeling for Structured Proactive Work Analysis

Abstract

Localized fatigue is a common phenomenon experienced in a variety of workplaces and is commonly associated as a harbinger for chronic work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Thus, workload management and various work assessment techniques have been introduced to understand how the human worker is responding to the various exposures happening in the workspace. These tools commonly rely on worker self-reporting, having an expert observer and evaluate the job itself, or to have direct measurements of worker physiologic response. Self-reporting tools, while useful for capturing a snapshot, are very susceptible to bias, and also lack context. Many observer-based measurements can vary depending on the observer, or on the individual that is observed. Small differences in what the observer sees, or what the worker performs can have a drastic impact on the observed scores. In addition, many past studies have demonstrated that minute differences in the timing of the work pattern, as well as the workspace layout can cause a significant change in the physiologic responses within an individual. Lastly, direct physiologic tools have a lot of potential in quantifying and understanding the response happening within the worker; however, a lot of times context of the work itself is missing. Thus, this dissertation proposes a formalized Model-Based Work Assessment Framework that builds up spatial and temporal relationships between the worker and their work from the context of work standards. By using the work goals and work standards as an input, additional rigor, and context of the exposures from different movement patterns can be understood.