Abstract

There is a pressing need for research related to musculoskeletal injuries caused by repetitive work, and a current IRSST research project in the electrical products fabrication sector is in the process of determining the work conditions which may lead to problems of this type. This project will develop and validate methods to train manual workers how to use a technique previously developed for the analysis of workstations by health and safety committees.

To satisfy this objective, a training system for the computer-assisted analysis of workstations involving repetitive work will be developed, based on the analytical guide to workstations developed at the IRSST. System design and prototypes will be validated by Institute researchers and by management and workers from a company producing electrical appliances. Training materials will then be tested in a group of workers who have not participated in previous phases of the project.

This user-friendly approach to communicating ergonomic information will increase the safety of work environment where it is implemented. The conditions necessary for the system's implementation in other industrial sectors will also be identified.