To systematically investigate the stroboscopic effect - a critical subset of temporal light modulation (TLM) - from an ergonomics perspective, a bibliometric review was conducted using 4,343 publications indexed in the Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) (1990-2024). By mapping research clusters onto the human information processing (HIP) framework, this study reveals a maturing field undergoing a significant paradigm shift: moving from a methodological core of quantifying perceptual visibility to investigating systemic photobiological effects mediated by the ipRGC-SCN pathway. A socio-technical analysis further highlights divergent research trajectories, contrasting China's application-oriented focus on product compliance and engineering solutions with the West's mechanism-oriented emphasis on pathology and theoretical modelling. Additionally, a critical comparison of international standards exposes the tension between strict health protection and industrial feasibility. Finally, the study proposes operationalised future research designs, including longitudinal physiological validation and adaptive ergonomic interventions, to address these systemic challenges and optimise human-machine interaction.
This cross-sectional study of retail sector employees aimed to examine psychophysiological strain, as well as acute and long-term recovery from work. The volunteer participants were 36 healthy retail employees (94% women) working in six service stations, four hypermarkets, and one convenience store in Finland. Acute recovery and psychophysiological strain (metabolic equivalent, MET) were assessed using 24-hour heart rate variability (HRV) measurements collected in April-June 2024, while long-term recovery was evaluated using the occupational fatigue exhaustion/recovery scale (OFER) based on survey data gathered in January-February 2024 (69% response rate). HRV-based acute recovery was average overall, whereas about one-third of the employees reported inadequate long-term recovery. On average, the psychophysiological strain during the workday was light-to-moderate (2.8 +/- 0.9 MET), but the workday also included periods of moderate-to-heavy workload (5.2 +/- 1.3 MET). The observed difference between acute and long-term recovery highlights the importance of assessing both by combining measurements and self-reports.
Air operations impose heavy workloads on pilots; portable electronic flight bags (EFBs) can alleviate this burden. However, specific guidelines for EFB postural ergonomics and usability are lacking despite existing cockpit regulations. To describe postural ergonomic and performance observations in six male Brazilian military pilots using portable EFBs during full-flight simulation (Airbus C-295). Participants were evaluated across four cockpit EFB placements. None of the positions met adequate ergonomic standards. The window position presented medium risk, necessitating mitigation strategies. Thigh, yoke, and handheld positions showed high ergonomic risk requiring correction. Despite high ergonomic risk, pilots maintained flight performance standards, likely through compensatory effort. Preliminary findings indicate that while no EFB placement provided adequate ergonomic posture, cockpit positioning did not compromise flight performance. These results highlight the need for subsequent investigations in larger, more robust studies.
Human factors (HFs) are increasingly acknowledged in workplace safety, yet their influence on preventive action remains uncertain. In high-risk sectors such as quarrying, it is essential to understand whether HF findings in accident investigations translate into effective corrective measures that support organisational learning and safety culture. The objective of this study was to assess the depth of human factor analysis in occupational accident investigation reports and to examine how this analysis influences the nature and target of proposed preventive actions. The study reviewed 150 accident investigation reports (2014-2024) from a multinational quarrying company, assessing HF recognition, depth of analysis, and the nature and target of proposed actions. HF were referenced in 90 reports; however, only 24% recommended preventive measures beyond individual-focused interventions. Most corrective actions centred on retraining, reminders, or procedural updates, while systemic or organisational contributors were rarely addressed. Reports demonstrating deeper, systemic HF analysis were rare. Findings indicate that recognising HF alone does not reliably drive systemic change. To improve safety outcomes, HF should be integrated not only into accident analysis but also into the development of preventive and corrective actions.
Assessing passengers' car comfort is resource-intensive, highlighting the need for efficient study designs. This study examined how scenario type (stationary vs. driven) and duration influence the sitting comfort of belted rear-seat passengers. Nineteen participants completed two 45-minute sessions, with comfort assessments at 15-minute intervals through questionnaires, interviews, and videos. Comfort decreased within 15 minutes in both scenarios (r > 0.750), with further decreases in the stationary scenario between 15 and 45 minutes (r > 1.000), where increased self-awareness encouraged critical assessments. In contrast, comfort stabilised in the driven scenario, reflecting natural postural adjustments and psychological comfort. Shorter stationary studies (similar to 15 minutes) capture decreases in overall comfort, longer stationary studies (similar to 45 minutes) capture discomfort across multiple body regions, and longer driven studies (similar to 45 minutes) capture postural adjustments and shoulder movement for passengers with certain body shapes. Overall, this study provides practical implications for designing efficient studies of passenger comfort in cars.
To evaluate the effectiveness of a transfer belt and rotating disc in reducing physical load and perceived exertion during bed-to-chair transfers among formal caregivers. A mixed-method, experimental study with 26 caregivers compared manual versus assisted transfers. Muscle activity was assessed using surface EMG, posture with the REBA method, exertion via the Borg CR-10 scale, and transfer time through video analysis. Semi-structured interviews explored user experience. No significant differences in muscle activation were found, though slight reductions were observed. Significant improvements were detected in posture, resulting in a 19% relative improvement in REBA scores, which achieved a safer postural action level when using assistive devices (p = 0.025) and a lower perceived exertion (p = 0.003). Transfer time increased slightly with devices (p = 0.0001), attributed to the learning curve. Interviews indicated improved usability, safety, and reduced strain after brief familiarisation. Although physiological changes were minimal, assistive technologies improved posture, lowered perceived effort, and enhanced transfer safety, supporting their ergonomic value in caregiver settings.
This study examined whether redesigned paper boarding passes improve usability for young, educated travellers. Thirty-eight participants completed a within-subjects usability task involving nine boarding pass formats: four currently used by Iranian airlines and five redesigned based on human factors principles and a human-centred design approach. Behavioural performance was evaluated by response time (RT) and error rate (ER). Redesigned boarding passes (RBP) outperformed current ones in our trial. Our student sample showed no significant effects of age, education, or prior flight experience, suggesting minimal variance. Results apply to the tested population and tasks. Findings show how incorporating human factors principles (HFPs) into a human-centred design (HCD) approach can significantly enhance task performance and user experience. These results support existing human factors research, emphasising that careful design can effectively improve response time and reduce user errors. Incorporating the HCD approach and HFPs into boarding pass design greatly enhances usability and user performance among young and educated travellers so the results should be interpreted with caution.
Safety-related injuries have had a significant burden on organisations where tasks are human-centred. In the construction and manufacturing industries, there is risk of critical injuries due to the nature of typical job tasks. As an intervention, wearable technologies such as wearable exoskeletons are beginning to be deployed in these industries to enhance safety and productivity. However, these technologies are new, and organisations are cautious about adopting these devices due to an initial financial investment. This study is geared towards the front-line workforce's attitude and perceptions towards using these devices to assist with their job efforts. A questionnaire survey was used, and a survey panel recruited participants for this study. Results showed that physical comfort and mobility are the most critical factors of wearable exoskeleton adoption among participants. Participants were in favour of adopting these devices to assist them with their job tasks. Personal privacy and technical expertise were not critical factors among participants for wearable exoskeleton adoption. To compare construction and manufacturing participants, a Chi-Square analysis was conducted. There was no statistical significance between the participant groups, demonstrating that the industry did not play a factor in how participants answered questions.
Despite the growing use of immersive virtual reality (IVR), VR sickness remains a major barrier. This study investigated how task difficulty influences cognitive load, physiological responses, performance, and VR sickness. Thirty undergraduates (mean age = 20.5 years) played a VR game at three difficulty levels using a head-mounted display. Mental effort and VR sickness were measured via SIM-TLX and VRSQ; heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) were tracked using a Polar H10 sensor. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that higher task load significantly increased mental effort, heart rate, performance, and VR sickness (p < 0.001), but not HRV, suggesting low sensitivity to task demands. Greater VR sickness was linked to higher effort and better performance. Designers should consider engagement strategies that minimise visual load to reduce discomfort. Limitations include the small, homogeneous sample and single-task use. Future research should use diverse participants and richer physiological indicators to better address cybersickness.
Work and organisational factors (blunt-end factors) have been recognised as key features of maritime crew performance. In the case of high-speed workboats (HSWs), evidence of how blunt-end human factors (HF) are managed is lacking. This paper examined the HFs that particularly need addressing to enhance crew performance support. We obtained data from operators (n = 281) at four levels of Finnish HSW organisations (n = 5) using a questionnaire created by utilising observed phenomena affecting crew performance and the HF Tool. Results show that despite the current availability of HF knowledge, a practical shift is needed from Safety-I perspectives to the proactive and effective use of crew resources, enhanced crew competencies, unified technical solutions and procedures, and a fairer operating culture. All organisational levels in HSW organisations agreed on the areas that will need development in the future. The study's results contribute to improving the mastery of HF in the high-speed maritime sector.
Accurately predicting driving postures and positions is crucial for occupant packaging design to accommodate diverse drivers. However, this is challenging due to individual variability and limited access to user data. Digital human modelling (DHM) tools enable posture prediction in virtual environments. This paper presents a case study comparing two driving prediction methods: a statistical prediction method (SPM) and an optimisation prediction method (OPM). Both were evaluated using data from two car models with different seat heights, involving 199 participants whose seat, eye-point, and steering wheel positions were measured. Results showed SPM was more accurate for vertical positioning, whereas OPM for fore-aft positioning. The effectiveness of each method varied by car model, with SPM aligning better in the higher-seated vehicle and OPM performing better in the lower-seated vehicle. These findings highlight the practical, context-specific performance of posture prediction methods. Methodological insights guide the improvement of DHM tool use in occupant packaging.
Digital twin (DT) technology has significantly advanced, integrating into various industries, however, its application and implications within the human factors and ergonomics and industrial and organisational psychology fields remains underexplored. This paper explores the potential of DT technology to advance human-centric design and streamline organisational processes through a narrative review. Our analysis highlights ten critical domains where DT applications can drive meaningful improvements. The human factors and ergonomics scope includes workplace design, safety analysis, equipment optimisation, human-robot collaboration, and training simulations. In the context of industrial and organisational psychology, the focus extends to workforce planning, performance analysis, managing organisational change, promoting employee well-being, and fostering leadership development. Our findings suggest that integrating DT technology with HFE and IOP principles can lead to more efficient, safe, and productive work environments. We also discuss challenges such as data privacy concerns, technological integration hurdles, and the necessity of maintaining a human-centric focus in DT implementations. This paper contributes to the dialogue on integrating advanced technological and human-centric approaches, proposing possible pathways for future research.
This study of 1,112 volunteer knowledge employees aimed to investigate the role of perceived work environment, measured as work environment without distractions at the workplace and in remote work, and environmental satisfaction at workplace, for remote workdays/week in four time points across 2021-2023. The fixed effects regression models showed that each one-point increase in the work environment with the possibility to concentrate at the workplace increased the likelihood of more remote workdays (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01, 1.08), while work environment in remote work decreased (IRR 0.94, 95%CI 0.90, 0.99). Social isolation (IRR 1.08, 95%CI 1.04, 1.12) and adjustment to remote work (IRR 1.11, 95%CI 1.03, 1.18) were associated with a higher likelihood of more remote workdays. Thus, workplaces and occupational health care should consider remote work to support employees both in the aspects of the work environment but also for social contacts and adjustments.
