IET 33520 Final Report

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Purdue University *

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33520

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Management

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May 16, 2024

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Ergonomic Analysis & Improvement Recommendations for Librarians By:Luke Walters, Danielle Bardeen, Hyeokjin Oh, Alejandro Ortiz

Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 3 Background of the Task .......................................................................................... 4 Task Analysis ........................................................................................................ 5-6 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 7 Recommendation 1 ............................................................................................... 7 Recommendation 2 ............................................................................................... 8 Recommendation 3 ............................................................................................... 9 Cost-Benefit Analysis ............................................................................................. 10 Comparative Analysis ............................................................................................ 11 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 12 References: ............................................................................................................. 13 2

Executive Summary For this project, the team has decided to focus on the job of a librarian. The team has chosen this job because of their poor ergonomic experiences performing similar jobs and tasks in their own life and a desire to provide solutions to these problems. Throughout this report, the team will cover librarians and the ergonomics of being a librarian, the issues seen within the job, and develop recommendations to improve the task using the DAMES approach. Upon completion of the team’s analysis, they will focus on three main recommendations of ergonomic improvements for librarians. These recommendations will be complete with a cost-benefit analysis showing why the recommendations were made and why they are worth it to the company to implement. To further research and analyze ergonomics, we have chosen to investigate the role of a librarian. Librarians are primarily tasked with organizing and cataloging library materials, maintaining library collections, and managing library resources. Their biggest ergonomic risk is within their duty of organizing and maintaining library collections. Ergonomic issues directly related to their role include heavy lifting, awkward postures, repetitive motions, and poor shelving heights. This project aims to analyze specific ergonomic risks faced by librarians, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Our goal is to map the frequency and severity of these risks and propose actionable recommendations. These recommendations will focus on mitigating identified ergonomic risks, improving workplace well-being, and enhancing operational efficiency for librarians. 3

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Background of the Task Librarians play a key role in the overall organization and accessibility for individuals who may utilize the library resources. As an overview, their main responsibilities are associated with Collection Management and Information Technology Management. One of their key job areas is in Collection Assessment and Development in which they utilize cataloging and classification to organize materials using standardized classification systems. Within these responsibilities, librarians partake in multiple physical activities in order to perform their job. Lifting and moving materials are used to shelve books and transport book carts throughout the library to specific destinations. Librarians spend a significant amount of time on their feet performing multiple tasks, such as lifting and moving materials, prolonged standing, reaching and bending to retrieve materials and also cleaning and repairing when necessary, and also engaging in computer tasks. In addition to physical tasks, they also have kinetic tasks that put them at potential A library has shelves for cataloging, seats for occupants to use, and desks for librarians to perform their administrative duties. 4

Tas k Analysis First, the primary role of a librarian is cataloging, which includes shelving books in their appropriate locations organized by genre and then placed on shelves according to the author’s last name. Shelving books can be described as retrieving books from carts, carrying books to designated shelf areas which includes bending, reaching and stretching motions of the body. However, potential hazards include muscle strain from lifting heavy books and reaching overhead. Also, inadequate spacing between the shelves increases the risk of trips from cluttering or small areas of movement. Another ergonomic risk is static loading. Static load is defined as staying in one position (standing, sitting, kneeling, etc.) for a prolonged period of time. Static loading occurs during the task of shelf handling when the employee has to stand on a ladder/stool for a prolonged amount of time and adopt awkward positions when placing materials on the shelf. Their shoulders and back may be twisting opposite ways as they continuously rotate about the transverse plane and reach up across the sagittal plane. During a reaching movement, wrists are unsupported, which can be seen in the RULA analysis below as one of the major issues of ergonomics. Figure 1- Conducted RULA Analysis 5

Figure 2- West Lafayette Public Library (google images) As seen in the figure above, fluorescent lighting is used throughout the library. In regards to performance, fluorescent lighting does not provide the most ergonomic or economic benefits. Lighting is used to illuminate an area so that individuals occupying the space are able to use their eyesight to perform a certain task. In the West Lafayette Public Library, uniform ceiling fluorescent ceiling lighting is used. The lights are used to illuminate the seating areas for patrons to use for personal desires and also for cataloging books in the shelving areas. 6

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Recommendations Recommendation 1 Based on our analysis, in order to make organizing and cataloging more ergonomically efficient and safe for employees is to implement height-adjustable shelving. Not only will this make it easier on the human body to perform better and reduce the risk of muscular strain or MSDs. Providing adjustable shelving allows for libraries to better demonstrate the principle of job modification. Job modification can be described as fitting the job to the person. The main goal with job modification is to exclude as few as possible. Providing adjustable carts will reduce the percentile excluded since it can easily be adapted to fit the person. These adjustable carts are made to reduce physical strain, reducing risk of MSDs in the upper extremities. However, since this can be a repetitive task of picking up and placing on a shelf, we are also recommending an administrative solution of the implementation of part-time work and job rotation. Job rotation will complement the principle of part-time work by providing employees with flexibility in their schedules. Since cataloging can be seen as task-based work will reduce worker fatigue. Having a scheduled time for workers to perform these tasks will evenly distribute the physical demands associated. These scheduled times will be determined through an evaluation/analysis process in which the manager will analyze a person at work to find the optimal work duration before fatigue. 7

Recommendation 2 Another recommendation we have is to adjust the spacing of shelves. Adjusting spacing of shelves will expand the work area for librarians as they perform their respective tasks. By increasing the spacing between shelves, librarians can avoid the ergonomic risks associated with tight, confined spaces, such as the increased likelihood of bumps, trips and awkward posture during the retrieval or shelving books. It is also convenient to use ergonomic tools, such as library ladders and carts, which can be operated more easily in large spaces. These changes benefit both employees and customers as they can improve the immediate work environment as well as create a more pleasant and less cluttered library atmosphere. Implementing adjustable shelving in both cart and library shelves will have a higher up-front cost compared to that of standard shelving. However, this cost will benefit the employees by enhancing job modification by allowing librarians to customize shelf height to fit their individual height. Since height varies from person to person, it is important to invest in the resources that will provide employees with motivation they need in order to improve their performance. Having ergonomic equipment will lead to improved work efficiency by offering flexibility and adaptability. Cataloging materials onto shelves will require less time and effort to complete since employees can spend more time efficiently completing the tasks with less time needed for breaks due to improper posture. 8

Recommendation 3 Our final recommendation focuses on upgrading the lighting fixture within the library. Proper terminology is essential for creating an environment that helps with reading and writing, as well as visibility and comfort for both employees and users. The library consists of various sections, such as reading space, computer stations, and archive sections, each of which requires a customized lighting solution to meet specific requirements.Investing in high-quality, adjustable lighting fixtures can optimize lighting levels in multiple areas, minimizing glare and reducing eye fatigue. LED lighting options provide significant energy savings and can contribute to cost-effectiveness over time. In addition, proper lighting can improve the library's conventional aesthetics, making it a more attractive space. It can also help improve user engagement by appropriately displaying displayed materials, such as new products and special collections. These improvements can significantly improve the functionality and atmosphere of the space by addressing the library's various lighting requirements, potentially increasing library visits in abundance for all users. Upgrading the light fixtures will also entail changing from uniform to non uniform ceiling lighting. Non uniform ceiling lighting allows a user to have more precise control over the light to better accommodate their preferences. 9

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Cost-Benefit Analysis Adjustable library shelves cost between $500 and $1500. Installation costs will be around 10% of the total cost, approximately between $50 and $150. Second, the cost of adjusting an existing shelf is estimated to be between $100 and $300. Third, lighting improvement costs between $50 and $200 per unit . In cost-benefit analysis, including improvements in adjustable and conventional shelves, and lighting, the high initial cost of adjustable shelves offers the benefit of significantly improving employee adaptability and flexibility to the work environment. This can lead to reduced injury and associated healthcare costs in the long run, improved employee work satisfaction, and increased efficiency, enabling cost recovery. On the other hand, while the adjustment cost of conventional shelves is relatively low, the improvement in the work environment as much as the adjustable shelves is limited. In addition, lighting improvements have the effect of reducing fatigue and increasing productivity by increasing the visibility of the workspace and the visual comfort of the staff. From a business perspective, adjustable shelves allow employees to adjust shelf height to their height, creating an environment where anyone can work more easily and safely. This improves employees' general health and well-being, which ultimately results in lower turnover rates and lower costs for hiring and training. Thus, adjustable shelves and lighting improvements can be considered economically reasonable investments that can improve long-term business performance and employee satisfaction, despite the high upfront costs. This is a decision that takes into account not only the financial aspect but also the overall efficiency of business operations and employee well-being. While adjusting spacing between shelves would be beneficial, it would take more time and work since this would require a demand for civil 10

engineers to survey the library and re-measure to better adjust and physically move structures, which will take time opposed to swapping out the shelves for adjustable ones. In addition to adjustable shelving, adjusting the lighting type from fluorescent to LED will provide ergonomic benefits for the eyes, especially those with glasses and reduce the amount of strain and also provide the library with a cost-efficient option which will help them save money. Lighting cost is calculated to be about 90% for power and 10% for the fixture itself, so by investing in a non-uniform type of light, we are able to reduce energy consumption, improve safety of eyes for patrons, including employees, and provide a more cost-efficient option. Comparative Analysis When looking among our 3 recommendations, we are looking into the major categories of person, environment and job demand based upon our cost-benefit analysis of the proposed 3 recommendations, implementing adjustable shelves will provide the most benefits across these areas. Adjustable shelving addresses the ergonomic needs of individuals by allowing customization to fit their height and reach, aligning with the principle of job modification and enhances the work environment. With adjustable shelving, space use is optimized through the reduction of ergonomic risks with tight spaces. While the initial investment may be higher, the long-term benefits in terms of worker safety, satisfaction, and operational effectiveness outweigh the costs. However, recommendations 2 and 3 also offer valuable contributions to these areas. Recommendation 2 addresses environmental concerns by expanding work area while recommendation 3 focuses on upgrading light fixtures to optimize lighting levels and reduce eye fatigue. In conclusion, each recommendation offers their own unique benefits but the 11

comprehensive advantages of adjustable shelves is most favorable for promoting a healthier, more efficient and safer library environment. Conclusion To conclude our report, while all recommendations that were made would improve the ergonomics of a librarian, the best recommendation was clearly implementing adjustable shelves after performing our comparative and cost-benefit analyses. This recommendation combined our major categories of ergonomics, environment, and job demand in the best way to provide the most possible benefit for the cost. 12

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References: - Home Depot. (n.d.). Adjustable shelves. Retrieved from https://www.homedepot.com/s/adjustable%20shelves?NCNI-5 - Konz, S., & Johnson, S. (2008). Occupational Ergonomics: Work Design (7th ed.) 13

IET 33520 Final Report

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