Integrating human factors and ergonomics in a participatory program for improvements of work systems: An effectiveness study

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the implementation of a constructive measure defined through a participatory ergonomic program taking into account an ergonomic evaluation and workers' perception about risk factors related to task performance. A case study was conducted on a workstation of a textile industry. Through the participatory program implementation, a prototype was designed with workers contributions. A questionnaire was made to assess the level of pain/discomfort felt by workers before and after prototype implementation. Results demonstrate a significant improvement regarding task performance indicating a workload decrease, suggesting that Workers' satisfaction has considerably increased.