Examining the ergonomic problems of librarians in public libraries in Hamedan province and providing solutions to improve the situation

Dissertation:

To obtain a master's degree in librarianship and medical information

Summary:

Introduction: work and human beings are two main and inseparable parts of existence that must be planned in a way that fits each other. The lack of fit between human capabilities and the type of work he does causes many problems. In this regard, the science of ergonomics examines the health of workers and their efficiency from different angles. The management is often not aware of the inappropriate working conditions and what can cause a decrease in productivity, and the workforce often compromises to the inappropriate working conditions, but the cost of this compromise will be increased working time, low quality, and increased work-related injuries and illnesses. The purpose of this research is to provide recommendations to improve the working situation in libraries and to help the support organization, as well as recommendations to solve common problems in libraries. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted during a two-month period from November 2019 to December 2019, 112 librarians working in the public libraries of Hamedan province participated. The main variables of the study included some demographic characteristics and working tools of librarians. A researcher-made questionnaire and checklist, whose validity and reliability were confirmed, were used to collect information. The designed questionnaire was composed of three parts, the first part of which includes some demographic information, the second part includes the work status of the library, and the third part includes the prevalence of muscle disorders based on the Nordic standard questionnaire. The checklist for measuring working tools is modeled after the Usha and Nayosh standard. The data was analyzed using SPSS 13 software, and the relationship between the variables was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation and Chi coefficient. Findings: The findings showed that most of the workers, regardless of gender, age and work experience, have experienced discomfort in the back (51%) and neck (48%) areas during the past year. Paying attention to the duties of librarians in libraries, when placing books on the shelves, according to the data, almost a third of the librarians had at least one type of discomfort. Also, in relation to working with the computer, more than half of them had discomfort in the shoulder area. According to the examination of work tools and the lack of standards in the chair, table, screen, and keyboard, the data showed a statistically significant relationship between the position of the chair, table, monitor, and musculoskeletal disorders (P = 0.025 (P = 0.009) There is P=0.045. Among the librarians, 37% of them stated that they have visited a doctor in the past year due to musculoskeletal and musculoskeletal complications and discomforts. Results: The prevalence of complications is high despite the young population and a significant relationship was found between increasing work experience and age of people and suffering from musculoskeletal complications, and also risk factors affecting different parts of the body were known, mostly in The neck and waist were exposed. Therefore, the conditions of the working environment should be corrected as soon as possible and the managers of the organization should plan programs to improve the working conditions, reduce pressures, modify work tools and teach the correct work methods.

Key words: librarianship, public libraries, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, Hamedan

Chapter First

Introduction and problem statement

1.1    Introduction

Obviously, workers in any profession and industry are considered as active and effective forces in production and productivity, so employers should In today's world, various sciences have solved most of the problems of people in various work systems. In this regard, there are sciences and techniques that examine and analyze the health and hygiene of workers from different angles, as well as their efficiency. One of these sciences is ergonomics[1] or human factors engineering[2].Ergonomics is a science that talks about matching the work with the user as much as possible (1) It is derived from two Greek words ergo[3] meaning work and nomy[4] meaning rule and natural law, and it is defined as the relationship between the worker and the work environment. This word was used for the first time in 1875 AD by a person named Wojciech Jaster [5] in a Polish newspaper. The science of ergonomics or human factors engineering is a collection of different basic sciences such as physiology, psychology, physics, mechanics and sociology, which together help to better design the organization for more productivity (2). Ergonomics is a type of scientific study of people (including characteristics - habits - limitations) and their work (physical and intellectual activities related to work and production or daily activities) (3). It is a science and technique that analyzes the problems of workers in their work and life environments and tries to analyze relationships, conditions and life situations and their compatibility with human needs and capabilities (4). Also, the science of studying humans while working is to understand the complex relationships between people and the physical and psychological aspects of the work environment, job needs and work methods (5) and pursues two main goals: improving the level of health and increasing productivity (6). According to the scientific compatibility of the work and the work environment with the physical and psychological characteristics of humans, ergonomists [6] measure the physical dimensions of people's bodies and their physical abilities and design the work and the work environment based on the results in such a way that it matches the physical characteristics of a larger number of people (7) and studies people with products, products, equipment, facilities, methods and the living and working environment and with the help of technical sciences - engineering (which mainly deals with techniques and techniques) to The design of tools is emphasized for people (8), so it is a combination of biomechanics, physiology, anthropometry and industrial psychology, which examines the appropriateness of the employee's working environment with his conditions (9). Designing and evaluating work, products, working environment and work system to adapt them to the needs, abilities and limitations of people is also one of the duties of an ergonomist (9). Therefore, ergonomics is a multidisciplinary knowledge[7] that collects information related to the capacities of each human (physical and mental abilities, limitations and capacities) and uses them in the design of jobs (work), products, systems related to humans, workplaces and equipment with the aim of preventing the emergence of health-related problems and injuries as well as improvement and optimization, productivity and quality (10). Studying work in relation to the environment in which the work is done (work environment) and the person who does it (employee) helps to prevent all kinds of problems and increase the efficiency of the employee. According to these explanations, this science includes a wide range of situations that affect human comfort, health, and safety, which include factors such as lighting, sound, temperature, vibration, work tools, chair design, job design, as well as shift work, work breaks, and meal planning. In this model, basic principles such as sitting, standing, tools, physical and heavy work are discussed (11). Work and man are two main and inseparable components of existence that must be planned in a way that fits each other. The lack of congruence and proportionality between human abilities and the type of work he does causes many problems, including the occurrence of accidents and illnesses caused by work and low productivity of the workforce (12) and paying attention to injuries, tools and equipment that are in accordance with the abilities and physical limitations of employees can be helpful (13). Also, the removal of obstacles to improve the quality and efficiency of humans to produce products, duties and work environment makes the role of this science more colorful (14). Ergonomic risk factors related to work include physical pressures and the position of the work environment, which may be considered as a cause of damage to the musculoskeletal system of an employee because these factors are created during work or over time as a result of the employee's confrontation with the work environment (13).