The European Commission had approved the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulations in the year 2006, and will begin to implement it form 1 June 2007. This regulation greatly increases safety of protection for the users of chemicals, but it also brought a problem for the manufactures as well as downstream users. That is they have to generate and distribute much more Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) then before. This work is difficult for most companies since this job usually was done manually. The new regulation requires a much more efficient method to generate and distribute them. This thesis project addresses the problem of automatically distributing MSDS and the corresponding metadata. It presents the underlying technology selected for this project. It gives a brief introduction of this project, the underlying technologies used, along with the methods used to deliver relevant and up to date materials safety information. At last an HTTP web application approach was selected to solve the problem, the resulting application can efficiently notify a downstream user of the newly updated MSDS and transport the corresponding file and metadata. It is truly data driven, therefore the downstream user does not need to check for updates everyday, instead will be notified when there is an available update. / Den Europeiska kommissionen antog 2006 en ny bestämmelse för informationsspridning av kemikalier, Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH), och den kommer att tas i bruk från första juni 2007. Bestämmelsen innebär ett starkt ökat skydd för användare av kemikalier, men den ställer även till problem för både tillverkare och användare. Exempelvis, de måste generera och distribuera betydligt fler materialsäkerhetsföreskrifter, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), än tidigare. Detta arbete är krävande för de flesta företag eftersom arbetet ofta sker manuellt. Den nya bestämmelsen kräver mycket effektivare metoder att generera och distribuera MSDS. Det här examensarbetet fokuserar på problemet att automatiskt distribuera MSDS och den korresponderande metadatat. Rapporten presenterar den underliggande teknologin för examensarbetet. Därutöver ges en kort introduktion till examensarbetet, den underliggande teknologin, tillsammans med de metoderna som används för att skicka relevanta och aktuella materialsäkerhetsföreskrifter. Som avslutning väljs en HTTP Web applikationslösning för att lösa problemet. Den lösningen kan effektivt underrätta en användare att det finns en nyare MSDS och sedan skicka den korresponderande filen och dess metadata. Den är data driven, vilket gör att en användare inte måste kontrollera för uppdateringar varje dag, utan kommer att bli informerad när det finns en ny tillgänglig.

As the work force ages and workers retirement age increases, the number of workers suffering from Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) has increased. In a recent study, the U.S Bureau of Labor reported that 6.9% of all WMSDs affected shoulders. Electricians, carpenters, and related construction crafts appear to experience higher incidence of these injuries due the nature of their work that require them often to use Awkward shoulder postures. This research aims to develop a new monitoring system that measure the amount of time workers spend in awkward shoulder postures to help decrease the prevalence of cumulative shoulder injuries and to reduce the number of cases of shoulder WMSDs among construction workers. The monitoring system was designed and a feasibility study was conduct to compare the monitoring system with a state of the art motion tracking system. Overall the monitoring system was able to count the time spent in awkward posture as a discrete state sensor and it can be implemented in the field. However, results showed that the monitoring system in its current configuration require some future work for it to produce quantitatively precise results that can be used in the fields of biomechanics, robotics, and ergonomics.

As the work force ages and workers retirement age increases, the number of workers suffering from Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) has increased. In a recent study, the U.S Bureau of Labor reported that 6.9% of all WMSDs affected shoulders. Electricians, carpenters, and related construction crafts appear to experience higher incidence of these injuries due the nature of their work that require them often to use Awkward shoulder postures. This research aims to develop a new monitoring system that measure the amount of time workers spend in awkward shoulder postures to help decrease the prevalence of cumulative shoulder injuries and to reduce the number of cases of shoulder WMSDs among construction workers. The monitoring system was designed and a feasibility study was conduct to compare the monitoring system with a state of the art motion tracking system. Overall the monitoring system was able to count the time spent in awkward posture as a discrete state sensor and it can be implemented in the field. However, results showed that the monitoring system in its current configuration require some future work for it to produce quantitatively precise results that can be used in the fields of biomechanics, robotics, and ergonomics.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the subject of industrial exoskeleton in accord-ance to the applicability of the technology preventing musculoskeletal disorders within the automotive industry. The modern technology of exoskeletons has a limited field of research and knowledge and is in need to be studied to provide organisations with proper findings for understanding the applicability of the technology. In the auto-motive industry musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is one of the most common disor-ders among employees and industries work constantly to decrease and prevent MSDs within their work environments. By conducting literature reviews, the status of exo-skeleton research and development concluded that academic research mostly focuses on technological development of exoskeletons, and not laboratory and/or field testing of currently available industrial exoskeletons. However, through database and website searches, twenty-four available industrial exoskeletons were identified which could be applicable within the automotive industry. Through literature and a case illustration, a number of potential causes for MSDs within the automotive industry were identified and a framework was developed in order to match appropriate available industrial ex-oskeleton to be used in potentially preventing common MSDs. The discussion of the thesis highlights the benefits and challenges of implementing an industrial exoskele-ton within an industry. Proper research on the currently available industrial exoskele-tons is lacking and creates questions of reliability for the technology. However, devel-opment of industrial exoskeletons have shown to focus on prevention of the most common causes of MSDs within industries in their design and development, making the applicability of industrial exoskeletons highly possible.

This master thesis report presents a 20 weeks long project within Industrial design engineering at Luleå University of Technology, performed at Volvo Group Trucks Operations in Umeå. Since the company from a previous study knew that the operators on segment two work in unfavorable work postures, a further investigation of the operators’ work environment was needed. Therefore, the subject of investigation in this project became the physical workload and more specifically, the factors related to the appearance of work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Segment two is positioned at the end of Volvos’ production line called finishline where the work is primarily done manual by two shift teams with approximately 14 operators in each one. The project objective was to map the current situation for the manual welding operators at segment two and identify potential ergonomic risks within their everyday work. The focus was placed on finding improvements that could decrease the operators’ risk for developing MSDs during work. The project aim was to develop improvements that direct, and over a longer time span, could ease and improve the operators work situation. By observing, filming, interviewing and hand out questionnaires, the current state for the operators could be mapped. Three interviews were held, 22 questionnaires were answered and almost 50 film sequences were made. The work on segment two are station based where the operators are allocated a specific time for each operation within the station. Usually, the operators rotate after ten truck cabs and then move to the next station. The work consists of screwing, welding, grinding, drilling and controlling. The situation analysis was done by investigating the questionnaire responses further, explore the body postural MSD risks with help of RULA and REBA and using the software AviX to let the operators self-estimate the strain in different muscle groups during work. According to the questionnaires, the operators are highly or partly strained physical and psychological where the experienced psychological strain variates more than the physical strain. Furthermore, most of the operators experienced the occurring work acceleration as positive and the manager and coworker relationship as good. Also, ten operators expressed that they had experienced pain in their body the last 12 months caused by their work and over 70 % of the operators wanted to have a greater opportunity to affect the number of work tasks. By relating this to the findings in the study made at Volvo in 2011, where the investigators identified knee-standing work together with some critical work postures that caused the operators an unfavorable strain in mainly the neck, the back and the arms, I assume that the work on segment two today is performed during similar circumstances and in a similar way. The concept development started with an ideation session together with the operators. Here, the analysis findings were discussed, and my own ideas and improvement suggestions were presented. From these discussions, three tests were arranged including a step construction to facilitate when entering and leaving the truck cab, new knee pads and a stretch program, developed by Volvos’ ergonomist. The findings from the two first tests showed how different the operators found the concepts where some operators appreciated both the step construction and the knee pads, and some didn’t. The stretch test on the other hand, were appreciated by all operators where over 50 % felt an improvement in their body. Also, an educational approach including an additional introduction, updated work instructions and a continuous dialogue about work environmental risks during the group meetings were proposed. The tests resulted in a concept development, a concept evaluation with help of previous established specifications of requirements and the ergonomist, together with an implementation strategy. The strategy proposes an implementation of stretch during the workday within the following months, a further investigation of the knee pads and the step construction, and an implementation of the complete educational approach within 5-10 years. Also, based on the results of this thesis, Volvo are recommended to establish guidelines for how to measure work environmental factors linked to physical and psychosocial work environment. Further, the company are recommended to prioritize their employees’ health, well-being and work environment by working systematically in a close cooperation with the workforce to not risk costs in terms of dissatisfaction, sick leaves and poor reputation.

Der Einsatz elektronischer Dateneingabeinstrumente im medizinischen Bereich verbessert die Kollaboration zwischen Patienten, Arzt und Fachpersonal durch adaptive Inhalte, Plausibilitätsprüfung und vereinfachte Eingabemethoden. In einem interdisziplinären Gemeinschaftsprojekt des Lehrstuhls für Multimediatechnik der TU Dresden und des Multiple Sklerose Zentrum Dresdens wurde ein Touchscreen-basiertes System für die Selbstbefragung von Multiple Sklerose Patienten entwickelt, evaluiert und in das etablierte neurologische Dokumentationssystem MSDS eingebunden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der Einfluss von Fragebögen bei Patientenkonsultationen beschrieben, die Evaluation Touchscreen-basierter Eingabemethoden und entwickelter Gestaltungskonzepte für elektronische Selbstbefragungen dargestellt sowie der Einsatz der entwickelten Benutzerschnittstelle für Multiple Sklerose Patienten mit dem MSDS aufgezeigt.

Der Einsatz elektronischer Dateneingabeinstrumente im medizinischen Bereich verbessert die Kollaboration zwischen Patienten, Arzt und Fachpersonal durch adaptive Inhalte, Plausibilitätsprüfung und vereinfachte Eingabemethoden. In einem interdisziplinären Gemeinschaftsprojekt des Lehrstuhls für Multimediatechnik der TU Dresden und des Multiple Sklerose Zentrum Dresdens wurde ein Touchscreen-basiertes System für die Selbstbefragung von Multiple Sklerose Patienten entwickelt, evaluiert und in das etablierte neurologische Dokumentationssystem MSDS eingebunden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der Einfluss von Fragebögen bei Patientenkonsultationen beschrieben, die Evaluation Touchscreen-basierter Eingabemethoden und entwickelter Gestaltungskonzepte für elektronische Selbstbefragungen dargestellt sowie der Einsatz der entwickelten Benutzerschnittstelle für Multiple Sklerose Patienten mit dem MSDS aufgezeigt.