The job of a package delivery driver (PDD) is complex and demanding. These drivers must possess many skills in order to succeed in their work, including physical stamina, appropriate decision-making, positive customer interaction, and most importantly, operational safety. Companies must use significant resources, not only to provide insurance for existing drivers, but also to train new drivers to use their visual attention effectively while driving, and companies have a vested interest in ensuring that the most capable trainees are selected for jobs. Currently, subjective assessments of supervisors or managers are typically used to make these determinations. While these are valuable methods for assessing drivers, an objective measure of how well the driver is using his/her visual attention would both assist evaluators in making judgments, as well as make those judgments more accurate. The purpose of the study described herein was to 1) conduct a task analysis of the driving component of the PDD job responsibilities, and 2) create and test an objective measure that a package delivery company could use to evaluate the performance of its drivers. A detailed task analysis based on numerous observations of drivers in their normal work routines was conducted for this research in order to understand these complex tasks. A framework was created for understanding this system of tasks, which was then used to organize all tasks that drivers were observed to perform into more general, goal-oriented activities. Using this task analysis, incidents were identified that were observed while drivers were behind the wheel. This information demonstrated that breakdowns were occurring within the tasks drivers were performing and that improved methods of training and evaluations may be needed as a result. A construct of visual behavior called Head Down Time (HTD) was then created and tested. An individual HDT is defined as the sum of time of all eye gazes away from the primary display (i.e. windshield) between two distinct eye gazes at the primary display while the vehicle is in motion. HDT was evaluated for its ability to differentiate levels of experience between drivers, its relationship to types of route on which drivers delivered, and its relationship to the driving-related incidents that were observed. HDTs were shown to be differed significantly between drivers of low and high experience, with experienced drivers displaying shorter durations of HDT when compared to inexperienced drivers. HDTs also differed in duration when analyzed by the type of route upon which drivers operated. Commercial and urban routes, while not significantly different with respect to HDT, were shown to have increased HDT durations when compared to rural routes and, in turn, residential routes were found to have significantly longer HDTs than did rural routes and may have significantly shorter durations compared to commercial and urban. Finally, HDTs that were associated with observed driving incidents in terms of chronological proximity were shown to be of significantly longer duration than were HDTs that were not associated with incidents. All tests were conducted using appropriate statistical measures, including t-tests at a level of α = 0.05 for each dataset. Applications of this research include: 1) improvement of PDD training and evaluation methods through use of a detailed task analysis, 2) improvement in how package delivery companies define incidents and train PDD toward the prevention of incidents based on task analysis and observations as to incident frequency, and 3) the further development of HDT as a possible objective measure to supplement the training and evaluation of PDD. / Master of Science

<p>This thesis is an experimental study to evaluate the performance of different routing protocols in commonly deployed scenarios. This study mainly focuses on how much time each protocol consumes while recovering from a link-loss. It provides a guide line for the best routing solutions for ISPs, individual organizations or other types of providers which are engaged in providing reliable real-time communications to their subscribers. Such communications may include vehicle trafficking data, online TV programs (IPTV), voice over IP telephony (VoIP), weather forecasts, tracking systems and many other services which totally depend upon the reliability of real-time data streams, where any major loss in received data may bring significant negative results in the integrity of the entire application.</p><p>This work experimentally observes and tracks the loss of UDP packets when changes in the network topology occur. In order to make this observation in real network topologies, a custom-designed software tool has been developed. The tool is capable of delivering enough resources to a tester in evaluating the performance of routing protocols. All the test results derived from the software tool are statistically evaluated and on the basis of the outcome a better proposition can be provided to network administrators which face inconsistent topological issues.</p>

This thesis is an experimental study to evaluate the performance of different routing protocols in commonly deployed scenarios. This study mainly focuses on how much time each protocol consumes while recovering from a link-loss. It provides a guide line for the best routing solutions for ISPs, individual organizations or other types of providers which are engaged in providing reliable real-time communications to their subscribers. Such communications may include vehicle trafficking data, online TV programs (IPTV), voice over IP telephony (VoIP), weather forecasts, tracking systems and many other services which totally depend upon the reliability of real-time data streams, where any major loss in received data may bring significant negative results in the integrity of the entire application. This work experimentally observes and tracks the loss of UDP packets when changes in the network topology occur. In order to make this observation in real network topologies, a custom-designed software tool has been developed. The tool is capable of delivering enough resources to a tester in evaluating the performance of routing protocols. All the test results derived from the software tool are statistically evaluated and on the basis of the outcome a better proposition can be provided to network administrators which face inconsistent topological issues.

Technology is the answer to most of our human needs but every technology is often accompanied by other challenges which often lead to the evolvement of another technology. One of the technologies that have greatly impacted our world is that of energy development out of which the petro–chemical industry is an important one. The petro–chemical industry remains the main energy hub for our world today through ranges of products coming from its ambit but not without its own challenges too. One of which is the issue of breakdown or shut down which always require maintenance. Shutdown, many a times, may be planned (annual, quarterly, condition–based, time–based, preventive and so on) or unplanned (run–to–failure). In any case, maintenance personnel (mechanical, electrical and instrument) must perform their duties to fix it. In the process of fixing the equipment several factors affect the effectiveness of the personnel. To improve maintenance activities, factors affecting its effectiveness should be addressed. Some of the factors that are already been considered are; Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE), Precision maintenance, Maintainability, Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), Work Order management, Equipment, Logistics, Process optimization, Supply chain management, Maintenance strategies, Continuous Improvement Hours and so on. (Taylor, 2000; Siemens.com, 2010) Of those factors, many people hardly think of ergonomics as a factor of reckoning with maintenance activities. Ergonomics is mostly thought of in relation to operators and office workers. According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in U.S.A (2009), ergonomic injuries are the most common cause of workplace illness and injury in the United States. Back injuries and cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, bursitis and epicondylitis form the majority of non–fatal occupational injuries and illnesses, costing employers more than 12 billion dollars per year in lost work time, workers compensation payments and medical expenses. Of the cost implication of ergonomics ailment reported above, how much of it is related to maintenance activities? Is there any relationship between maintenance activities andergonomics? In what direction is the relationship? positive or negative? How much is the impact in either direction? If it is negative, how can we mitigate it? Finally, what are the benefits, if any? These are some of the vital questions this dissertation is set to answer in relation to: physical, somatic, medical, overhead cost, production down–time and personnel morale. To achieve the afore–mentioned, several research instruments were employed which include; case studies, questionnaires, physical observations, interviews, literature reviews, internet resources, journals and other sources (industry experts and professionals). Relevant keywords and concepts were thoroughly researched in the literature review which serves as a base for the dissertation. Two hundred technical personnel (maintenance) serve as the population sample and questionnaires were administered to them. Technical personnel with appreciable number of years of experience occupying managerial positions were also interviewed. The outcomes of all the interviews, observations and questionnaires were analysed and interpreted accordingly to verify how ergonomics impact maintenance. This dissertation based on findings, was able to establish that ergonomics impact the activities of maintenance personnel culminated in proposing an E4M (Ergonomics for Maintenance) assessor. The assessor alongside utilization guidelines and a training matrix will help to effectively mitigate the impact of ergonomics on maintenance activities. There is room for further development of the tool into a computer based package for real–time assessment and mitigation. The assessor and its instruments cannot work alone without the commitment of stake–holders in the industry. That is why recommendations were included for effective application of the tool. The dissertation did not overlook the good works the industry has been doing in the area of creating awareness about repetitive stress injuries among its workforce but only complement its efforts in areas they might not look into. That is in a bid to improve the effectiveness of its workforce which will directly increase productivity, profit and stakeholders confidence. On the other hand, it will reduce their indirect losses through; production down–time, medical cost and over–head costs. However, the application of the E4M assessor is not limited to the petro–chemical industry only but finds its applicability in other industries like; manufacturing, aviation, automobile and any other field where maintenance activities take place particularly in third world countries. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Technology is the answer to most of our human needs but every technology is often accompanied by other challenges which often lead to the evolvement of another technology. One of the technologies that have greatly impacted our world is that of energy development out of which the petro–chemical industry is an important one. The petro–chemical industry remains the main energy hub for our world today through ranges of products coming from its ambit but not without its own challenges too. One of which is the issue of breakdown or shut down which always require maintenance. Shutdown, many a times, may be planned (annual, quarterly, condition–based, time–based, preventive and so on) or unplanned (run–to–failure). In any case, maintenance personnel (mechanical, electrical and instrument) must perform their duties to fix it. In the process of fixing the equipment several factors affect the effectiveness of the personnel. To improve maintenance activities, factors affecting its effectiveness should be addressed. Some of the factors that are already been considered are; Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE), Precision maintenance, Maintainability, Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), Work Order management, Equipment, Logistics, Process optimization, Supply chain management, Maintenance strategies, Continuous Improvement Hours and so on. (Taylor, 2000; Siemens.com, 2010) Of those factors, many people hardly think of ergonomics as a factor of reckoning with maintenance activities. Ergonomics is mostly thought of in relation to operators and office workers. According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in U.S.A (2009), ergonomic injuries are the most common cause of workplace illness and injury in the United States. Back injuries and cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, bursitis and epicondylitis form the majority of non–fatal occupational injuries and illnesses, costing employers more than 12 billion dollars per year in lost work time, workers compensation payments and medical expenses. Of the cost implication of ergonomics ailment reported above, how much of it is related to maintenance activities? Is there any relationship between maintenance activities andergonomics? In what direction is the relationship? positive or negative? How much is the impact in either direction? If it is negative, how can we mitigate it? Finally, what are the benefits, if any? These are some of the vital questions this dissertation is set to answer in relation to: physical, somatic, medical, overhead cost, production down–time and personnel morale. To achieve the afore–mentioned, several research instruments were employed which include; case studies, questionnaires, physical observations, interviews, literature reviews, internet resources, journals and other sources (industry experts and professionals). Relevant keywords and concepts were thoroughly researched in the literature review which serves as a base for the dissertation. Two hundred technical personnel (maintenance) serve as the population sample and questionnaires were administered to them. Technical personnel with appreciable number of years of experience occupying managerial positions were also interviewed. The outcomes of all the interviews, observations and questionnaires were analysed and interpreted accordingly to verify how ergonomics impact maintenance. This dissertation based on findings, was able to establish that ergonomics impact the activities of maintenance personnel culminated in proposing an E4M (Ergonomics for Maintenance) assessor. The assessor alongside utilization guidelines and a training matrix will help to effectively mitigate the impact of ergonomics on maintenance activities. There is room for further development of the tool into a computer based package for real–time assessment and mitigation. The assessor and its instruments cannot work alone without the commitment of stake–holders in the industry. That is why recommendations were included for effective application of the tool. The dissertation did not overlook the good works the industry has been doing in the area of creating awareness about repetitive stress injuries among its workforce but only complement its efforts in areas they might not look into. That is in a bid to improve the effectiveness of its workforce which will directly increase productivity, profit and stakeholders confidence. On the other hand, it will reduce their indirect losses through; production down–time, medical cost and over–head costs. However, the application of the E4M assessor is not limited to the petro–chemical industry only but finds its applicability in other industries like; manufacturing, aviation, automobile and any other field where maintenance activities take place particularly in third world countries. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.