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Forest machine operators are still experiencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) despite extensive mechanisation and modernisation of harvesting systems. However, paucity of local ergonomics research and technology transfer problems threatens the sustainability of mechanised systems in South Africa. Consequently, this study was a field-based ergonomic assessment of local forwarding operations. PG Bison’s North East Cape Forests (NECF) Eastern Cape operations and Komatiland Forests (KLF), Mpumalanga, operations were studied. The main aim of the study was to carry out an ergonomic assessment on local forwarder operator tasks, using Tigercat 1055 forwarders. The study specifically assessed WMSD prevalence and risk factors, investigated the frequency of awkward head postures, and evaluated work organisation. A modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to survey WMSD prevalence and work organisation factors. During the shift, operators reported localised work-related musculoskeletal discomfort hourly. A video camera mounted in the cab was used to capture the footage of awkward head postures. The video footage was also used for the WMSD risk assessment using Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (HSG60) upper limb disorder assessment worksheets. Operators reported that they had experienced WMSDs during the last 12 months, mainly in the lower back, neck, shoulders and upper back. The operators cited lower repetitive strain symptoms and higher lower back discomfort than in previous studies. Twenty three per cent of awkward head postures were extreme. Operators reported worse than normal psychological profiles. The study results support the assertion that causal pathways of WMSDs are complex and multifactorial. Repetition, awkward head posture, duration of exposure, vibration, psychological factors and individual differences were identified as the main WMSD risk factors. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Plant Production and Soil Science / MSc / Unrestricted

Productivity and safety concerns of traditional cable harvesting systems have been the key drivers for increasing levels of mechanisation in New Zealand. The use of grapples in cable yarding could eliminate the need for motor-manual tree fallers and breaker-outs in most situations. A comparative time study was carried out on two mechanised cable harvesting systems utilising grapple carriages in an attempt to better understand the benefits and limitations of each system in different harvest settings. These systems include the Mechanical system which involved a swing yarder operating a mechanical grapple carriage and the Motorised system, which used a tower yarder with a motorised grapple carriage. The Mechanical system took less time to accumulate felled trees but took longer to unhook trees on the landing than the Motorised system. The Mechanical system had a shorter cycle time (2.07 minutes) than the Motorised system (2.32 minutes) and extracted 1.3 tonnes more than the Motorised system per cycle. The Motorised system had shorter cycle times when in horizontal haul distances of less than 90 metres, but had the longest times when the distance exceeded this. Utilisation rates were similar between the two systems, although the main difference in delays between the two systems was the use of surgepiles on the landing by the Motorised system. Both systems were effective, although on average the Mechanical system was more productive, with a productivity of 45 t/SMH, compared to 40 t/SMH for the Motorised system. The Mechanical system was the most productive when extracting mechanically felled and pre-bunched or trees while the Motorised system was the most productive when extracting motor-manually felled trees. Pre-bunching with an excavator was a more cost effective method than handing stems directly to the grapple carriage. Further research of the Mechanical system under more adverse conditions would allow a better overall comparison.

<p>Syftet med uppsatsen var att studera hur Försvarsmakten bör organisera, utbilda och träna ett skyttekompani i framtiden inom några områden. Den skall med hjälp av några av de grundläggande förmågorna ge svar på hur vi organiserar, utbildar och tränar idag samt analysera om några förändringar bör ske för att skapa ett bättre förband.</p><p>Den teoretiska grunden för uppsatsen har varit de grundläggande förmågorna; ledning, rörlighet och uthållighet. Uppsatsen har tagit sin utgångspunkt i bland annat Arméns utvecklingsplan och studien Verkan Mot Markmål. Litteraturstudier har även genomförts av andra studier och dokument. Även två stycken intervjuer har genomförts för att belysa dagsläget respektive framtiden för ett skyttekompani. Resultaten visar på att det finns en bra grund för ledning av ett skyttekompani men även en avsaknad av tillfredsställande sjukvård. De slutsatser som uppsatsen finner är behovet av utveckling och träning av metoder för att ledning. Förmågan att leda utländska enheter och ledas på exempelvis engelska bör finnas ner på plutonsnivå. Vidare konstateras att en fungerande sjukvårdskedja från enskildsoldat och uppåt måste skapas.</p> / <p>The objective of this essay was to examine how we should organize, educate and train a mechanised infantry company in the future. The essay will use the fundamental capabilities to give an answer how we organize, educate and train today. It will also analyse if there should be any changes made in order to create better units.</p><p>Based on studies<strong> </strong>in literature such as the <em>development plan for the army</em>, the study <em>effect towards ground target</em> and interview. I have tried to show the current situation and how the future looks like for a mechanised infantry company.  I have chosen to study three fundamental capabilities; command and control, mobility, endurance. The results indicate that there is a good base to command and control a mechanised infantry company but also that the medical capacity is not satisfying. Some of the conclusions from the essay are that we need development and training in methods to command and control. The capability to command and control foreign units should be found down to platoon level. Regarding medical treatment we must create a work line of medical treatment, from soldier to field hospitals.</p>

Syftet med uppsatsen var att studera hur Försvarsmakten bör organisera, utbilda och träna ett skyttekompani i framtiden inom några områden. Den skall med hjälp av några av de grundläggande förmågorna ge svar på hur vi organiserar, utbildar och tränar idag samt analysera om några förändringar bör ske för att skapa ett bättre förband. Den teoretiska grunden för uppsatsen har varit de grundläggande förmågorna; ledning, rörlighet och uthållighet. Uppsatsen har tagit sin utgångspunkt i bland annat Arméns utvecklingsplan och studien Verkan Mot Markmål. Litteraturstudier har även genomförts av andra studier och dokument. Även två stycken intervjuer har genomförts för att belysa dagsläget respektive framtiden för ett skyttekompani. Resultaten visar på att det finns en bra grund för ledning av ett skyttekompani men även en avsaknad av tillfredsställande sjukvård. De slutsatser som uppsatsen finner är behovet av utveckling och träning av metoder för att ledning. Förmågan att leda utländska enheter och ledas på exempelvis engelska bör finnas ner på plutonsnivå. Vidare konstateras att en fungerande sjukvårdskedja från enskildsoldat och uppåt måste skapas. / The objective of this essay was to examine how we should organize, educate and train a mechanised infantry company in the future. The essay will use the fundamental capabilities to give an answer how we organize, educate and train today. It will also analyse if there should be any changes made in order to create better units. Based on studies in literature such as the development plan for the army, the study effect towards ground target and interview. I have tried to show the current situation and how the future looks like for a mechanised infantry company.  I have chosen to study three fundamental capabilities; command and control, mobility, endurance. The results indicate that there is a good base to command and control a mechanised infantry company but also that the medical capacity is not satisfying. Some of the conclusions from the essay are that we need development and training in methods to command and control. The capability to command and control foreign units should be found down to platoon level. Regarding medical treatment we must create a work line of medical treatment, from soldier to field hospitals.

The researcher selected a quantitative cross-sectional design to test the concurrent validity of learning potential and psychomotor ability by evaluating the relationships between mining machine operators’ learning potential and psychomotor ability as well as their work safety behaviour. Work safety behaviour was considered indicative of their capability to operate a moving machine. The utilization of measuring instruments capable of measuring their learning potential and psychomotor ability and measuring safety behaviour by means of their safety score cards provided the required measurement data. The study involved a quantitative investigation into the relationship between learning potential and psychomotor ability as independent variables and safety behaviour as dependent variable. De Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2002, p.79) defined quantitative research as “based on positivism, which takes scientific explanation to be nomothetic. Its main aims are to measure the social world objectively, to test hypotheses and to predict and explain human behaviour. A quantitative study may therefore be defined as an inquiry into social or human problems based on testing a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers and analysed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the predictive generalization of the theory holds true.” The aim of the study was to determine the learning potential and psychomotor ability of mining machine operators as well as compare the following sub-groups (based on the biographical variables): age, years’ experience, educational level and gender. The respondents’ work safety behaviour was measured and the relationship between the two measures of the independent variables (learning potential and psychomotor ability) and work safety behaviour determined. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / (M.Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology))

Stridsfordon 90 togs fram för att möta en reguljär motståndare på vårt eget territorium. Dagens krav och förutsättningar är annorlunda då striden främst genomförs i konfliktzoner utomlands, men även på vårt eget territorium. Motståndaren vi möter nyttjar andra metoder för att genomföra sin strid och agerar på ett annorlunda sätt än vad vi är övade vid. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka hur ett förband med stridsfordon 90 lämpar sig i strid på dagens stridsfält mot en irreguljär motståndare. För att ta reda på detta så beskriver jag fjärde generationens krigföring och stridsfordon9040Cför att sedan kunna analysera och jämföra den taktiska nivån utifrån de grundläggande förmågorna. Användningen av strf 90 och mekskytteplutonens taktik mot en 4GW motståndare är lämpliga att användaapligt på den taktiska nivån. Mekskytteplutonens taktik är flexibel och sätter få begränsningar mot taktiken hos en anfallande 4GW motståndare. / Combat vehicle 90 was developed to meet a conventional opponent on our own territory. Today's demands and conditions are different, today’s battles is mainly carried out in foreign conflict zones but also on our own territory. The opponent we face uses other means to carry out their combat, and acts in a different way than we are trained for.    The purpose of this work is to investigate how a unit equipped with combat vehicle 90 is suitable in today's battlefield against an irregular opponent. In order to answer this question, I have described the fourth generation warfare and combat vehicle 9040C, then analyzed and compared the tactical levels from the theory of the basic abilities.               The use of CV90 and the mechanized infantry platoons tactics against a 4GW opponent is appropriate to use at the tactical level. The flexible tactics of the mechanized infantry platoon gives an advantage over a 4GW opponent and the tactics used by such an opponent.

The researcher selected a quantitative cross-sectional design to test the concurrent validity of learning potential and psychomotor ability by evaluating the relationships between mining machine operators’ learning potential and psychomotor ability as well as their work safety behaviour. Work safety behaviour was considered indicative of their capability to operate a moving machine. The utilization of measuring instruments capable of measuring their learning potential and psychomotor ability and measuring safety behaviour by means of their safety score cards provided the required measurement data. The study involved a quantitative investigation into the relationship between learning potential and psychomotor ability as independent variables and safety behaviour as dependent variable. De Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2002, p.79) defined quantitative research as “based on positivism, which takes scientific explanation to be nomothetic. Its main aims are to measure the social world objectively, to test hypotheses and to predict and explain human behaviour. A quantitative study may therefore be defined as an inquiry into social or human problems based on testing a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers and analysed with statistical procedures in order to determine whether the predictive generalization of the theory holds true.” The aim of the study was to determine the learning potential and psychomotor ability of mining machine operators as well as compare the following sub-groups (based on the biographical variables): age, years’ experience, educational level and gender. The respondents’ work safety behaviour was measured and the relationship between the two measures of the independent variables (learning potential and psychomotor ability) and work safety behaviour determined. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)