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- Estabelecimentos de Restauração e Bebidas: estudo sobre a Qualidade do Ar Interior em CozinhasPublication . Ferreira, Daniela; Rebelo, Andreia; Santos, Joana; Sousa, Vanessa; Vieira Da Silva, ManuelaO sector da Restauração e Hotelaria encontra-se em constante expansão e representa uma importante fonte de emprego no sector dos serviços, empregando cerca de 7,8 milhões de pessoas na União Europeia. As condições de trabalho deste sector apresentam vários riscos associados ao trabalho fisicamente exigente, exposição a elevados níveis de ruído, trabalho realizado em ambientes quentes ou frios, quedas, cortes, queimaduras, exposição a substâncias perigosas e riscos psicossociais, relacionados com as condições ergonómicas, exigências das funções, horários de trabalho e autonomia, entre outros (AESST, 2008). As áreas de fabrico são espaços onde devem ser considerados um conjunto de requisitos que minimizem a contaminação dos alimentos e garantam condições adequadas de higiene e segurança no trabalho (Afonso & Silva, 2009). No âmbito da higiene e segurança no trabalho existe legislação nacional aplicável a este sector com o objectivo de eliminar/minimizar a exposição a riscos profissionais, melhorando as condições estruturais e de funcionamento destes espaços, como a Portaria n.º 987/93, de 6 de Outubro e o Decreto-Lei n.º 243/86, de 20 de Agosto.
- Exposição ocupacional a agentes biológicos na manutenção de infraestruturas de saneamentoPublication . Silva, Bibiana; Rebelo, Andreia; Oliveira, Rui; Baptista, João; Santos, JoanaThe maintenance and cleaning of sanitation infrastructures are characterised by workers’ exposure to potentially hazardous biological agents. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate workers' occupational exposure to total mesophilic microorganisms' concentrations at 37ºC, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi in Wastewater Lifting Plants (WLP) and relate them with the critical points associated with the tasks developed in these infrastructures. Samples were collected from the air, hands and nose. Air samples were collected in three different WLP's (A, B and C) in two seasons - winter and spring - at two sampling points, considering infrastructure characteristics. Microbiological analysis of the hands and upper respiratory tract (nose) of the workers was done using the swab technique. The perception of WLP workers about their general state of health was also analysed using Portuguese Version of short form-12 (SF-12) health status questionnaire. The highest concentrations of mesophilic microorganisms at 37° C, Gram-negative bactéria and fungi were, respectively, 1.95x103 CFU/m3, 1.69x103 CFU/m3 and 1.51x103 CFU/m3. In the hands and nose the microorganisms’ concentrations ranged, respectively between 0 to 2x106 CFU/ml and 0 to 2.8x104 CFU/ml. In general, workers classified their health as reasonable. These results demonstrated that measures such as the use of suction pipes with diameters exceeding or construction of vertical slugged reservoirs, as essential for the control of exposure to biological agents. Future research should be developed to improve risk assessment methodologies and air sampling methods in this type of work environment.
- Modelo pedagógico Problem Based Learning aplicado na licenciatura em Saúde AmbientalPublication . Rodrigues, Matilde A.; Nunes, Mafalda; Freitas, Marisa; Santos, Joana; Silva, Manuela V.No ano letivo 2017/18 iniciou-se o processo de transição do plano de estudos do curso de Licenciatura em Saúde Ambiental, na Escola Superior de Saúde do Instituto Politécnico do Porto. A nova estrutura curricular do curso assenta no modelo pedagógico Problem Based Learning (PBL). Este modelo é muitas vezes definido em oposição às abordagens ditas como “tradicionais”. Um dos pontos mais diferenciadores é a sua interdisciplinaridade, a qual se encontra refletida na estrutura curricular do curso. A substituição do conhecimento fragmentado, apresentado nos modelos tradicionais em diferentes Unidades Curriculares (UC), pelo estudo de problemas reais em Saúde Ambiental que permitem envolver e relacionar várias áreas de conhecimento, promove não só uma melhor integração dos conteúdos curriculares, mas também potencia a aprendizagem, de uma forma contextual. Neste modelo pedagógico o docente deixa de ser visto como um meio para expor a matéria, passando a ser considerado pelo estudante como um especialista com quem poderá esclarecer as suas questões ao longo das sessões de recurso (equivalente às aulas teóricas). Adicionalmente, existe a necessidade da figura de um tutor, o qual acompanhará o grupo ao longo do estudo do problema nas sessões de orientação tutorial. Este trabalho em grupo promove o desenvolvimento de competências transversais. Foi realizada uma análise comparativa do desempenho dos estudantes entre os dois planos de estudos. Numa primeira fase, foram determinadas as notas equivalentes às novas UC dos 1º e 2º anos considerando a classificação obtida pelos estudantes em 16/17 e de acordo com o plano de acreditação do ciclo de estudos. Posteriormente, estes resultados foram comparados com as notas obtidas pelos estudantes nas novas UC em 2017/18. Os dados denotaram uma melhoria nos resultados de aprendizagem, enfatizando a pertinência do PBL na Licenciatura em Saúde Ambiental.
- The relationship between the introduction of new technologies in the industry and the burnout syndrome: a systematic literature reviewPublication . Pinto, Ana; Sousa, Sara; Santos, JoanaDigitization - the process of changing from analog to digital format - is transforming workplaces, as well as the way work is organized and managed. Currently, new technologies are found in all sectors within our society and economy, bringing new challenges from the point of view of Safety and Health at Work. For example, robots will become part of the work environment of workers, as they will be able to perform physical and autonomously. The use of these robots will allow withdraw workers from risk situations, to improve quality in the workplace. However, workers can feel a high level of pressure due to the speed and level of a robot. This situation can have a negative impact in workers in relation to their mental health. Thus, psychosocial risks at work, such as Burnout.
- Designing human-robot collaboration (HRC) workspaces in industrial settings: A systematic literature reviewPublication . Simões, Ana Correia; Pinto, Ana; Santos, Joana; Pinheiro, Sofia; Romero, DavidIn the pursuit of increasing efficiency, productivity and flexibility at production lines and their corresponding workstations, manufacturing companies have started to heavily invest in “collaborative workspaces” where close interaction between humans and robots promises to lead to these goals that neither can achieve on their own. Therefore, it is necessary to know the contributions, recommendations and guidelines that literature presents in terms of designing a manufacturing workplace where humans and cobots interact with each other to accomplish the defined objectives. These aspects need to be explored in an integrated and multidisciplinary way to maximize human involvement in the decision chain and to promote wellbeing and quality of work. This paper presents a systematic literature review on designing human-robot collaboration (HRC) workspaces for humans and robots in industrial settings. The study involved 252 articles in international journals and conferences proceedings published till 2019. A detailed selection process led to including 65 articles to further analysis. A framework that represents the complexity levels of the influencing factors presented in human-robot interaction (HRI) contexts was developed for the content analysis. Based on this framework the guidelines and recommendations of the analysed articles are presented in three categories: Category 1 – the first level of complexity, which considers only one specific influencing factor in the HRI. This category was split into two: human operator, and technology; Category 2 – the second level of complexity, includes recommendations and guidelines related to human-robot team’s performance, and thus several influencing factors are present in the HRI; and, finally, Category 3 – the third level of complexity, where recommendations and guidelines for more complex and holistic approaches in the HRI are presented. The literature offers contributions from several knowledge areas capable to design safe, ergonomic, sustainable, and healthy human-centred workplaces where not only technical but also social and psychophysical aspects of collaboration are considered.
- The effect of dental instruments on grip strengthPublication . Silva, Vanessa; Costa, Inês; Fonseca, Patrícia; Monteiro, Pedro; Santos, JoanaDentist work requires comfort and visibility, which sometimes causes an incorrect, maladjusted, and static posture, affecting mostly the upper limbs. It is due to prolonged work that oral health professionals are more susceptible to developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the hand and wrist. The propose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the variation of grip strength in dental students. We also pretend to evaluate the incidence of signs and symptoms of MSDs. A clinical dental procedure was simulated using instruments of different design on phantoms to evaluate the palmar grip. Grip strength was measured with a dynamometer. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was conducted to assess the incidence of symptoms of MSDs. The most prevalent symptoms in this population were neck, lower back, and shoulder pain. During the procedure, 43 participants found the ergonomic curette more comfortable. After scraping with the metallic curette, a lower palmar grip strength was observed. Women have a higher incidence of MSDs and lower grip strength. Participants should transform and improve clinical habits to promote better working conditions and decrease MSDs. It was concluded that the grip force exerted during root scraping depends on the design of the curette. Instruments with a larger diameter and lower weight are more ergonomic and require less grip force.
- Relation between occupational exposure to noise and work stress: an exploratory study in industrial environmentPublication . Barros, Beatriz; Santos, Joana; Alberto Alves Carvalhais, CarlosEvidence indicates that exposure to excessive noise can affect auditory and non-auditory aspects of health. Research in industrial workplaces was more focused on the relation between occupational noise and auditory effects, and few relate noise exposure and non-auditory symptoms among workers. The set symptoms are referred to as occupational stress, having a direct impact on productivity and safety behaviors. The main goal of this study was to assess the effect of noise exposure on occupational stress.
- Implementation of REACH in a metalworking industry: a perspective from a downstream userPublication . Coelho, Maria João; Alberto Alves Carvalhais, Carlos; Almeida, Teresa Ramos; Santos, JoanaReach is a European Union's regulation regarding the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. Reach purpose is the improvement of environmental and human health protection, against riks originated by chemicals.
- Influence of automation on biomechanical exposure of the upper-limbs in an industrial assembly line: a pilot studyPublication . Santos, Joana; Abreu, Ana Betty; Fonseca, Pedro; Alberto Alves Carvalhais, Carlos; Santos Baptista, João; Santos, Rubim; Vaz, MárioAutomation of assembly work was originally developed to increase operation efficiency and to reduce workload. However, a considerable number of unanticipated ergonomic problems have been observed such as the interaction between humans and automated systems. The aims of this study were to quantify joint angle positions (shoulder, elbow and wrist) of workers in two assembly lines with different mechanization levels and analyse the performance of an inertial motion capture system. Seven experienced female assemblers participated in this study. The measurements were performed in the workplace with a full-body inertial measurement system (Xsens MVN BIOMECH system). Maximum cross-correlation between angle-time courses was calculated to quantify the waveform similarities. In manual line, there are larger variations of joint angles than in the semi-automatic one. The analysis of cross correlation coefficients revealed that electromagnetic interferences are potential limitations to the use of these systems under field conditions.
- Methods of posture analysis for computer workersPublication . Maheronnaghsh, Sara; Santos, Joana; Vaz, M.Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been identified as a predisposing factor for lesser productivity and are considered to be a major occupational health problem contributing significantly to absenteeism, disability and loss of productivity. Computer users may develop musculoskeletal disorders due to the forces applied, muscle use, posture and wrist velocity and acceleration exposures during computer use. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in computer users cause substantial worker discomfort, disability and loss of productivity. The aim of this study is to review systematically the relevant literature on applicable posture analysis methods to computer workers. A bibliographic survey based on PRISMA statement methodology was performed. A review on different approaches for computer workers posture was accomplished and noted that the simultaneous utilization of the different methods allows achieving better posture analysis, compared to situations when each one of them was used individually.