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The number of people who use computers for business and personal purposes increases as technology grows. The application of ergonomic practices on computer workstations reduces the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced and increases the overall satisfaction of the users. Keyboards are available in various systems, from computers to mobile devices, and have difference shapes and sizes. The keyboard size and shape is known to influence the user's upper extremities. Alternative keyboard designs help diminish the pain in the arms that occurs due to awkward arm postures. Most previous studies tried to optimize the keyboard layout based on ergonomic typing and the frequency of letters' co-occurrence. This research considers the frequency of the appearance of the most used 3,000 words in the English language. First, the frequency of each letter pair is calculated by the Text Analyzer. Then, a genetic algorithm is applied to design an ergonomically optimized keyboard to minimize the total distance of finger travel among the selected alphanumeric characters. The results showed that the distance travelled obtained by the proposed keyboard layout is less than that for the QWERTY keyboard in all different types of texts, in which an average of 6.04% improvement was achieved. Therefore, the proposed design can be used for keyboards to reduce time and fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational ergonomics focuses on the interaction between educational performance and educational design. By improving the design or pointing out the possible problems, educational ergonomics can be utilized to have positive impacts on the student performance and thus on education process. Laptops and tablet computers are becoming widely used by school children and beginning to be used effectively for educational purposes. As the latest generation of laptops and tablet computers are mobile and lightweight compared to conventional personal computers, they support student-centred interaction-based learning. However, these technologies have been introduced into schools with minimal adaptations to furniture or attention to ergonomics. There are increasing reports of an association between increased musculoskeletal (MSK) problems in children and use of such technologies. Although children are among the users of laptops and tablet computers both in their everyday lives and at schools, the literature investigating MSK activities and possible MSK discomfort regarding children using portable technologies is limited. This study reviews the literature to identify published studies that investigated posture, MSK activities, and possible MSK discomfort among children using mobile technologies (laptops or tablet computers) for educational purposes. An electronic search of the literature published in English between January 1994 and January 2014 was performed in several databases. The literature search terms were identified and combined to search the databases. The search results that the resources investigating MSK outcomes of laptop or tablet use of children are very scarce. This review points out the research gaps in this field, and identifying areas for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Occupational injuries pose a major problem in workplaces where computers are widely used. Intensive, repetitive and long period computer use results in costly health problems (direct cost), and lost productivity (indirect cost). Yet, the effect of musculoskeletal discomfort and their frequencies associated with the use of computers have not received considerable attention. This paper presents the findings of a risk assessment model through a scientific research to determine the effect of discomfort factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders resulting from intensive use of computers in the workplaces. In this context a questionnaire was given to 130 intensive computer users working in the university sector. A list of significant predictor variables for musculoskeletal disorders was developed to assess and analyze workplace ergonomics, worker attitudes and experiences on computer keyboard and mouse. The main focus of the current research is to seek and provide evidence that symptoms of musculoskeletal discomfort and the frequency of these symptoms are significant in the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). This study provides the evidence that, ache and pain are the most common types of discomforts in all body regions. The discomforts were more pronounced at neck, shoulder, upper back, hand/wrist, and lower back regions. The risk factors determined by the risk assessment model were validated through ANOVA of the sEMG records for the control and test groups. The findings indicated that for each test group respondent, the mean musculoskeletal strain experienced differs in time, but the same is not true for the control group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The dependency of the society on the hydrocarbon as an energy source has increased tremendously, leading to the rapid development of this process industry. A fire accident that occurred on the 6th of July 2016 at a petrochemical complex plant in the southern part of Iran, Mahshahr petrochemical zone, has called for a more robust and all-inclusive efforts toward ameliorating and forestalling future occurrence. The on-site investigations concluded that the fire was triggered by the leakages through the ruptured blind flange gasket in the pipeline. Thus, certain inquiries on the development of robust process safety technologies gave useful insight into those capable enough to identify and handle various uncertainties in the short and long time basis, to forestall catastrophic accidents. Therefore, it is worthy and pertinent to ascertain whether process safety technology is developing correspondingly at the same pace with the process industry. Are the correct things done in the right way? If yes, then why do these catastrophic accidents keep happening? If no, how can these uncertainties in the process be properly and adequately handled, contained and managed? Failure to provide adequate and incontrovertible answers to these questions toward taking uncompromising safety actions is an invitation to more accidents in the near future. In this study, explanation on how to identify and cope with various uncertainties in process safety science is provided through learning from a real case study of a fire accident that occurred in the aforementioned petrochemical plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]