Module 4 Lesson 1 Check in Activity

Present a synthesis of the article in NO LESS THAN 500 words. relate your discussions in your
course.

Good workstation design is essential in creating a healthy, comfortable, and task-efficient

laboratory. Workstations should follow the workflow and be planned to accommodate
equipment, ancillary equipment, tools, and supplies. Consideration must also be given to the
number of people who will use the space, their physical characteristics, whether they will sit,
stand, or use a combination of positions, and if they need some type of aid to be able to see and
reach all of the necessary components. Air quality, temperature, and humidity must be regulated
and drafts must be avoided. Lighting must be task appropriate, not necessarily standard overhead
lighting, and noise must be minimal.
Ideally, laboratory workstations are versatile, modular, and flexible so that they can be altered to
accommodate new tasks, equipment or people. The work surface should be height adjustable,
and seating should be individualized and task appropriate. Unfortunately, good workstation
design is rare in histology laboratories. This experiment shows that it is possible to achieve a
productivity increase in combination with a discomfort reduction. The redesign of the
workstation was responsible for the effects as was shown in this experiment. This was important
information for the management in enabling them to make the decision to invest in new
production workstations. Therefore, the conclusion is that in high-volume manual assembly
operations there is a clear link between workstation design and worker discomfort. In the case
discussed here, optimization of the workstation layout reduced discomfort and increased
productivity, which is of benefit to both the employees and the company.
Regarding point 1 ‘description’, the focus of the comfort design aspect was discomfort, because
it was related to musculoskeletal complaints. The focus was on long-term comfort, as the first
sight was not the main focus, but the effect after working a day in the workstation. Regarding
point 2 ‘task’, it was clear that it considered the specific task that was performed in this
workstation. Related to point 3 ‘physical and experience characteristics’ the focus was on the
physical characteristics. Soft issues were also explicitly considered, but these regarded the
participatory process of development involving the end-users explicitly in the test and involving
them in the selection at the end.