by : Indri MOHSE
I. BACKGROUND
Train is one of the main alternative public transportations in Indonesia that will ease people to travel from one place to another in Java. They tend to choose this transportation for it is safer, more relax, faster, and the price of the ticket is still affordable.
Various services and new products provided by PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) nowadays have increased a positive image amongst the people, which is necessary to be maintained and improved. One way to implement this purpose is to give more attention to a safe journey. Commuters’ safety and comfort should be put on the top priority.
Similar with other transportation traffics, accidents sometimes occur as well on the railway. However, the number of train accidents is lesser although the amount of the victims is greater. Furthermore, the damage caused by a train accident costs a lot more expensive than accident happens on the street, for instance. Besides that, one train accident usually causes a delay of the train schedule. This condition is of course disadvantages to its commuters. These reasons could be the answers why train accidents always get a national attention and apprehension.
The rate of train accidents in Indonesia is fairly high. In 1996 106 accidents happened, 196 cases in 1999 (Suara Merdeka Daily, December 27 2001), while in January – August 2001 there were 7 dreadful accidents, which took 109 people injured and 65 died (Kompas, September 3, 2001). 85% accidents were caused by human error. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to analyze further about the main cause of human error, particularly that usually happens to train engineer.
Human error can occur when the train engineer is doing his job. One of the causes is the ergonomic factor. More ergonomics the room of the operator works will reduce the rate of accident during the work.
The research will take Japan as the bench marking. This country is chosen for its excellent railway system. In addition, the measure of citizen anthropometrics in Japan is similar with Indonesia.
II. SET OF PROBLEMS
To maintain the positive image as a chosen public transportation, PT KAI should enhance its services, precise the train schedule, and guarantee a safe and comfortable condition for the commuters.
It is important for PT KAI to give serious attention on ergonomics aspect, mainly on train engineer workstation, in order to enhance their services. This is because the condition of the train during the way is under the responsibility of the train engineers. Therefore, a comfortable and safe work environment is very significant for these workers.
III. OBJECTIVES
General Objectives:
Getting ergonomics risk level on train engineer workstation.
Getting an ergonomics design for train engineer workstation in Indonesia
Specific Objectives:
Recognizing the measure of ergonomics seats for the train engineers
Recognizing the static anthropometrics measure of seats for the train engineers
Recognizing the train engineers’ posture during working
Recognizing the symptoms and signs of the train engineers during working
Recognizing ergonomics control design and display in the train engineer workstation
Recognizing temperature level, illumination, noise, and vibration in the train engineer workstation.
Recognizing the design of the train engineer workstation in Japanese trains
Recognizing ineffective matters on the design of the train engineer workstation in Japan
IV. BENEFITS
As an input for PT KAI in order to improve ergonomics workstation on the train engineer’s cabin.
As a contribution for Indonesian government to give serious attention on public transportation, particularly train. This contribution in the end is supposed to encourage the government to establish regulations or policies.
To realize further cooperation with Japanese train in order to enhance PT KAI service quality.
The research can be contributed to Japanese Train Corporation to augment the ergonomics system on the train engineer’s cabin workstation.
Japan is possible to be referred country in Asia.
V. STUDY LITERATURES
Definition of Ergonomics
International Ergonomics Association (IEA) to define ergonomics is “the study of anatomical, physiological, and psycological aspect of human in working environment. It is concerned with the efficiency, health, safety, and comfort of the people at work at home and at play”.
This generally requires the study of systems in which humans, machines and environment interact, with the aim of fitting to the humans. (Oborne, 1995)
Ergonomics, Work, and Health
The worker may be exposed to some injurous agent used in the working process or arising because of it, e.g. toxic chemical, dust, micro-organisms, allergens, ionizing, radiation, etc.
The work may be performed under adverse environmental conditions, e.g. heat, cold, noise, etc.
The work may involve overexertion or cumulative overuse of musculoskeletal or other bodily structure.
The work may bepsychologically stressful because it is mentally or emotionally demanding, boring, frustrating or socially alienating, leading to mental and “psychosomatic” ill-health, alcoholism, suicide, etc.
The work (or the circumstances under which it is performed) may entail a high risk of accidental injury (e.g. mining, construction work, offshore operations) or physical violence (e.g. police work)
The work may promote an unhealthy lifestyle (e.g. obesity in sedentary workers, alcohol-related diseases in publicans, musicians, etc.) (Pheasant, 1991).
Anthropometry
Anthropometry in general may be simply defined as the measuring of human beings. Anthropometry as a basic human science contributing to ergonomics, which in turn contributes data, concepts, and methodologies to the design process.
It is conventional to distinguish between’static’ and ‘dynamics’ anthropometric data. Static anthropometric data concern the fixed structural dimensions of the body, generally made between spesified anatomical landmark in stereotyped postures. Dynamics anthropometric data include measurements of reach or clearance made under ‘functional’ conditions, e.g., allowing the subjects a certain degree of freedom to adopt ‘natural’ postures for the perfoemnace of a given task. (Pheasent, 1986).
Human-Integrated Design and Manufacturing
The primary objective of ergonomics is designing objects, equipment, and machinery for effective use by human beings. Design for human use requires a central and consistent strategy to be applied to all stages of design. Human-intergrated-design (HID) refers to systems designed with human capabilities and limitations in mind so that the resultant design can be used effectively by people. In manufacturing concern the concept can be symbolized by HIM (Human-integrated-manufacturing). One of the principal concerns in design for manufacturability is whether or not human operators can work effectively with the design (Pulat, 1992)
Environmental
The human-machine system function in an environment composed of the other people, machines, equipment, and other energy sources. Furthermore, the person brings personal experiences and other background to the system, as do other elements. All these establish a context for the system to function within. Hence the behavior of a human-machine system must not be evaluated against present time event only. The history of the system may significantly affect the way the system operates.
The two major components of the work environment that affect the behavior of a human-machine system are the physical environment and the social environment. Elements of the social environment include isolation, task pressure, group dynamics, and the like. Although human performnace has been studied and reported under a variety of environmental factors, the ones that most concern an industrial ergonomist are the physical factors that exist in industrial environmentas, such as illumination, noise, vibration, and ambient temperature (heat and cold). (Pulat, 1992)
VI. SCOPE OF WORK
The scope of work of this research will emphasize in observing the ergonomics risks in the train engineer workstation by considering 3 aspects in ergonomics:
1. The worker
• Duration of work
• Measure of static anthropometrics
• Working postures
• Repetitive motion
• Symptoms and signs
2. Tools/Machines
• Lay out
• Seat design
• Position, shape, and colors of control and display
3. Environment
• Temperature
• Illumination
• Noise
• Vibration
To analyze the effectiveness of the train engineer workstation design on Japanese train so that in the future it can be referred to solve problems of the train engineer workstation on Indonesian train.
Scheme of work can bee seen at the diagram on the next page.
VII. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Sample
Trains that will be taken as samples are all classes inter province trains altogether with the train engineers.
Tools
Camera, anthropometer, carpenter meter, arc, check list, luxmeter, WBGT, sound level meter, vibration meter, questioner.
Method
1. Worksite Analysis
Worksite analysis will be carried out by performing direct survey based on walk through checklist. Train engineers will be given questioners to recognize symptoms or signs they suffer during working.
2. Measurement
Measurement will be accomplished by measuring noise, vibration, temperature, illumination, seat design, position, shape, and colors of control and display in the train engineer cabin. Static anthropometrics measurement, working postures, and repetitive motion will also be measured to the train engineers.
3. Collecting Secondary Data
Secondary data that will be collected are medical records, outputs of the previous measurement, and other supported data.
Analysis
Collected data will be processed and analyzed based on the quantity and quality. The analysis will be the groundwork of the risks assessment toward risks ergonomics factor. The risk assessment is in the form of classification of risk ergonomics factor, which is specified into three levels: low, middle, and high.
VIII. ANTICIPATED OF THE OUTPUT
Should the result of the risk ergonomics factors on the train engineer workstation in Indonesia shows high risk level, the problem solving taken will adopt effective matters on the train engineer workstation design of the Japanese train. It might appear that the high-risk level of the effective matters does not similar with the condition on the train engineer workstation of Indonesian train. Therefore, the anticipated actions taken are by reducing the high-risk matters based on the author’s recommendation work together with experts team from Japanese Train and still ponder on the train engineer workstation design of the Japanese train and the analysis obtained.
IX. PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING THE RESULT
The result obtained will be submitted to PT KAI as groundwork to redesign the train engineer workstation to be more ergonomics so that human error caused by train engineer’s mistakes can be reduced.
Should PT KAI have a financial difficulty to redesign the train engineer workstation, the result of the research can be used to look for investors or foreign capital to improve PT KAI management.
To implement the result of the research, PT KAI is expected to cooperate with Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia AND Japanese Train as their OHS consultant.
The result obtained will also be submitted to related institution (Department of Communications) in order to encourage the government to establish policies toward Indonesian railway management, particularly about the standard design of the train engineer workstation.
The result of the research can be a consideration for the government to permit the opening of private train industry in Indonesia.
It will also encourage the opening of specific program such as public transportation and railway in Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia.
X. PARTICIPATING COUNTRY
Contact Person:
Professor Masaharu Kumashiro
Institutional Contact:
Department of ergonomics
Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences
University of Occupational and Environmental Health
MOHSE archives
Read More......
Read more...
