Core Knowledge Areas Flashcards

Which factor is assessed by the Frequency Multiplier (FM) in the NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation?

Answer: The average number of lifts per minute and the total duration of lifting

The FM penalizes tasks with high lift frequencies (lifts/min) and long lifting durations (1, 2, or >2 hours), reflecting increased fatigue and cumulative spinal loading.

In the context of office ergonomics, which monitor placement parameter MOST directly reduces the risk of neck extension?

Answer: Positioning the top of the monitor at or slightly below eye level

Placing the monitor top at or slightly below eye level allows the worker to view the screen with a slightly downward gaze, maintaining a neutral to slightly flexed cervical posture.

An ergonomist uses the OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysis System) method. What is the primary output of this tool?

Answer: An action category (1–4) for observed combinations of back, arm, and leg postures

OWAS classifies observed postures by back, arm, and leg positions and assigns one of four action categories indicating urgency of corrective action.

Which of the following is a characteristic of 'awkward posture' as a risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders?

Answer: Postures that deviate from neutral joint alignment and increase internal tissue loading

Awkward postures deviate from neutral alignment (e.g., wrist flexion, trunk lateral bend), increasing muscle force demands and compressive and shear stresses on joints and soft tissues.

A risk factor assessment identifies that assembly workers pinch small components between the thumb and index finger approximately 4,000 times per shift. Which cumulative trauma disorder is MOST likely associated with high-force, high-frequency pinching?

Answer: Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis)

Repetitive forceful pinching increases flexor tendon sheath inflammation, which can cause trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) by causing the tendon to catch or lock.

What is the primary distinction between 'job task analysis' and a 'worksite analysis' in an ergonomics program?

Answer: Job task analysis examines specific task elements and exposures; worksite analysis broadly surveys the entire work environment for hazards

Job task analysis dissects individual tasks into elements to quantify exposures, while worksite analysis surveys the broader work environment to identify and prioritize all ergonomic hazards.

A food processing plant implements a tool redesign that reduces the required grip force from 60 N to 25 N for a slicing task. This change is BEST classified under which level of the ergonomic hierarchy of controls?

Answer: Engineering controls

Redesigning the tool to reduce grip force is an engineering control because it physically modifies the equipment to reduce the biomechanical hazard at the source.