Veerle Hermans - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Veerle Hermans

Work (Reading, Mass.), 2012

International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE, 1995

Ten female participants performed work at a video display terminal (VDT) station over a whole wor... more Ten female participants performed work at a video display terminal (VDT) station over a whole working day. Subjective local muscular fatigue was evaluated by means of the Category Ratio 10 scale. Electromyographic activity of the upper right and left trapezius was measured. A comparison was made between five participants who had previous complaints and 5 participants who reported no musculoskeletal problems in the shoulder-neck region. The subjective scores for the shoulder differed significantly between the two groups, being higher for the group with complaints. Both groups showed a decrease in discomfort after the lunch break. The activity of the trapezius increased significantly for both groups, in a more pronounced way for the group with disorders. Although it is found in literature that VDT work is a task with very low static loads, it seems from this study that the EMG activity increase can be an indication of muscle fatigue: more effort was required to accomplish the same VDT...

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 1999

This study determines whether changes in the EMG values of two important muscles of the shoulder ... more This study determines whether changes in the EMG values of two important muscles of the shoulder and neck region, the anterior deltoid and the upper trapezius, are due to changes in torque production or due to fatigue processes during sustained activity. Contractions at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% MVC were performed during a flexion of the arm in the sagittal plane at 90°, to examine the relation between torque and EMG. A sustained contraction at 20% MVC was performed to endurance point in the same position. RMS, a new parameter called activity, (ACT), and MPF of the deltoid anterior and the upper trapezius were analysed. The amplitude values correlated highly with increasing torque production, both for the deltoid muscle (range r ϭ 0.95-0.96), and the trapezius muscle (range r ϭ 0.83-0.87), whereas no significant difference was found for MPF. For the endurance task, the decrease in MPF was far more pronounced for the deltoid than for the trapezius, whereas the opposite occurred with RMS (P Յ 0.01). Furthermore, there was no significant difference over time for the ACT values of the deltoid, whereas there were significant increases in ACT for the trapezius (P Յ 0.01). The RMS/ACT ratio correlated highly (r ϭ 0.81) with the MPF. Regression coefficients of these parameters differed significantly for the trapezius muscle but not for the deltoid muscle. Therefore, the RMS/ACT ratio may be extremely important in analysing the fatigue effects during sustained efforts, independent of torque variations, which can influence indicators of fatigue.

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 2000

This paper reviews the literature concerning the use of surface electromyography (sEMG) for the s... more This paper reviews the literature concerning the use of surface electromyography (sEMG) for the study of the neck musculature in response to work and workplace design during light work and semi-static tasks. The paper also draws upon basic research and biomechanical modeling in order to provide methodological recommendations for the use of surface electromyography in this region of the body and to identify areas which require further investigation. The paper includes review and discussion of electrode site location, methods of normalization, data reliability, and factors that can affect sEMG signals from this region, including noise, physiologic artifact, stress, visual deficiencies, and pain. General guidance for maximum exertions with the neck musculature, for sEMG normalization or other purposes, is also included.

Applied Ergonomics, 2006

Despite the growing importance of ergonomics and ergonomists worldwide, the position of ergonomic... more Despite the growing importance of ergonomics and ergonomists worldwide, the position of ergonomics in companies is often not clear. Today, in many countries ergonomics is mainly (or even only) associated with the reduction of risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Therefore, many companies consider ergonomics a part of occupational safety and health (OSH) that focuses mainly on the reduction of risks. This paper aims to analyse the links between occupational ergonomics and OSH. The position of occupational ergonomics in legislation, the presence of ergonomics in OSH networks, and the position of ergonomics in OSH company services are discussed. In addition, the added value of ergonomics to companies is examined. From these discussions, it becomes clear that ergonomics should be part of the OSH policy of companies, and should be integrated into today's company strategies to improve labour conditions. If ergonomics is considered as a discipline in its own right, a clear legislative context should be developed that goes beyond voluntary guidelines and the goodwill of employers, and necessitates the presence of ergonomics professionals in companies. r

Tijdschrift voor Bedrijfs- en Verzekeringsgeneeskunde, 2008

ABSTRACT Dit artikel beschrijft een strategie voor een coherent en efficiënt preventieprogramma o... more ABSTRACT Dit artikel beschrijft een strategie voor een coherent en efficiënt preventieprogramma op het vlak van welzijn op het werk vanuit een participatieve benadering. Deze globale benadering is niet alleen noodzakelijk op één werkplek, maar ook voor het geheel van de arbeidsomstandigheden op het werk. risicomanagement-strategie-participatieve screening-welzijn

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 1999