We are here discussing the problems that Egyptian Copper Works faces and steps to solve ergonomics problems

1. Introduction
Human factors or ergonomics, also known as comfort design, functional design, and user-friendly systems is the
practice of designing products, systems or processes to take proper account of the interaction between them and
the people who use them.
The field has seen contributions from numerous disciplines, such
as psychology, engineering, biomechanics, industrial design, physiology and anthropometry. In essence, it is the
study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body and its cognitive abilities. The two terms "human
factors" and "ergonomics" are essentially synonymous.
Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among
humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to
design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.
It is employed to fulfill the goals of occupational health and safety and productivity. It is relevant in the design of
such things as safe furniture and easy-to-use interfaces to machines and equipment.
Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders,
which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability.
Human factors and ergonomics is concerned with the "fit" between the user, equipment and their environments. It
takes account of the user's capabilities and limitations in seeking to ensure that tasks, functions, information and the
environment suit each user.
In this project our team aimed to asses and to apply what we have learned about Ergonomics practically in The
Egyptian Copper Works Company and here is a brief information about this huge company.
Egyptian Copper Works
The Egyptian copper works was established on 26th September, 1935. The main purpose
for the license was rolling copper and brass to sheets and discs for house-wares
industries.
At the beginning the activity had been started on one acre, later on the area was
expanded to face many constructions beginning with electric and normal copper melting
furnaces in 1940.
The Aluminum industry was introduced into the company production lines in 1945, and
then steel industry had begun.
In 1960 Aluminum foil production was constructed and the semi-
continuous casting in 1961. However, steel continued in adding
units and factories in iron and steel, copper, brass and aluminum
fields, so it had become one of the first producing companies in
steel rods, aluminum, wire steel, wire rope and Evaporators in
Egypt.
Company has been confirmed all customers’ needs of local and
external market and comply quality systems requirements.
Copper wires
Aluminum sheets

2. Workstation
The Egyptian Copper Works company has many workstations to cover all its production lines like an Aluminium and
copper furnaces workstations, refining lab workstation, rolling and blanking workstation, milling and machining
workstation and wire drawing workstation.
The workstation that we chose was the milling and machining workstation and here is a schematic draw of the
layout of that workstation.
The layout of the workstation
Workstation users
The milling and machining workstation consists of 4 users and here is some information of these users and the unfit
postures of them.
The first user
The first user is called Mr. Salah and he is 57 years old, Mr. Salah
has worked in Egyptian Copper Works for 33 years until now and he
is responsible for shaper and drilling machine, his working hours per
day are 7 hrs with 15 minutes of rest in between.
Here are some pictures of Mr. Salah doing his work with unfit
postures.
The worker lifts objects above shoulders

3. In the first picture we can see that he is handling the heavy work
piece in such an unfit posture because the whole load is concentrated in his right hand and its repeated process
which can cause injury in prolonged periods.
In the second picture Mr. Salah appears with an awkward posture where he is bending his back for a long period of
time repetitively which causes a back pain and serious tension in his spin and also we can see that there is a direct
vibration transmits from the machine directly to his body.
In the third picture Mr. Salah is using his hands repetitively to turn the handle which can cause serious injury in his
hands as shown in Figure 3-2 because of the high resistance of the handle because the machine is too old.
The second user
The second user is Mr. Ibrahim and he is 39 years old, Mr Ibrahim has worked at
Egyptian copper works for 7 years until now and he is responsible for the grinding
operations, Mr. Ibrahim’s working hours are 7 hrs and 15 minutes rest in between.
Here is a picture to Mr. Ibrahim doing his job.
In this picture it appears that Mr. Ibrahim has to bend his back too much to use the
handle which causes serious back pain with prolonged periods.
Also Mr. Ibrahim told us that the main problem with him is the age of the machines as
the average age of the machines is between 60 to 120 years...!!
Frequent bending of the back Repetitive twisting of the wrist
Mr. Ibrahim is bending his back
frequently

4. some functions and properties of the machine is not working like the vertical
transmitter and also in high speeds the bed of the machine and the grinding
wheel often fractures as shown in the figure.
Also Mr. Ibrahim complained about the electric wires which have been eaten
by rats...!!
The third user
The third user is Mr. Mohamed and he is 40 years old, Mr. Mohamed has
worked at Egyptian copper works for 12 years until now and he is responsible
for lathe machines operations, his working hours are 7 hrs with 15 minutes
rest in between. Here is a picture for Mr. Mohamed with a critical posture.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually caused when an illness or other problem makes the carpal
tunnel space too small. This puts pressure on the median nerve and causes pain, tingling, and
other symptoms.
Broken grinding wheel due to high speeds,
may cause injuries during breaking because
of lack of safety
Repetitive hand movement over and over can
cause CTS, especially if the wrist is bent down

5. Because of pressing hard on the left hand’s median nerve, carpel Tunnel Syndrome occurs and that has happened to
Mr. Mohamed who is shown in the photo above, and he had a surgery called (‫عصب‬ ‫)تسليك‬ in the Egyptian slang.
Carpal tunnel syndrome most often affects the hand and sometimes the forearm, but they can spread up to the
shoulder. Symptoms include Numbness or pain in your hand, forearm or wrist that awakens you at night, Stiffness in
your fingers when you get up in the morning, Occasional aching pain in your forearm between your elbow and wrist.
The forth user
The forth user is Mr. Hessen and he is 43 years old, Mr. Hessen has worked at Egyptian copper works for 11 years
until now and he is working for 7 hours per day with 15 minutes rest in between.
Here is a picture for Mr. Hessen with an awkward posture in handling heavy work pieces.
Wrong handling procedure as lifting below the knees, it may cause a trauma in the back of the worker because it’s
an awkward posture.
Low bake strain is one of many serious causes of back pain and it’s caused by:
- Extreme physical exertion.
- Falling.
- Bending or crouching repeatedly.
- Lifting heavy objects if you are not in shape.
Pain here can be intense and is one of the top causes of missed work.
Fortunately, low back pain often gets better on its own. When it doesn't, there
are effective treatments
Repetitive lower back bendingAcute back pain comes on suddenly, often after an injury from sports or heavy lifting. Pain
that lasts more than three months is considered chronic

6. © Industrial Accident Prevention Association 2007. All rights reserved.
DISCOMFORT SURVEY
Please answer all questions truthfully and to the best of your ability.
1. Date: 12/7/2015 2. Name: Mohamed El-Sharnoby
3. Job Title: Turning Technician 4. Dept.: Basic Workshops
5. Shift: Morning 6. Height: 168
7. Dominant Hand: x Left xRight ✓Either 8. Gender: ✓ Male xFemale
9. How long have you worked in your current position?
x < 3 mos. x3 mos. – 1 year x 1 – 5 years x 5 – 10 years ✓10 + years
10. How often are you mentally exhausted after work?
x Never xOccasionally ✓Often xAlways
11. How often are you physically exhausted after work?
x Never ✓Occasionally xOften ✓Always
12. Have you ever had any pain or discomfort during the last year that you believe is related to your
work?
✓ Yes xNo (If no, go to question 16)
13. If yes, please complete page 2 of the survey.
14. For each area of discomfort indicated on page 2, please describe what you think is causing
or caused this discomfort.
BODY PART PREVIOUS
INJURY
POSSIBLE CAUSE OF PROBLEM
Elbows x Yes ✓No
Throwing a lot of heavy parts
Forearms x Yes ✓No
Throwing a lot of heavy parts
Wrist/Hands x Yes ✓No
Throwing a lot of heavy parts
Thighs x Yes ✓No
Standing for long periods
Ankles/Feet x Yes ✓No
Standing for long periods
Shoulders x Yes ✓No
Throw a lot of heavy parts
Upperback x Yes ✓No
Throwing a lot of heavy parts and Stand for long periods
Lowerback x Yes ✓No
Throwing a lot of heavy parts and Stand for long periods
Knees x Yes ✓No
Standing for long periods
Lower legs x Yes ✓No
Standing for long periods
15. For each area of discomfort indicated on page 2, please record which job task(s) aggravates the
discomfort.
BODY PART WHAT AGGRAVATES THE PROBLEM
Elbows Not having enough breaks
Forearms Holding heavy parts over head
Wrist/Hands Repetitive twisting motion
Thighs Standing for long periods without sitting
Ankles/Feet Standing for long periods

7. Alexandria University
Faculty of Engineering
Production Engineering Department
Human Factors
2015/2016
Group ID
Task Number & Name
Task (3,4): Workstation measurement and Conclusion
Group Members
157 7
35 2
38 2
93 4
153 7
140 6
160 7
100 5

8. Introduction
The present work contains an analysis, from the anthropometric point of view, of Egyptian Copper Factory
based on task 1 and 2 which we had made. The points evaluated are the lathe machines bases and the seats that
workers sit on during their work, each one of them was related to anthropometrical estimates for US adults aged
1965 years which are given in Sheet 1. Finally, some suggestions appear on the actions to be taken in design terms
that surely will contribute to improve the comfort of the workers and provide welfare to the factory. In the
modern world it is impossible to design in terms of average dimensions.
It is for that reason that anthropometry plays a capital role in the world of design. In terms of factories, it is
necessary to design the height heavy work tables, seats & safety equipment… laborers work for many hours, thus
we are forced to make certain considerations to facilitate the work, movement and the comfort of them. A
detailed observation of the statistical data obtained, shows a great dispersion of the data values of the considered
variables. The main reason, to which this dispersion of the data can be attributed, is the lack of control by the
corresponding authorities. There is not control on satisfying the minimum requirements of design according to
safety standards and the comfort of the users.
Dimensions of transport units were compared with the anthropometric data available of the population of users
and the established values in the corresponding standard.
Actual Findings
A tabular representation of the ergonomic states of different workstation items are given henceforth: -
Item Dimension
Related
anthropometric
data
Design
Criteria
Measured
value (mm)
Recommended
(calculated)(mm)
Lathe
machine
Distance from
center line of the
chuck of lathe
machine to
ground
Elbow height 1000 1190
Lathe
machine
height of head
stock from ground
shoulder height 1100 1550
Lathe
Machine
overall traveling
distance by
worker
shoulder grip
length 1500 725*2=1450
Shaper
machine
Distance from
control unit of
shaper machine to
ground
Hip height 760 995
Shaper
Machine
distance between
table and ground Elbow height 850 1190
Worker
Seat
Diameter of seat Hip breadth 340.2 410

9. Worker
Seat
Height of the seat Popliteal Height 496 495
Item Dimension
Related
anthropometric
data
Design
Criteria
Measured
value (mm)
Recommended
(calculated)(mm)
Worker
Seat Seat Depth
Buttock-popliteal
length
400 555
Boring
Machine
Distance from
control unit to the
standing area of
the worker
Elbow height 1610.2 1190
Grinding
Machine
Distance from
center line of the
grinder to the
ground
Elbow height 1090 1190
Grinding
Machine
table height from
ground
Hip Height 800 995
Grinding
Machine
head height from
ground
Eye height 1800 1900
Metalwork
table
Distance from
metalwork table
to the ground
Fingertip height 840 725
Heavy
work table
Distance from
elbow to
hammering area
Elbow fingertip
length
450 515
Pictures of items
short distance between control unit and Broken grinding wheel. ground.

10. short distance between table and ground. short distance between control unit and ground.
Very high distance between worker’s arm reach and Drilling machine related dimensions. control unit.

11. Distance between center line of the chuck and the
worker is too long.
reach.
Work station hazards Risk factors WMSD’s
High distance between the standing platform and the
ground and high distance between control unit and arm

12. Working without safety
equipment like:( gloves,
proper footwear, visor for
welding)
Standing for a time Carpal tunnel syndrome
Workplace Poorly lit lifting above shoulder Shoulder overuse syndrome
Excessive noise that is
annoying and distracting
Repetitive twisting
motion at wrist of hand
Posterior cruciate ligament tear
Air circulation too high so it's
poor ventilation
Bending of back for a
long period of time
repetitively
Pneumonia & Cirrhosis
Walkways uneven Repetitive loading Torn shoulder muscle
Lack of suitable seats Prolonged periods Knee injury
Suggestions to overcome WMSD’s in the Copper Factory: -
1. Provide protective clothing and equipment) and make sure they are used.
2. If it is not practical to completely remove or isolate the hazardous substance, you must minimize any risk
of harm to the employee. To minimize a hazard’s effects, an employer can: monitor employees’ health
(with their informed consent) monitors employees’ exposure to the hazard.
3. Avoid congestion points or worker movements near hazardous machinery make sure people can use, clean
and maintain the machinery without being harmed Make space for any waste materials to gather before
they are cleared (they should not clutter walkways or work areas) Note the movements of trucks,
materials and people
4. Mark out walkways and create vehicle movement areas Mark out ‘no-go’ areas, so people can stay away
from dangerous machinery. Check how close moving parts are to other machinery and fixtures in
buildings.
5. Eliminate mechanical hazards which are made by the shape, relative location, mass and stability,
movement and strength of machine parts
6. Eliminate electrical hazards, contact with or distance from live parts, suitability of insulation, static
electricity…
7. We’ve found that the layout is poorly designed as it is crowded with machines, leading to injuries and
operational errors.
8. The height of boring machine is high in addition to the oily platform worker standing on which is a great
potential for falling or slipping.
9. Some workers are not eligible for performing some jobs, train them.
10. Provide protective clothing and equipment) and make sure they are used.
11. Monitor employees’ health (with their informed consent)
12. Monitor employees’ exposure to the hazard
13. Avoid congestion points or worker movements near hazardous machinery
14. Make sure people can use, clean and maintain the machinery without being harmed
15. Make space for any waste materials to gather before they are cleared (they should not clutter walkways or
work areas)

13. 16. Boring machine contribute greatly to a great hazard potential so we should: -
a. Fixed or permanently installed access platforms.
b. Pair of shoes that have a high coefficient of friction to prevent slipping.
17. At the design stage, when designing layout: -
a. avoid congestion points or worker movements near hazardous machinery
b. make space for any waste materials to gather before they are cleared (they should not clutter
walkways or work areas)
c. note the movements of the heavy objects and workers.
18. Ergonomic hazards come about through the way the operator interacts with the machine. Sometimes
machinery is not always designed for how an operator must use the machine. For example, operators may
have to overreach, reach above shoulder height, hold awkward postures, and use repetitive or forceful
movements. Having to work this way can cause damage to nerves, muscles and tendons. Ergonomic
hazards can cause serious harm to operators. These hazards can be removed at the design stage
Likelihood of injury
or harm to health
Consequences of injury or harm to health
Insignificant (Knee
pain)
Moderate
(Back pain)
Major
(Skin and Interior
Injury)
Catastrophic
(CPD, cutting of
fingertips, etc.…)
Very likely High Extreme Extreme Extreme
Likely Moderate High Extreme Extreme
Moderate Low High Extreme Extreme
Unlikely Low Moderate High Extreme
Highly unlikely Low Moderate High High