title: A model for developing job rotation schedules that eliminate sequential high workloads and minimize between-worker variability in cumulative daily workloads: Application to automotive assembly lines.
abstract: The aim of study is to suggest a job rotation schedule by developing a mathematical model in order to reduce cumulative workload from the successive use of the same body region. Workload assessment using rapid entire body assessment (REBA) was performed for the model in three automotive assembly lines of chassis, trim, and finishing to identify which body part exposed to relatively high workloads at workstations. The workloads were incorporated to the model to develop a job rotation schedule. The proposed schedules prevent the exposure to high workloads successively on the same body region and minimized between-worker variance in cumulative daily workload. Whereas some of workers were successively assigned to high workload workstation under no job rotation and serial job rotation. This model would help to reduce the potential for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) without additional cost for engineering work, although it may need more computational time and relative complex job rotation sequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: syyoon@ajou.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sang-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jko@ajou.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jeonghan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: mcjung@ajou.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Myung-Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D001336:Automobiles; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D000072499:Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance; D016526:Workload
keywords: Assembly line; Cumulative workload; Job rotation; Musculoskeletal disorder; REBA