title: Integrating the Ergonomics Techniques with Multi Criteria Decision Making as a New Approach for Risk Management: An Assessment of Repetitive Tasks -Entropy Case Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nowadays, the health work decision makers need to analyze a huge amount of data and consider many conflicting evaluation criteria and sub-criteria. Therefore, an ergonomic evaluation in the work environment in order to the control occupational disorders is considered as the Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem. In this study, the ergonomic risks factors, which may influence health, were evaluated in a manufacturing company in 2014. Then entropy method was applied to prioritize the different risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was done with a descriptive-analytical approach and 13 tasks were included from total number of employees who were working in the seven halls of an ark opal manufacturing (240). Required information was gathered by the demographic questionnaire and Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) method for repetitive task assessment. In addition, entropy was used to prioritize the risk factors based on the ergonomic control needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total exposure score based on the ART method calculated was equal to 30.07 ±12.43. Data analysis illustrated that 179 cases (74.6% of tasks) were in the high level of risk area and 13.8% were in the medium level of risk. ART- entropy results revealed that based on the weighted factors, higher value belongs to grip factor and the lowest value was related to neck and hand posture and duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the limited financial resources, it seems that MCDM in many challenging situations such as control procedures and priority approaches could be used successfully. Other MCDM methods for evaluating and prioritizing the ergonomic problems are recommended.
authors: Department of Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Khandan
authors: Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management, Qom university, Qom, Iran.
authors: Majid
authors: M
authors: Nili
authors: Department of Occupational Health & Work Health Research Center, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. koohpaei@muq.ac.ir.
authors: Alireza
authors: A
authors: Koohpaei
authors: Department of Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Saeedeh
authors: S
authors: Mosaferchi
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D019277:Entropy; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000592:standards*; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009333:Neck; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011187:Posture; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014937:Work
keywords: Assessment of Repetitive Tasks Method; Entropy; Multiple Criteria Decision Making; Occupational ergonomics