AEP Practice and Application 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ergonomics program evaluation shows injury rates decreased by 40% after interventions. What additional metric is most important to confirm program effectiveness?
- Number of ergonomics assessments completed
- Return-to-work time and workers' compensation cost trends (Correct answer)
- Number of workers trained in ergonomics awareness
- Supervisor satisfaction with the intervention process
Correct answer: Return-to-work time and workers' compensation cost trends
Return-to-work time and compensation costs are outcome metrics that directly reflect the health and economic impact of ergonomic interventions.
Question 2: A task requires workers to exert 25 lbs of grip force repeatedly. According to biomechanical principles, what physiological effect is most likely with sustained high grip force?
- Increased blood flow to the forearm muscles
- Reduced intra-muscular pressure allowing recovery
- Muscle ischemia and accelerated fatigue (Correct answer)
- Improved motor unit recruitment efficiency
Correct answer: Muscle ischemia and accelerated fatigue
High sustained grip force compresses intramuscular vessels, causing ischemia and rapid fatigue in the forearm flexors.
Question 3: A vibration assessment of a hand-held grinder shows an 8-hour energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration (A(8)) of 4.5 m/s². Under ISO 5349-1, this value is:
- Below the action value and requires no further steps
- At the action value, triggering preventive measures (Correct answer)
- Above the exposure limit value, requiring immediate cessation
- Irrelevant unless a medical complaint is filed
Correct answer: At the action value, triggering preventive measures
ISO 5349-1 sets the action value at 2.5 m/s² and the limit value at 5 m/s²; 4.5 m/s² exceeds the action value and requires preventive measures.
Question 4: Which anthropometric principle should guide the design of a reach envelope for a shared workstation used by both male and female workers?
- Design for the 50th-percentile worker to satisfy the majority
- Design reach depth for the 5th-percentile female to accommodate the smallest user (Correct answer)
- Design reach height for the 95th-percentile male to accommodate the tallest user
- Use average measurements from a blend of male and female data
Correct answer: Design reach depth for the 5th-percentile female to accommodate the smallest user
Reach envelopes should accommodate the smallest user (5th-percentile female) so that all workers can reach without overextension.
Question 5: A healthcare ergonomist is analyzing patient-handling tasks. The MAPO (Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients) Index is used to:
- Measure workload of administrative staff in hospitals
- Quantify MSD risk from patient-handling activities and prioritize interventions (Correct answer)
- Assess lighting levels in patient care areas
- Evaluate keyboard use among nurses at workstations
Correct answer: Quantify MSD risk from patient-handling activities and prioritize interventions
The MAPO Index assesses patient-handling risk by combining lift-aid availability, patient characteristics, and task frequency to guide intervention priority.
Question 6: A newly installed conveyor belt places packages at shoulder height for workers to stack. Which hierarchy-of-controls step BEST addresses this hazard?
- Require workers to wear lumbar support belts
- Adjust conveyor height to waist level (engineering control) (Correct answer)
- Post reminders for workers to bend with their knees
- Limit stacking shifts to 4 hours per worker
Correct answer: Adjust conveyor height to waist level (engineering control)
Adjusting the conveyor height is an engineering control that removes the shoulder-level reach hazard at the source.
Question 7: An ergonomist measures seat pan depth on a new chair and finds it is 22 inches. For a 5th-percentile female worker with a popliteal-to-buttock length of 17 inches, what problem does this create?
- The chair will be too low for her to sit comfortably
- The seat pan is too deep, compressing the back of her knees (popliteal pressure) (Correct answer)
- The seat pan is appropriately sized for her anthropometrics
- The chair will lack lumbar support at the correct spinal level
Correct answer: The seat pan is too deep, compressing the back of her knees (popliteal pressure)
A seat pan deeper than the user's popliteal-to-buttock length causes the front edge to press into the back of the knees, restricting circulation.
AEP Practice and Application 3
An ergonomics program evaluation shows injury rates decreased by 40% after interventions.
What additional metric is most important to confirm program effectiveness?