Iran Occupational Health

Background and aims: during last decades, attention to ergonomic factors has been increased. Nowadays, most ergonomic assessors in workstations, assess ergonomic factors, considering either technical requirements or workers needs, both of which can affect design efficiency. But it seems an integration model of these two factors can be more effective. So this paper aims to present a pattern to assess work place ergonomically, considering both technical needs and workers’ needs.

 Methods: present study is a kind of descriptive model solution studies, which uses a joining method of Kano model and Quality Function Development (QFD) to develop workstation optimal design. A survey was performed among 350 workers at industrial plants to identify problems of ergonomic factors in their work stations. Data gathering was translated into Kano questionnaire. Then it was clarified and used in the House of Quality matrix. Finally in a joining model, a method is presented which is able to prioritize ergonomic requirements and technical characteristic in to an optimal design.

 Result: the most important factor of workers requirement was safety tools and healthy conditions, such as air pollution and temperature stresses. The most important factor of technical requirement was cost and presence of national valid standards and attention to comfort in during the jobs.

 Conclusion: Industrial managers should choose optimal strategies concerning their workers requirements and information feedback from them. Also they should provide their workers comfort and satisfaction concerning technical needs to gain most profit and less cost.