Evolution of the biomechanical dimension of the professional gestures of grinders when using a collaborative robot.

Using a cobot could relieve workers of strenuous and repetitive tasks while preserving their expertise. To understand the consequences of using a cobot on the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), within a theoretical framework based on activity-centred ergonomics, an example cobot used in grinding activities in a real work situation is studied. This article analyses the evolution of the biomechanical dimension of the professional gestures of grinders when using the cobot. Effort linked to tool carrying and the vibrations perceived were reduced. Repetitiveness decreased but workers did not accomplish the entirety of their task. The work postures did improve for different joints but not for all, which shows the advantage of varying the contexts of using a cobot and taking into account workers' strategy diversity. To investigate other explanatory elements of the effects on MSDs, these results must be linked to the evolution of the other dimensions of professional gestures.

Strategies to commit senior subcontractor managers in participatory ergonomics interventions.

The commitment of managers is one of the facilitators of participatory ergonomics (PE). However, to achieve this, practical practitioners' strategies vary depending on the organizational context and type of stakeholder and are poorly described in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe and to analyze the process and strategies that led to senior managers commitment during a decision-making intervention in a subcontracting context. A reflexive practice method was used to describe strategies implemented during a multi-site research project focusing on musculoskeletal disorders prevention in the meat processing sector. A 3 levels commitment method was developed which included: each subcontractor individually, subcontractors together, and subcontractors with their main contractor. Four strategies from the literature were firstly implemented: the creation of a steering committee, the identification of tendencies to act, the transfer of knowledge and moderation of collective discussion. An additional new strategy based on the sharing of a common interest - knife sharpening and maintenance was necessary to achieve the commitment. These results reinforce the importance of stakeholder strategies commitment in PE. A greater consideration for developing a valid framework is needed.