See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/223575196

Ergonomic design of carpet weaving hand tools

Article  in  International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics · July 2007

DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2007.03.005

CITATIONS READS

53 935

4 authors, including:

Majid Motamedzade Alireza Choobineh

Hamadan University of Medical Sciences Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
95 PUBLICATIONS   620 CITATIONS    178 PUBLICATIONS   2,058 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Shirazeh Arghami
Zanjan University of Medical Sciences
44 PUBLICATIONS   126 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Shift work View project

Research project View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Shirazeh Arghami on 10 February 2018.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 ARTICLE IN PRESS

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587

www.elsevier.com/locate/ergon

Ergonomic design of carpet weaving hand tools

Majid Motamedzadea,, Alireza Choobinehb, Mohammad Amin Mououdic,
Shirazeh Arghamid
a
Occupational Health Department, School of Health, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran
b
School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 71645-111, Shiraz, Iran
c
School of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Sari, Iran
d
School of Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
Received 3 December 2005; received in revised form 26 February 2007; accepted 7 March 2007
Available online 9 May 2007

Abstract

This study was conducted in Iranian carpet industry to determine the prevalence of upper limb problems associated with hand tools
design, investigate the design of hand tools currently used in carpet weaving operation, and design/redesign the tools based on
anthropometric dimensions and ergonomic principles. This study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, 862 weavers from three
Iranian provinces participated. A questionnaire consisting of personal details, Nordic Questionnaire for upper limbs and a table for
anthropometric dimensions of hand was used to collect the required data. In the design phase, the study focused on designing/redesigning
the weaving comb, knife and scissors as the most common tools in carpet weaving operation. Based on the first phase results, three
prototypes of the hand tools were made in this phase. Usability test was conducted to assess comfort and applicability of the designed
hand tools and the weavers’ perceptions. Ten experienced weavers participated in this test. Statistical analyses revealed significant
differences between the scores of the old and the new designed tools. There was a significant preference towards the comfort and
applicability of the prototypes (po0.01). The new ergonomically designed weaving hand tools were found to be applicable and
acceptable by the carpet weavers.

Relevance to industry

In hand-woven carpet industry as a small-scale industry, hand tools are widely used. As extensive use of hand tools may play an
important role in the development of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), ergonomic improvements in the carpet hand tools
may promote health and safety among carpet weavers.
r 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Carpet weaving; Hand tools; Ergonomic design; Upper limbs musculoskeletal disorders

1. Introduction major causes of work-related disorders and diseases are

In a large number of industrial occupations, hand tools
are primary tools. A major concern of these industries is
the high percentage of injuries that occur annually (Lewis
and Narayan, 1993). In many occupations, some of the
Corresponding author. Fax: +98 811 8255301.
E-mail addresses: motamedzade@yahoo.com (M. Motamedzade),
alrchoobin@sums.ac.ir (A. Choobineh), mououdi@yahoo.com
(M.A. Mououdi), arsh42@yahoo.com (S. Arghami).
linked to the use of hand tools. It has been shown that tool
design may play an important role in the development of
work-related problems in the upper limbs (Lewis and
Narayan, 1993; Kadefors et al., 1993). The relationship
between occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
and the use of hand tools is well known (Armstrong et al.,
1982; Aghazadeh and Mital, 1987). Poor design of hand
tools may result in cumulative trauma disorders (Arm-
strong, 1986). Occupational accidents can be linked directly
to the use of specific hand tools as well (Sperling et al.,

0169-8141/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2007.03.005
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
582 M. Motamedzade et al. / International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587
1993). Ergonomically well-designed hand tools may
reduce the risk of occupational injuries of the upper limbs.
They also provide comfortable work for the users and give
high product quality to the consumers (Sperling et al.,
1993).
Carpet hand weaving is a common practice in different
countries such as Iran, China, Turkey, India, Pakistan,
Russia, Egypt, Nepal and Afghanistan where intense use of
hand tools is observed (Choobineh et al., 2004a). Upper
limbs problems are prevalent as work-related MSDs
among weavers. Kutluhan et al. (2001) believed that
hand-made carpet weavers were exposed to varying degrees
of repetitive and forceful hand and wrist motions with non-
ergonomic hand tools and they seemed to be at increased
risk of developing upper limbs musculoskeletal symptoms
and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). They concluded that
weaving was a high-risk profession for upper extremity
repetitive strain and CTS. Radjabi declared that constant
tying of knots with non-ergonomic hand tools might result
in swollen finger joints, arthritis and neuralgia, causing
permanent deformation of the fingers (Radjabi, 1983).
Researches have proved that in weaving operation because
of continuous use of wrists, fingers and repetitive move-
ments, the risk of wrist and hand soft tissue, particularly
median nerve, injuries are high (Senveli et al., 1987; Tan
and Tan, 1998; Budak et al., 2001).
In carpet weaving operation, more than 10 different
kinds of hand tools are applied among them weaving
comb, knife and scissors are the most commonly used.
Basically, these are cheap tools made by blacksmiths using
traditional and primitive technology from unsuitable
materials and workmanship that noticeably contribute to
accidents. They are traditionally designed and no ergo-
nomics principle is applied in their structures (Choobineh
et al., 2004b).
As the use of hand tools may play an important role in
the development of disorders and accidents, it is obvious
that improvements in the design of hand tools are essential
for promoting professional users’ health, particularly
where there is intensive exposure.
As given above, the present study was conducted in
Iranian carpet industry to determine the prevalence of
upper limb problems associated with hand tools design,
investigate the design of hand tools currently used in carpet
weaving operation and, if necessary, redesign the tools
based on anthropometric characteristics of weavers’ hands
and ergonomics principles.
2. Materials and methods
This study consisted of two phases, which are described
separately.
2.1. Phase 1: field study
In this phase, weavers’ individual characteristics and
upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms in active weaving
workshops in rural and urban districts of nine cities in
three Iranian provinces including Eastern Azarbayejan
(north–west of Iran), Isfahan (central of Iran) and Kerman
(south–east of Iran) were surveyed and weaving hand tools
were studied. In each province, up to 300 weavers were
randomly selected from the corresponding list of work-
shops. Totally, 862 weavers participated in this phase of
study. A questionnaire was applied to collect required data
from each weaver. The questionnaire consisted of three
parts including; (a) personal details, (b) Nordic Muscu-
loskeletal Questionnaire for upper limbs (Kuorinka et al.,
1987), and (c) a table for anthropometric dimensions of
hand.
All workshops were visited and the questionnaires
were completed by interview. Upon questionnaire comple-
tion, anthropometric dimensions of weavers’ hands were
measured with direct method using a digital caliper by
trained field researchers. Necessary data on weaving
hand tools design and application in carpet weaving
operation were provided by photography and videotaping
techniques.
2.2. Phase 2: hand tool design
In the design phase, based on the results of the first
phase, designing/redesigning weaving comb, knife and
scissors as the most commonly used hand tools in carpet
weaving operation were in central attention. In this phase,
the following procedure was followed:
 Providing a collection of carpet weaving hand tools
currently used in weaving operation.
 Studying carpet weaving hand tools during work
for considering design/redesign requirements and deter-
mining their specifications including weight, texture,
handle shape and hand posture during hand tools
application.
 Developing new models of hand tools according to hand
anthropometric characteristics of the weavers and
ergonomic design principles.
 Making prototypes.
 Testing the prototypes based on a usability test
protocol.
 Redesigning the prototypes regarding the results of
usability test.
Handles were found to be the critical components of the
carpet weaving tools, particularly for weaving combs and
knives. For designing handle shape and length, the hand
anthropometric database and weaving practice were the
basic considerations.
Design principles: Physical factors taken into
consideration in developing new models are described
below:
 For greatest comfort of use and least stress, the tool
handle should be oriented so that, while working, the
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Motamedzade et al. / International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587 583

hand and the forearm are aligned. Since the shape of the The data on weavers’ perceptions were statistically
tool handle will affect the posture used to hold it, the tested to determine differences between the traditional
shape of the handle is a primary factor which can be and new tools. Perceptions were tested by Wilcoxon
used to reduce or eliminate fatigue in the user (Winston signed-rank test. The level of significance for statistical
and Narayan, 1993). tests was 0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using
 The major muscles, which flex the fingers and generate SPSS 10.
grip force are located in the forearm. These muscles have
long tendons that span the wrist joint. Thus, the 3. Results
gripping capability of the fingers is affected by the
position of the wrist. Frequent use of hand tools with 3.1. Phase 1
the wrist in a bent position can cause inflammation,
chronic pain, and possible permanent injury both to Table 1 shows the personal characteristics of the carpet
synovial sheats, protecting the tendons of the wrist and weavers studied in three provinces. The majority of
the median nerve passing through the wrist (Tichauer, weavers were female (74%). Table 2 presents the pre-
1966). valence of MSDs symptoms in both dominant and non-
 The cross-sectional configuration of the tool handle dominant upper extremities in the upper limbs of the
directly affects the operator’s performance and health. weavers during the last 12 months. Shoulder, wrist, arm,
The forces generated during use should be distributed elbow and fingers were found to be the most commonly
on as large a pressure area of the palm as possible affected regions among the weavers.
(Winston and Narayan, 1993). An anthropometric database (Table 3) was established
 Recesses such as finger grooves should not be provided for hand dimensions of the weavers.
because of the wide variations in finger anthropometry
in the population. In particular, a person with large
fingers may create compressive forces on the lateral 3.2. Phase 2
surfaces of the fingers, which are areas abundant in
superficial nerves and veins (Winston and Narayan, Based on ergonomics hand tool design principles, and
1993). hand anthropometric dimensions of the weavers, proto-
 If a tool has a short handle that does not span the types for weaving comb, knife and scissors were developed.
breadth of the palm, high forces are created at the center The details of design process are presented below.
of the palm. Thus, the tool handle should be designed to
extend beyond the hand when gripped (Winston and
Table 1
Narayan, 1993).
Some personal details of the carpet weavers studied in three Iranian
 Sharp edges and corners may cause cuts, bruises, or provinces (n ¼ 862)
abrasions. Hence, one should seek to eliminate such
hazards by rounding edges and corners with as large a Age (years) Mean (SD) 36 (14.8)
Min–max 15–82
radius as possible.
Weight (kg) Mean (SD) 58.7 (11.5)
Min–max 28–100
Prototype testing: Usability test was conducted to assess Height (cm) Mean (SD) 159 (8.7)
comfort and applicability of the designed hand tools and Min–max 137–190
the weavers’ perceptions. Five experienced male and five Weaving experience (years) Mean (SD) 21.2 (15.4)
experienced female weavers, having mean age 29.7 years Min–max 1–50
Daily working hours (h) Mean (SD) 7.5 (2.1)
[SD ¼ 7.4], mean weight 65 kg [SD ¼ 7.3], mean stature Min–max 1–13
167.8 cm [SD ¼ 4.2], and mean weaving experience six
years [SD ¼ 5.2] participated in this stage. In the usability
study, the hand tools evaluation checklist, developed by
Dababneh et al. (2004) was applied and the related scores Table 2
were calculated (maximum score ¼ 100). The checklist was Frequency of reported musculoskeletal symptoms in both dominant and
non-dominant upper extremities of the carpet weavers during the 12
modified according to carpet weaving hand tools features months prior to the study (n ¼ 862)
(see Appendix A).
In this stage, each weaver took part in three trials of Upper limb regions No. (%)
30 min. In each trial a certain tool is assessed, in which the
Shoulders 590 (68.4)
weaver performed weaving tasks using both traditional Arms 351 (40.7)
tool and the prototype with the same sharpness. Upon Elbows 241 (28)
completion of the trial, the checklist was presented to the Forearms 220 (25.5)
weaver and her/his perception was measured. Based on the Wrists 375 (43.5)
Hands 153 (17.8)
results, the ergonomic score for each tool was, then,
Fingers 271 (31.4)
calculated.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
584 M. Motamedzade et al. / International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587

Table 3
Hand anthropometric dimensions of Iranian carpet weavers (in mm)

Dimensions Male (n ¼ 224) Female (n ¼ 638)

Percentiles SD Percentiles SD

5th 50th 95th 5th 50th 95th

Hand length 168 182 198 9 157 171 185 9

Palm length 80 98 112 11 77 92 103 9
Thumb length 43 52 62 6 42 50 58 5
Thumb breadth 19 22 26 2 17 20 23 3
Index length 63 72 80 5 62 68 76 5
Index breadth 18 20 23 3 17 19 21 3
Middle length 70 79 88 6 67 75 83 5
Middle breadth 18 20 23 2 16 18 21 2
Ring length 64 72 79 5 61 68 75 5
Little length 51 58 66 5 49 55 63 5 Fig. 2. Weaver’s hand posture during work with the weaving comb
Little breadth 15 18 20 2 14 16 18 2 prototype.
Hand thickness 34 44 54 6 26 34 48 8
Hand breadth (4 fins.) 75 84 100 8 67 76 88 6
Hand breadth (palm) 91 102 113 7 85 93 103 6
Index thickness 15 18 21 2 14 16 19 4
Hand length (grip) 97 110 125 10 89 100 115 10
Grip diameter (inner) 33 41 50 5 32 39 45 5
Grip diameter (outer) 88 99 108 7 79 90 99 6
Wrist thickness 37 42 50 4 34 39 47 4
Wrist breadth 53 60 73 6 50 57 68 6

Fig. 3. Weaving knife; Top: knife with new ergonomic handle, Bottom:
traditional design.

of the handle had larger diameter and was extended out of

Fig. 1. Weaving comb; Left: traditional design, Right: comb with new
ergonomic handle.
Weaving comb handle design: As shown in Fig. 1, a non-
slip texture has been used to improve grips by increasing
the friction between the hand and the handle. The tool
handle has been oriented in such a way that while working,
the hand and the forearm were aligned and no significant
deviation from neutral posture occurred. Fig. 2, a picture
taken during prototype design stage, shows the weaver’s
hand posture during working with weaving comb. To avoid
stress concentration on the palm, the end and the base part
the closed hand.
Weaving comb handle length calculation: According to
Lewis and Narayan (1993), the length of handle was
calculated using hand breadth (palm) (Table 3) [[(P5th hand
breadth of males+P50th of hand breadth of males)+P50th
hand breadth of females]/3]+15:
½½ð90 þ 102Þ þ 93=3 ¼ 95 þ 15 ¼ 110 mm.
Fifteen millimeters was added to the length of the handle
because the handle length must be longer than the widest
part of the weaver’s hand during carpet weaving for
preventing contact stress on the palm of hand.
Weaving comb handle diameter calculation: Weaving
comb can be classified as a power grip hand tool. In order
to calculate the diameter of the handle in the thickest part,
grip diameter (inner) was used (Table 3): [(P5th grip
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Motamedzade et al. / International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587
Fig. 4. Weaver’s hand posture during work with weaving knife prototype.
diameter of males+P50th of grip diameter of males)+P50th
grip diameter of females]/3.
½½ð33 þ 41Þ þ 39=3 ¼ 38 mm.
The calculated values were applied for making proto-
type.
Weaving knife handle design: As shown in Fig. 3,
an appropriate non-slip texture was used to improve
grips. The guard on the sharp edge prevented slip of the
hand over the blade and resulted in safe operation.
The rounded end of the handle was extended out of the
closed hand that caused stress reduction on the palm. No
groove was provided to accommodate wide variations in
finger anthropometry of the users. Fig. 4 shows the
weaver’s hand posture during work with the new weaving
knife.
Weaving knife handle length and diameter calculations:
The same procedure as weaving comb handle design was
applied for weaving knife design. Weaving knife is
classified as a precision grip hand tool. Thus, the handle
585
Fig. 5. Weaving scissors; Top: scissors with new ergonomic handles,
Bottom: traditional design.
Fig. 6. Weaver’s hand posture during work with the weaving scissors
prototype.
diameter was reduced to 25 mm to make the prototype of
the weaving knife.
weaving knife handle length: 110 mm,
weaving knife handle diameter: 25 mm.
Weaving scissors handle design: As shown in Fig. 5,
an appropriate texture was used to prevent slip and
contact stress on the hand and fingers. The tool
handle was oriented such that during work the wrist
was kept in healthy posture and no significant deviation
from the neutral posture occurred. The rounded end
of the handle was extended out of the closed hand,
which caused stress reduction on the palm. Fig. 6 shows
the weaver’s hand posture during work with weaving
scissors.
The handle length of the scissors was determined to
be 110 mm (see weaving comb handle design). To obtain
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
586 M. Motamedzade et al. / International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587
a desired handle diameter for the scissors, three proto-
types with handle diameters of 10, 15 and 20 mm were
made and tested. As the weaving scissors were applied in
precision tasks, in accordance to NIOSH recommendation
(2004), 80 mm was considered for open grip span of the
scissors.
Prototype testing results: In 80% of cases (eight weavers),
the scores of usability tests were above 90 for all three
prototypes. According to the interpretation of
checklist score proposed by Dababneh et al. (2004), this
meant that the prototypes were not lacking any
highly important ergonomic design features. In 20% of
cases (two weavers), the scores ranged from 77 to 85 for the
three prototypes. All scores obtained for the old hand tools
were lower than 70. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test
revealed significant differences between the scores of the
old and the new designed tools. Based on the results of
statistical analyses, there was a significant preference
towards the comfort and applicability of the prototypes
(po0.01).
During the prototype testing, based on the participants’
suggestions, some modifications were undertaken in the
prototypes as follows:
 The shape of comb handle was changed from round to
oval with 35 and 25 mm of diameter.
 The shape of knife handle was changed from round to
oval with 15 and 20 mm of diameter. The handle length
was acceptable for the weavers.
 The scissors with 15 mm of handle diameter were
preferred by the weavers. The designed handle
length and span were found to be acceptable for the
weavers.
4. Discussion
The questionnaire showed that symptoms from
the upper limbs were common among weavers. High
percent of weavers had experienced some kind of
symptoms from the upper limbs during the last 12 months
(Table 2). This is in agreement with the results of
the findings of the study of Choobineh et al.
(2004a). According to literature, these problems can be
attributable to hand tools design issues (Lewis and
Narayan, 1993; Kadefors et al., 1993; Armstrong et al.,
1982; Aghazadeh and Mital, 1987; Armstrong, 1986;
Sperling et al., 1993).
Similar to other hand tools, the purpose of the handle
usage in carpet weaving tools is to facilitate the transmis-
sion of force from the weaver’s musculoskeletal system to
the tool or the carpet she/he is weaving. To optimize force
transmission, it is necessary to optimize handle design
(Pheasant, 1999). Therefore, in this study the handle design
was considered the critical factor in safe, comfortable and
easy use of the carpet weaving hand tools.
Poor designed, traditional hand tools are commonly
used in carpet weaving operation. It seems that these
traditional hand tools greatly need redesigning. Any
improvement in the design of carpet weaving hand
tools may considerably improve health and safety of a
large number of weavers working in Iranian carpet
industry.
This study focused on redesigning three dominant types
of common hand tools in carpet weaving operation,
including weaving comb, knife and scissors. The results
of the usability test indicated that the ergonomic handles
were comfortable and applicable to the weavers. No
soreness was reported in the palm of hands by the
participants while working with the new tools. During
work with the prototypes, the wrist was in appropriate
posture. Generally, the results of the usability test showed
that the new designs were applicable and acceptable for the
weavers.
5. Conclusion
This study showed that upper limbs MSDs occurred
at a high rate among carpet weavers. From the usability
test, it could be concluded that, new hand tools caused
the concentration of contact stress on the palm of hand
to be eliminated. The designed handles were perceived
more comfortable than conventional ones. The new
ergonomically designed weaving hand tools were
found to be applicable and acceptable for the carpet
weavers. However, further study is needed to make
appropriate revisions to the ergonomically designed
tools based on quantitative measures of musculoskeletal
loading.
In this study, no attempt was made to measure the
effects of the new weaving hand tools on weavers’
performance. Further field trials will be needed to test
efficiency under real production conditions.
Acknowledgement
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of
Center for Carpet Research, Iranian Ministry of Com-
merce.
Appendix A
Checklist used for ergonomic evaluation of carpet
weaving hand tools, including weaving knife, weaving
comb and weaving scissors, modified from Dababneh et al.
(2004)
Please respond to each item on the checklist by ‘‘Yes’’,
‘‘No’’ or ‘‘NA’’ (not applicable). Write the score in the
‘‘Score’’ column. Add the scores of all items to get the total
score of the usability test.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
M. Motamedzade et al. / International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 37 (2007) 581–587 587

ITEM ERGONOMIC FEATURE YES NA NO SCORE

1 Tool handle surface have a non-slip surface. +10 0
2 Tool handle surface is without sharp edges. +10 0
3 Tool handle is made of wood. +10 0
4 Tool handle surface is thermally insulated. +2 0
5 Tool handle surface is coated with soft material. +10 0
6 Tool handle length is 100-150mm. +10 0
7 For weaving knife and weaving comb: +8 0 0
Size of the handle cross section is not too small and not too
large and a minimum overlap between index finger and thumb
(25mm) is possible.
8 For weaving knife and weaving comb: +2 0 0
Shape of handle cross section is oval.
9 For weaving scissors : +2 0 0
The shape of handle cross section is circular.
10 For weaving scissors: +10 0 0
Grip span is greater or equal to 50mm when fully closed and
less than or equal to 80mm when fully open.
11 Angle of the handle is formed so that the work can be done +10 0
keeping a straight wrist.
12 The tool weight is less than 2.3 Kg. +10 0
13 The tool can be used by either hand. +2 0
14 The tool can be used by the weaver's dominant hand. +10 0
15 The tool will allow two-handed operation during weaving. +4 0
16 The tool is color coded so it is easy to identify. +2 0
Total score of the tool (100 points possible)

References
Aghazadeh, A., Mital, A., 1987. Injuries due to hand tools: results of a
questionnaire. Applied Ergonomics 18, 273–278.
Armstrong, T., Foulke, J., Joseph, B., 1982. An investigation of
cumulative trauma disorders in a poultry processing plant. American
Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 43, 103–116.
Armstrong, T., 1986. Ergonomics and cumulative trauma disorders. Hand
Clinics 2 (3), 553–565.
Budak, F., Yenigun, N., Ozbek, A., Orhan, S., Komsuoglu, S., 2001.
Carpal tunnel syndrome in carpet weavers. Electromyography and
Clinical. Neurophysiology. 41, 29–32.
Choobineh, A.R., Lahmi, M.A., Shahnavaz, H., Khani Jazani, R.,
Hosseini, M., 2004a. Musculoskeletal symptoms as related to
ergonomic factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry and general
guidelines for workstation design. International Journal of Occupa-
tional Safety and Ergonomics 10 (2), 157–168.
Choobineh, A.R., Shahnavaz, H., Lahmi, M.A., 2004b. Major health risk
factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry. International Journal
of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics 10 (1), 65–78.
Dababneh, A., Lowe, B., Krieg, E., Kong, Y., Waters, T., 2004. A
checklist for ergonomic evaluation of nonpowered hand tools. Journal
of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 1, D135–D145.
Kadefors, R., Areskoug, A., Dahlman, S., Kilbom, A., Sperling, L.,
Wikstrom, L., Oster, J., 1993. An approach to ergonomics evaluation
of hand tools. Applied Ergonomics 24 (3), 203–211.
Kuorinka, I., Jonsson, B., Kilbom, A., Vinterberg, H., Biering-Sorensen,
F., Andersson, G., Jorgensen, K., 1987. Standardized Nordic
Questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Applied
Ergonomics 18 (3), 233–237.
Kutluhan, S., Akhan, G., Demirci, S., Duru, S., Koyuncuoglu, H.R.,
Ozturk, M., Cirak, B., 2001. Carpal tunnel syndrome in
carpet workers. International Archive of Occupational Health 74,
454–457.
Lewis, W.G., Narayan, C.V., 1993. Design and sizing of ergonomic
handles for hand tools. Applied Ergonomics 24 (5), 351–356.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2004.
Easy Ergonomics: A Guide to Selecting Non-Powered Hand Tools.
NIOSH Publication No. 2004, p. 164.
Pheasant, S., 1999. Bodyspace. Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the
Design of Work. Taylor & Francis, London.
Radjabi, A., 1983. Carpets, hand-woven. In: Encyclopaedia of
Occupational Health and Safety, third ed, vol. I, ILO, Geneva,
pp. 416–418
Senveli, M.E., Turker, A., Arda, M.N., Altinors, M.N., 1987. Bilateral
carpal tunnel syndrome in a young carpet weaver. Clinical Neurology
and Neurosurgery 89 (4), 281–282.
Sperling, L., Dahlman, S., Wikstrom, L., Kilbom, A., Kadefors, R., 1993.
A cube model for the classification of work with hand tools and the
formulation of functional requirements. Applied Ergonomics 24 (3),
212–220.
Tan, M., Tan, U., 1998. Correlation of carpal tunnel size and conduction
velocity of the sensory median and ulnar nerves of male and female
controls and carpet weavers. Perceptual and Motor Skills 87,
1195–1201.
Tichauer, E.R., 1966. Some aspects of stress on forearm and hand in
industry. Journal of Occupational Medicine 8 (2), 63–72.
Winston, G.L., Narayan, C.V., 1993. Design and sizing of ergonomic
handles for hand tools. Applied Ergonomics 24 (5), 351–356.

View publication stats