March 14, 2014
Kempenfelt Bay Conference Centre, Barrie
Summary
The Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) held its 2014 Research Retreat on March 14, 2014. The event was held in conjunction with the Ontario Biomechanics Conference in Barrie, Ontario. The theme was “Measuring Fatigue at Work”. It was facilitated by faculty, staff, and students from the University of Waterloo and the AUTO21 network. The event was attended by 12 researchers and 53 students, from the CRE-MSD researcher and student network: a total of 65 participants.
The objectives of the research day were for participants to:
- Become familiar with multiple definitions and manifestations of fatigue and its measurement
- Understand specific issues in the measurement of fatigue in the workplace
- Apply the knowledge to the participant’s research area or project
The research day consisted of three interactive activities interspersed with presentations delivered by CRE-MSD researcher Richard Wells and PhD student Marcus Yung.
Working in table groups of 6-8, participants were first asked for their own definition of fatigue in less than 50 words and to present them to the group. This exercise proved to be insightful, as there is no universally agreed upon definition of fatigue and every group arrived to a different definition.
Table groups were then asked to identify fatigue measures and detection methods. They did this by creating a process link diagram by arranging and pining approximately 80 small cards -which listed fatigue outcomes and causes - onto large “foam core” boards. This exercise, too, was enlightening, as participants began to recognize the complexity of fatigue and its measurement.
Example of a process link diagram created in the table group exercise
Feedback from the participants was very positive, with many noting that the interactive nature of the activities promoted a lot of discussion within the table groups, as well it was both fun and informative!