Beyond the Ergonomics Program: Applying Gamification for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders.

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The proposed research program aims to improve the wellbeing of the worker by using advanced technology to develop an innovative, fun, and creative approach to workplace safety in order to reduce the risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in the workplace. Gamification, the use of game elements and game-design techniques in non-game contexts, motivates people to increase engagement and participation, and can even drive behavior toward predefined objectives. WMSDs constitute one of the most important and common topics of human factors and ergonomics. Although numerous attempts have been conducted to manage the problem of WMSDs, including changing work methods and employing personal protective equipment and engineering redesigns, WMSDs still remain the most prevalent and most common cause of disability among workers worldwide. These disorders cause great human suffering and loss and also carry a high economic cost. It is well known that WMSDs result mainly from unsafe behaviors in workers and/or unsafe working conditions, including postures and movements, repetitiveness and pace of work, force of movements, vibration, temperature and so on. Therefore, it is crucial to motivate both employers and employees to modify workers' behavior and environment in order to produce safer working conditions, thereby reducing the risk factors of WMSDs. In this context, gamification can be a promising tool in the effort to prevent workplace injuries based on its nature as a playful experience that is also intrinsically motivating, even to the point of long-term motivation. Thus, this research program will answer the following questions: (1) How does gamification play a role in human motivation from both psychological and physiological perspectives? (2) How can an ergonomic gamification system be developed in which both employer and employee are motivated to become voluntary and active participants in creating safer workplace behaviors in fun, creative and innovative ways? and (3) How can we apply and validate the effect of ergonomic gamification in an industry setting? The outcomes of the proposed research program will contribute not only to developing a new approach to solving the prevalent problem of WMSDs, but also to extending the domain of gamification research by providing a gamification design framework for non-expert game designers, thereby facilitating the use of gamification in future studies in other domains. Finally, the proposed research program will benefit Canadian private and public sectors by improving worker performance and increasing worker satisfaction, thereby contributing to a culture of workplace safety.