Ergonomic criteria related to perceived comfort when using by-pass-type cutting tools

BackgroundThe recurrent incompatibility between manual tools and human users is a drawback normally associated with the physical capacity of the worker. Hence, the conception and design of comfortable tools should consider the user experience.ObjectiveThis work looks forward to identifying key descriptors influencing the comfort experience, through the usage assessment of a by-pass-type manual cutting tool (pruning scissors).MethodsThis was a cross-sectional research which was carried out in three stages: (i) Identification of the relevant descriptors using a documented review, (ii) Identification of the relevant descriptors through the user experience, which is documented using semi-structured interviews (n = 20), and (iii) Evaluation and grading of the identified descriptors through interviews and the semantic-differential-methodology application (n = 50).ResultsData were evaluated using descriptive-statistics tools, which allowed us to identify comfort descriptors not included in the literature. Similarly, data were treated using the principal component analysis technique (PCA).ConclusionsIt was found that comfort and discomfort behave like two opposites on a continuum scale and that perception changes according to the tool and the specific task in which the user is immersed. On the other hand, it was figured out that tool appearance or aesthetics are not related to comfort.