Measuring Mental Workload Among Employees In The Furniture Industry Using The Nasa-Tlx Method
Keywords:
mental workload, NASA-TLX, furniture industry, ergonomics, occupational workloadAbstract
Mental workload represents an important ergonomic factor in furniture manufacturing because employees perform tasks involving cognitive concentration, physical effort, time pressure, quality control, and production targets. This study aimed to measure mental workload among employees in the furniture industry using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). A quantitative descriptive approach was applied, and workload was evaluated through six dimensions: mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration. The NASA-TLX procedure involved pairwise weighting and rating of each dimension to determine the relative contribution of individual workload components and the overall workload score. The analytical framework emphasized the importance of interpreting aggregate workload together with dominant dimensions because similar total scores may arise from different occupational demands. The findings provide a basis for identifying work-system conditions requiring ergonomic improvement, including task complexity, physical exertion, production pacing, work organization, and psychological strain. The study demonstrates that NASA-TLX can support systematic evaluation of employee workload and provide practical information for improving ergonomic conditions, work allocation, operational efficiency, and occupational safety in furniture manufacturing environments.
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