You are viewing a javascript disabled version of the site. Please enable Javascript for this site to function properly.
Go to headerGo to navigationGo to searchGo to contentsGo to footer
In content section. Select this link to jump to navigation

The evaluation of team lifting on physical work demands and workload in ironworkers

Issue title: IEA 2012: 18th World congress on Ergonomics - Designing a sustainable future

Article type: Research Article

Authors: van der Molen, Henk F.; | Visser, Steven | Kuijer, P. Paul F.M. | Faber, Gert; ; | Hoozemans, Marco J.M. | van Dieën, Jaap H. | Frings-Dresen, Monique H.W.

Affiliations: Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Arbouw, Ceintuurbaan 2, 3847 LG Harderwijk, the Netherlands | Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA | Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Keywords: Team lifting, Physical work demands, Workload, Prevention, Construction work

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0003-3771

Journal: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3771-3773, 2012

Published: 2012
Get PDF

Abstract

Lifting and carrying heavy loads occur frequently among ironworkers and result in high prevalence and incidence rates of low back complaints, injuries and work-disability. From a health perspective, little information is available on the effect of team lifting on work demands and workload. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the effects of team lifting of maximally 50 kg by two ironworkers (T50) with team lifting of maximally 100 kg by four ironworkers (T100). This study combined a field and laboratory study with the following outcome measures: duration and frequency of tasks and activities, energetic workload, perceived discomfort and maximal compression forces (Fc peak) on the low back. The physical work demands and workload of an individual iron worker during manual handling of rebar materials of 100 kg with four workers did not differ from the manual handling of rebar materials of 50 kg with two workers, with the exception of low back discomfort and Fc peak. The biomechanical workload of the low back exceeded for both T50 and T100 the NIOSH threshold limit of 3400N. Therefore, mechanical transport or other effective design solutions should be considered to reduce the biomechanical workload of the low back and the accompanying health risks among iron workers.

Show more