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ISSN 1051-9815 (P)
ISSN 1875-9270 (E)
Impact Factor 2024: 1.7
WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, international journal which publishes high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts covering the entire scope of the occupation of work. The journal's subtitle has been deliberately laid out: The first goal is the prevention of illness, injury, and disability. When this goal is not achievable, the attention focuses on assessment to design client-centered intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, or controls that use scientific evidence to support best practice.
WORK occasionally publishes thematic issues, but in general, issues cover a wide range of topics such as ergonomic considerations with children, youth and students, the challenges facing an aging workforce, workplace violence, injury management, performing artists, ergonomic product evaluations, and the awareness of the political, cultural, and environmental determinants of health related to work.
Dr. Karen Jacobs, the founding editor, and her editorial board especially encourage the publication of research studies, clinical practice, case study reports, as well as personal narratives and critical reflections of lived work experiences (autoethnographic/autobiographic scholarship),
Sounding Board commentaries and
Speaking of Research articles which provide the foundation for better understanding research to facilitate knowledge dissemination.
Narrative Reflections on Occupational Transitions, a new column, is for persons who have successfully transitioned into, between, or out of occupations to tell their stories in a narrative form. With an internationally renowned editorial board,
WORK maintains high standards in the evaluation and publication of manuscripts. All manuscripts are reviewed expeditiously and published in a timely manner.
WORK prides itself on being an author-friendly journal.
WORK celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015.
*WORK is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)* *WORK is endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA)* *WORK gives out the yearly Cheryl Bennett Best Paper Award*
Abstract: Repetitive pipetting is a task that is associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the hand and arm. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability and ergonomic performance of commercially available pipettes as determined by user ratings and objective measurements. Participants: Participants were laboratory technicians and scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with experience performing pipetting tasks. Methods: Twenty-one experienced pipette users…completed a standardized pipetting task with 5 manual and 5 electronic pipettes. After using each pipette, the user rated it for attributes of comfort and usability. Results: Although no single pipette was rated significantly better than all of the others for every attribute tested, some significant differences were found between pipettes. The Rainin Pipet-Lite received the highest overall quality score among manual pipettes, while the Thermo Scientific Finnpipette Novus was the top-ranked electronic pipette. Features correlated with greater hand and arm comfort were lower tip ejection force, lower blowout force, and pipette balance in the hand. Conclusions: The findings, when considered with participant comments, provide insights into desirable pipette features and emphasize the value of user testing and the importance of the interactions between task, workplace layout, and pipette design.
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Abstract: Objective: Compare wrist kinematics and typing force during computer work across two workstations, one configured according to recommended guidelines with the keyboard support surface flat and near resting elbow height, the other according to users' actual setup and preference, with an elevated, and positively tilted support surface. Participants: Twenty participants completed a standard computer task at the two workstation configurations. Methods: A thin profile force plate, placed under the…keyboard recorded keyboard reaction forces. Twin axis electro-goniometers (SG65 Biometrics Ltd, London, UK) affixed to the back of the right and left hand of each subject continuously measured wrist extension/flexion and ulnar/radial deviation. Results: Typing force and wrist kinematics were similar between the two configurations with only 10th percentile ulnar deviation for the right hand showing a borderline significant difference of 1° between the two configurations. Conclusion: Elevating and tilting the input device support surface does not necessarily affect typing force and kinematics of the wrist. The combination of the input device support surface and user upper extremities form a complex kinematic system with several degrees of freedom. Wrist postures during computer use are a function of multiple factors other than simply keyboard tilt.
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Abstract: Objective: Pipetting involves static upper arm positions with the pipette held away from the body for sustained periods of time, putting increased musculoskeletal load on the shoulder and upper back. This study explores the effect of using two alternative arm supports while pipetting on muscle loading in the shoulder/neck region. Participants: 15 experienced pipette users participated in this study. Methods: In a repeated-measures design, participants performed simulated pipetting in a laboratory setting…under three arm support conditions: (1) a gel pad on the work surface, (2) a freely-moving counter-balanced forearm support, and (3) no support (control). Surface electromyography (EMG) of the anterior deltoid and upper trapezius muscles were recorded, as well as productivity and subjective usability. Results: Both arm support conditions resulted in significantly lower mean muscle activity of the anterior deltoid and upper trapezius muscles (p< 0.001) and significantly higher subjective comfort ratings (p< 0.001) compared to the control condition. The freely moving forearm support resulted in significantly lower peak muscle activity in the anterior deltoid compared to the control condition (p< 0.001). Productivity was not affected by the arm supports. These findings suggest that arm support may be beneficial in reducing muscle loading and improving comfort in the shoulder and upper back during pipetting. Future studies are needed to measure the impact of these arm supports in the workplace.
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