Scott Fulmer

Ergonomic Analysis of New York Apple Harvest Work Using a Posture-Activities-Tools-Handling (PATH) Work Sampling Approach

Although back, neck, and shoulder strains are common among migrant and seasonal orchard workers, little data currently exist regarding the ergonomic factors contributing to this problem. We adapted Posture-Activities-Tools-Handling (PATH) instruments and methods for ergonomic job analysis of apple harvest work in three New York orchards, and used the resulting protocol to quantify hazardous activities, loads, and postures. Using a prototype developed previously, we trained twelve contract orchard observers with classroom training and supervised orchard practice. The PATH data were then collected on 14 orchard workers over four days (2,900 observations). Mean coefficients of variation ranged from a low of 0.212 (standing leg neutral) to a high of 0.603 (trunk moderate flexion). Most frequently observed activities were: picking (62.9%), placing and moving apples in the bag (8. 7%), and walking (8.1%). Weight bearing (>10 lb, >4.54 kg) was observed 78.5% of the time throughout a range of activities. Apple harvest work is comparable with other ergonomically high-risk occupations. Future research should focus on low-cost interventions that reduce load and awkward postures.

Facilitators and Barriers to Using Treadmill Workstations Under Real Working Conditions: A Qualitative Study in Female Office Workers

Purpose. Characterize barriers and facilitators to use treadmill workstations in real work sites. Design. For 6 months, workers tried a sit-stand-walk treadmill workstation at will with expert ergonomic support. Qualitative data were collected monthly. Setting. Administrative and academic departments at a higher education institution in Massachusetts, United States. Participants. Five female administrative office workers. Method. One monthly group interview and one personal interview per participant during 6 months. Emerging topics from previous interviews were used in successive data gatherings. Transcribed data were manually coded according to the predefined topics of usability, comfort, safety, and productivity. Results. The setup of the work station, communication difficulties while walking (disrespectful, noisy), and peer pressure to maximize use were the main usability barriers. There was no event of falls. Trips were minimized. About comfort, subjects reported it hard to get used to prolonged standing position during the first month. Treadmill speed affected productivity mostly while drawing and working in spreadsheets. Lack of job autonomy was revealed as a generic barrier. Conclusion. In this female group, treadmill workstations had serious design problems for workers with not enough control of their jobs. The early identification and removal of barriers likely needs to be considered when offering these workstations to workers with low job autonomy.

Work-time exposure and acute injuries in inshore lobstermen of the Northeast United States

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to inform efforts to reduce risk for musculoskeletal disorders among commercial lobstermen by characterizing and quantifying injuries that occur to people while harvesting lobsters commercially in the Northeast United States. This study aimed to estimate a denominator of exposure to lobstering in full-time equivalents (FTE), to estimate a fatality rate, and to calculate incidence rates for acute injuries within the sample population. Captains were randomly selected from those licensed to fish in Maine and Massachusetts. Data on work exposure and injuries with rapid onset that occurred on the boat (“acute injuries”) were collected using a survey, which was administered quarterly via phone or face-to-face interview with the captain. The quarterly survey assessed the number of weeks worked during the quarter, average crew size, number of trips per week, and average trip length in hours. In addition, this survey captured relevant information (body segment affected, type of injury, and whether treatment was received) on all acute injuries occurring during the quarter. FTE were estimated using fishermen days and fishermen hours. The annual FTE estimated using days was 2,557 and using hours was 2,855. As expected, the summer months (3rd quarter) had the highest FTE and the winter (1st quarter) the lowest FTE. Fall (4th quarter) and spring (2nd quarter) ranked second and third, respectively. The incidence rates for all injuries (49.7/100 FTE) and injuries requiring treatment (15.0/100 FTE) were much higher than those reported in other studies of fishing that used Coast Guard data.

Musculoskeletal Disorders in Northeast Lobstermen

Background The objective of this study was to report on the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in lobstermen in the northeast USA. Methods Crews were randomly selected from those licensed to fish in Maine and Massachusetts and followed prospectively. The survey used a Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire format to characterize musculoskeletal disorders. Results A total of 395 individuals participated. One half of the respondents reported low back pain. Back pain was attributed to or exacerbated by lobstering. Low back pain was prevalent among both captains and sternmen, while sternmen reported more hand/wrist pain than captains. Multiple locations for pain were common in individual participants. Conclusion Equipment or technology to assist material handling should be a priority, as the body segments with high prevalence of pain (back, hand/wrists, shoulders, knees) are all affected by the repetitive and forceful handling of the lobster traps.

Ergonomics: the impact of an intervention for lifting hazards during installation of overhead electrical conduit.

T he construction industry has been shown to have high injury rates and the inherent ergonomic problems have been documented.(1–3) Musculoskeletal disorders, particularly back injuries, are a major concern in construction.(4) Low back pain and other injuries attributed to manual lifting activities(5) continue to be one of the leading occupational health and safety issues in all of preventive ergonomic medicine. Workers lifting and carrying equipment or materials can be injured when they twist repeatedly, work in awkward positions, or try to handle heavy loads without help. Electricians play a significant role in construction processes. Electricians install, connect, test, and maintain electrical systems for a variety of purposes. Most electricians specialize in either construction or maintenance. In either case, electricians install conduit pipes, tubing for protecting electrical wires inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas. The Massachusetts State Construction Industry Report for 2001 established that, among all trades, electricians and electrician apprentices had the state’s fourth highest number of nonfatal injuries, with 375 days away from work.(6) The objective of this study was to evaluate an intervention to reduce lifting hazards during installation of electrical conduit on a highway construction site. The electricians were responsible for identifying both the ergonomic hazard and the intervening control. The intervention that was implemented was a stand built on site (Figure 1) and used to store stock segments of electrical conduit closer to the point where they must ultimately be attached to an existing highway structure. The intent of the stand was to reduce the lifting distance, and specifically to reduce trunk flexion and forceful exertion, required to lift the segments to their destination. Specifically, the purpose of this ergonomic exposure analysis was to:

Research Needs for and Barriers to Use of Treadmill Workstations

Although laboratory studies demonstrate increases in energy expenditure with the use of treadmill workstations, effectiveness and efficiency studies demonstrating improved energy expenditure in real workplaces have yet to build the evidence to support use of such workstations. Psychosocial barriers to using treadmill workstations are related to communication (noise and hierarchy), need for motivation, peer pressure, and adaptation that might affect performance. Answers to questions such as whether the institution is willing to pay more to acquire very-low-noise devices, whether it is able to tolerate low use of treadmills, and whether vendors exist with no-hassle return policies may help in properly implementing treadmill workstations.

0235 Barriers and Facilitators of Supplying a Treadmill Workstation to Office Workers: usability, safety, comfort, and productivity. A qualitative study0235 Barriers and Facilitators of Supplying a Treadmill Workstation to Office Workers: usability, safety, comfort, and productivity. A qualitative study

Objectives Characterise usability, safety, comfort, and impact on productivity of treadmill workstations in real worksites. Method Office workers volunteered to try out for six months a treadmill workstation consisting of a height adjustable electric desk, a walking treadmill, and their own sitting device (chair or “sitting ball”). They were instructed to set up and use the workstation at will. Monthly individual and group meetings were performed to gather qualitative data. Results USABILITY: Difficult set up of the workstation, which demanded use of wireless mouse and keyboards and generated creative arrangements. Unanimous love for the adjustable electric desk. Difficult to talk to people while walking (disrespectful, “On the treadmill we are taller” - affect hierarchies). SAFETY: There was no event of either trips or falls. COMFORT: An important difficulty was during the first weeks to get used to longer time in standing position. In average it took two weeks for discomfort symptoms in foot and knees to recede. PRODUCTIVITY: faster speed implies faster impact on productivity. 7–.8 mph was the most used and comfortable speed. Walking on the treadmill was not compatible with drawing or working with spreadsheets. Conclusions Treadmill workstation did not meet workers’ expectations but the electric adjustable desk exceeded those expectations. Guiding and external motivation to increase use would be accepted and expected. DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS: Reduce maximum speed. Even 2.0 mph is too much. Additional design study needed to improve global workstation setup without decreasing flexibility and adaptation of the station.

Assessing the ergonomic hazards for Pile Drivers

OBJECTIVE The study was conducted to assess the physical/ergonomic exposures that may lead to musculoskeletal injuries of Pile Drivers. PARTICIPANTS Pile Drivers in the Greater Boston area. METHODS A hierarchical taxonomy for pile driving work was developed with tasks and activities defined within each of seven main pile driving operations. Exposures were characterized for the pile driving work with the PATH (Posture, Activity, Tools, and Handling) method. Data on working posture were collected for three main body parts: legs, arm and trunk. RESULTS A total of 8,301 observations were made on 29 Pile Drivers, on a total of 6 work sites. The lagging operation had the highest percentage of observations with non-neutral trunk (46.8%), and leg (41.0%) postures, as well as one of the lowest percentages for working on stable ground (9.0%) as observed during the lagging operation. The bracing operation had the lowest percentage for working on stable ground (0.3%). The slurry wall operation also had a low percentage of work on stable ground (6.0%). Compared to the awkward trunk and leg postures, the arm postures were less frequently observed as being awkward or non-neutral. CONCLUSION The results indicate of significant exposures that could lead to musculoskeletal injuries of the back and legs for the Pile Drivers. The unstable ground conditions seemed to be one of the main concerns for this job.

Biomechanical risk factors for knee disorders in Carpenters

Years of occupational health research in construction indicated that more information was needed to help bring proper attention to specific suffering by certain construction trades. In this study, knee disorders in Carpenter specialties were examined by observation and expert opinion in order to rank specific factors of exposure. Ergonomic profiles for an exhaustive taxonomy of their work were found. A comparison of validated methods of exposure assessment was useful in identifying key factors of exposure, and to strengthen the epidemiologic link between the task-exposure matrix and outcomes of knee disorder.

Quantitative Ergonomics Exposure Assessment for Floor Coverers in the Greater Boston Area

Floor Coverers have a high prevalence of knee related injuries. The objective of this study is to quantify whole body ergonomics exposure for Floor Coverers in the greater Boston area. A total of 6213 observations (about 100 hours) were made on 49 Floor Coverers by 7 trained observers in 8 construction sites. Awkward leg postures were common. “Kneeling/Crawling” was observed 61.2% of the time. Non-neutral trunk postures were observed frequently. “Severe Flexion” was observed 36.6% of the time, “Mild Flexion” 12.9%. “Manual Material Handling” was observed most frequently during “Hardwood Floor” (36.1%). Hand tools were used more frequently (32.6%) than power tools (5.2%). “Severe Trunk Flexion” did not always lead to heavy trunk load with kneeling postures. Leg postures should be considered before trunk postures were converted to trunk loads. Awkward leg postures are a big problem for Floor Coverers. A majority of the tasks happened near or on the ground.