Quantitative biomechanical workplace exposure measures: Distribution centers |
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| Authors: | William S Marras Steven A Lavender Sue A Ferguson Riley E Splittstoesser Gang Yang |
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| Institution: | 1. Pulmonary Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel;2. Tel-Aviv University Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv, Israel;3. Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;4. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel;1. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited, Bilaspur, India;2. Department of Applied Geophysics, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India;3. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Al Habeeb College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, India;1. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington;2. St. George’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom;3. Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire;4. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts;5. European Society of Radiology, Vienna, Austria;6. The American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia;7. University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany;8. Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, United Kingdom;9. University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | Physical work exposure characteristics assessed in most previous epidemiologic studies have been described mostly in gross categorical terms (e.g. heavy work, lifting and forceful movements, etc.) and have resulted in relatively moderate associations with low back pain risk. We hypothesized that it was necessary to characterize work demands in a much more quantitative fashion so that the precise biomechanically meaningful measures of exposure were available for risk analysis. In this study, we used sophisticated instrumentation to continuously document 390 physical exposures during lifting (in four types of distribution centers) throughout work. This study profiles these exposures and shows how these exposures vary as a function of the type of distribution center and compares the exposures to (previously documented) manufacturing exposures. Static load and load moment measures were found to greatly under-represent true (dynamic) load and load moment exposures to workers. Lift durations averaged 11–12% of the cycle time in distribution environments. This study indicates that distribution workers are commonly exposed to greater extreme loads and move much more rapidly than manufacturing employees. The information provided here can serve as a basis for low back pain risk assessments. |
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