Workplace Use of Back Belts: Review and Recommendations [1994]

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Backbelts
• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of data supporting the use of back belts to reduce work related back injuries in healthy, previously uninjured workers. The study included a review of the published scientific literature describing laboratory based research on biomechanical, physiological, and psychophysical aspects, variables, or parameters pertaining to back belt use. The NIOSH Back Belt Working Group concluded that there are insufficient data to indicate that typical industrial type back belts significantly reduce the biomechanical loading of the trunk during manual lifting. No studies provided conclusive evidence that actual trunk muscle forces, predicted spinal compression, or shear forces were significantly reduced by wearing a back belt. A number of studies suggest that abdominal and back extensor muscle strength changes with prolonged back belt use. Long term use of back supports may decrease abdominal muscle tone, thereby increasing the likelihood of back injury if the user discontinued use of the back belt. The possibility that a worker may lift heavier loads while using the back belt is real and may resulted in injury. The Working Group recommended that the most effective means of minimizing the likelihood of back injury is to develop and implement a comprehensive ergonomics program. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Content Notes:
  Includes bibliographical references (pp. 24-25).
• Subjects:
  Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Author; Back-injuries; Muscle-function; Personal-protective-equipment; Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Manual-materials-handling; Physical-exercise; Manual-lifting; Ergonomics
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-122, 1994 Jul; :1-28
• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB94122
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Guidance
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DSDTT - Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer ; DSR - Division of Safety Research ; DTMD - Division of Training and Manpower Development ; DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies ; DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering ; DBBS - Division of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  33 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00221251
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB94-218401
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1994
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:03f5abc8e763ea3fc6a9d43c22b2b0492af44f24ab4e6035347989d92aa640a9beb257b64ee61d9312c02c861c1c952346488912014b2130b16540ef55c1fc1e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11236/cdc_11236_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.11 MB ]