Effect of Concrete Block Weight and Wall Height on Electromyographic Activity and Heart Rate of Masons

Details

• Personal Author:
  Anton D ; Cook TM ; Gerr F ; Merlino LA ; Rosecrance JC
• Description:
  Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among construction workers, such as masons. Few interventions are available to reduce masons' exposure to heavy lifting, a risk factor for MSDs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether one such intervention, the use of light-weight concrete blocks (LWBs), reduces physiological loads compared to standard-weight blocks (SWBs). Using a repeated measures design, 21 masons each constructed two 32-block walls, seven courses (rows) high, entirely of either SWBs or LWBs. Surface electromyography (EMG), from arm and back muscles, and heart rate was sampled. For certain muscles, EMG amplitudes were slightly lower when masons were laying LWBs compared to SWBs. Upper back and forearm extensor EMG amplitudes were greater for the higher wall courses for both block weights. There were no significant differences in heart rate between the two blocks. Interventions that address block weight and course height may be effective for masons. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Construction Materials Education Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Nervous System Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Safety Management

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Musculoskeletal Disorders Back-injuries Construction Construction-equipment Construction-industry Construction-materials Construction-workers Electromyography Exposure-assessment Exposure-chambers Exposure-levels Exposure-limits Exposure-methods Head-injuries Head-protective-equipment Health-hazards Health-protection Health-standards Injuries Injury-prevention Intervention Effectiveness Masonry Masons Muscle-function Muscle-stress Muscular-disorders Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Risk-analysis Risk-factors Safety-climate Safety-education Safety-equipment Safety-helmets Safety-measures Safety-monitoring Safety-personnel Safety-practices Safety-programs

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• ISSN:
  0014-0139
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Iowa ; Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7 ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  48
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20035161
• Citation:
  Ergonomics 2005 Aug; 48(10):1314-1330
• Contact Point Address:
  D. Anton, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-5000
• Email:
  dan-anton@uiowa.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  The Center to Protect Workers' Rights
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19990930
• Source Full Name:
  Ergonomics
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dfb80af3cadb5431fa83ca9d7261dc53dde4bf408962b0c62e44d452049b0e44dca909bcda349763008c82dfc9858c2af97c2b67960e1696380cf4b093c504ee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/187103/cdc_187103_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 875.15 KB ]