Investigating Reduced Bag Weight as an Effective Risk Mediator for Mason Tenders

Details

• Personal Author:
  Albers, James T. ; Davis, Kermit G. ; Kotowski SE ; Marras WS
• Description:
  Masonry workers face some of the highest physical demands in the construction industry where large bags of masonry material weighing 42.7 kg are commonly handled by mason tenders who mix the mortar, distribute mortar and bricks/blocks, and erect/dismantle scaffolding throughout the day. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using half-weight bags (21.4 kg) on reducing the biomechanical loading, physiological response, and perceived exertions. Ten male subjects performed asymmetric lifting tasks simulating unloading bags from a pallet. Muscle activity, trunk kinematics, heart rate, blood pressure and subjective rating data were collected. Spine loads were predicted from a wellvalidated EMG-assisted model. Bag weight, lift type, bag height at origin, and asymmetry at destination significantly impacted the spine loads. While there was a 50% reduction in bag weight, the peak loads for the half-weight bags were only 25% less than the more available full-weight bags (a reduction of about 320 N of shear and 1000 N of compression). Lifts allowing movement of the feet reduced the loads by about 22% in shear and 27% in compression compared to constrained postures. Interestingly, cumulative spine loads were greater for the lighter bags than the heavy bags (w40%). The subjective ratings of exertion and risk were significantly lower for the lighter bags. Relevance to Industry: The reduction in peak spine loading for the half-weight bags, particularly at the higher heights and when the feet were allowed to move could significantly reduce the injuries of masonry workers. However, there were trade-offs with cumulative loads that may minimize the reduced risk. Overall, given the limited amount of time lifting bags, the reduction of peak loads... [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Blood Cardiovascular System Construction Industry Construction Materials Ergonomics Fatigue Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Men Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Spine Load Biomechanics Blood-pressure Construction Construction-industry Construction-materials Construction-workers Heart-rate Humans Low Back Injuries Manual-lifting Manual-materials-handling Masons Materials-handling Muscle-function Muscle-stress Muscles Musculoskeletal-system Physical-stress Physiological-fatigue Physiological-function Physiological-measurements Physiological-response Physiological-stress Physiological-testing Productivity Weight-factors

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• ISSN:
  0003-6870
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  41
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20037287
• Citation:
  Appl Ergon 2010 Oct; 41(6):822-831
• Contact Point Address:
  Kermit G. Davis, Low Back Biomechanics & Workplace Stress Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, USA
• Email:
  kermit.davis@uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:74feb97f73147a8ca05bafdf17118c7db26397582cb12ddf0d833c45357538ea2a09b830ea53b0580b82836939a8eb731a7bad4ef8dc95a3a729e88c518e8a97
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/188403/cdc_188403_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 337.79 KB ]