Effect of Scaffold End Frame Carrying Strategies on Worker Stepping Response, Postural Stability, and Perceived Task Difficulty

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hause M ; Hendricks S ; Hsiao H ; Kau TY ; Powers JR Jr. ; Simeonov PI
• Description:
  Objective: This study determined the most favorable strategy for carrying scaffold end frames while minimizing the risk of injuries from being struck by an object, falling, and overexertion. Background: scaffold erectors are at risk of high exposure to the aforementioned hazards associated with the dynamic human-scaffolding interface and work environments. Identifying an optimal work strategy can help reduce risk of injuries to the worker. Method: Three carrying methods, four types of work surfaces, two weights of scaffold frames, and three directions of stepping movement were tested in a laboratory with 18 construction workers. Results: The effects of carrying method on postural instability and task difficulty rating were significant for handling the 22-kg end frame. Response time, postural instability, and perceived task difficulty rating were significantly reduced when the 9-kg end frame was used as compared with the 22-kg frame. Conclusion: The symmetric side-carrying method was the best option for handling 22-kg scaffold end frames. A 9-kg end frame (e.g., made of reinforced lightweight materials) has the potential to reduce injury risk among scaffold handlers during their scaffold erection and dismantling jobs. Application: Scaffold erectors may want to adopt the symmetric side-carrying method as the primary technique for handling the 22-kg scaffold end frame, which is currently the one most used in the industry. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Construction Industry Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Biomechanics Construction-equipment Construction-industry Construction-workers Musculoskeletal-system Posture Risk-analysis Risk-factors Scaffolds Skeletal-movement Skeletal-system-disorders Work-analysis Work-operations Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  0018-7208
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  27-36
• Volume:
  50
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20033491
• Citation:
  Hum Factors 2008 Feb; 50(1):27-36
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing ; Construction
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Human Factors
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:98c80b3b912226c41d569f650ca66717bcc2a0919e65d90c7f8fcf5b7cb6688355f05bee551088ecd28c37fe776e3c90751be0a6b9c322ddb8c743179200e9e0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/189041/cdc_189041_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 94.41 KB ]