Analysis of Biomechanical Stresses During Drywall Lifting

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chiou SS ; Pan, Christopher S.
• Description:
  Constant lifting of massive and bulky drywall sheets creates overexertion hazards among drywall installers. The objective of this study was to gain understanding of the biomechanical stresses imposed on the workers while lifting drywall sheets. A video analysis was performed to identify current drywall lifting techniques. Computer simulations of these techniques for lifting drywall sheets of 60, 80, and 100 lb were then conducted to estimate the biomechanical loadings on the workers. Four lifting methods were determined to be the most commonly used drywall lifting techniques. The University of Michigan Three-Dimensional Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPPTM) was used for the simulations. It was found that all four lifting techniques produced considerable biomechanical stresses at the workers' shoulders, torsos, and hips. Only a limited percentage of the male population has sufficient strength capability to perform the task. The estimated L5/S1 and L4/L5 disc compression forces were consistently high, ranging from 655 to 1363 lb for various loads and postures analyzed. Results from this study provided evidence regarding the biomechanical stresses associated with drywall lifting. Further studies are recommended to identify less stressful drywall lifting methods and to develop safe assistive devices to reduce overexertion injuries. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Demography Hazardous Substances Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Safety Sex Characteristics
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Lifting Biomechanical Stresses Biomechanics Demographic-characteristics Drywall Installation Hazards Health-hazards Injuries Manual-lifting Manual-materials-handling Materials-handling Sex-factors Traumatic-injuries Traumatic Injuries

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• ISSN:
  0169-8141
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  23
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20025257
• Citation:
  Int J Ind Ergon 1999 Mar; 23(5-6):505-511
• Contact Point Address:
  Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Rd., Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1999
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3e2d42d743a153ef0a04477a5ee46df1c35782eaa5e27effebfa94db8b37c95b77a03f519b75270282b38d9b5aa78b1c5e352c52d9371943eb8adaf388d83650
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/196711/cdc_196711_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 84.51 KB ]