An investigation of the variability in human performance during manual material handling activities

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baker A ; Mirka GA
• Description:
  The variability of kinetic parameters describing human performance of manual material handling activities was investigated, as well as the effects of different variables on the magnitude of this variability. The motion of the lumbar trunk of seven male college students performing lifting tasks under various conditions was monitored using the Lumbar Motion Monitor. A biomechanical model was used to calculate instantaneous dynamic external torque about the lumbosacral joint. Significant variability in the magnitude of the peak velocity and acceleration in the sagittal plane was seen, along with significant amounts of motion in the coronal and transverse planes. Examination of the trunk motion data using the biomechanical model indicated a significant effect due to the load weight with greater weight levels having higher levels of variability. Poor coupling at near maximal load levels generated the greatest variability in the sagittal plane, but not in the transverse or coronal planes. The authors conclude that consideration of only average performance profiles underestimates peak torque by between 5% and 15% and underscores the need for stochastic modeling of biomechanical systems. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Biomechanics Biophysics Manual-lifting Manual-materials-handling Musculoskeletal-system-disorders NIOSH-Grant
• ISSN:
  1071-1813
• Publisher:
  Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  California ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Tennessee
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  38
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00227966
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 38th Annual Meeting, October 24-28, 1994, Nashville, Tennessee. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 1994 Oct; 38(Ind Erg):578-582
• Contact Point Address:
  Industrial Engineering North Carolina State Universit Box 7906 Raleigh, NC 27695
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremities
• Performing Organization:
  North Carolina State University Raleigh, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19930930
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 38th Annual Meeting, October 24-28, 1994, Nashville, Tennessee, People & Technology in Harmony
• End Date:
  19960929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:99740a95541e70ea844022ef099305ee2f3ff51320551b06a10d051bd51321bbe030c0aa381cb920c4c6f6ca4871298508e6a6c70ba5ad684cff9ab0beca1919
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/204152/cdc_204152_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 486.12 KB ]