Ergonomic evaluation of checkstand designs in the retail food industry: a report based on expert assessment

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baron, Sherry L. ; Fine, Lawrence J. ; Grant, Katharyn A. ; Habes, Daniel J. ; Piacitelli, Laurie A. ; Putz-Anderson, Vernon ; Sweeney, Marie H.
• Description:
  A study was conducted on the relationship between the design of checkstands in retail food establishments and the development of upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders in workers. Investigators from NIOSH evaluated side, front, right hand take away, over the counter, and over the end type checkstands with different scanner, scale, conveyor belt, and bag stand arrangements. Thirteen different checkstands were evaluated by having experts rate the biomechanical stress placed on eight body areas during different work activities. The front checkstand configuration was chosen as the type presenting the least biomechanical stress to the cashier as well as stands that allowed for the use of both hands by the checker for scanning and bagging and those that used an input belt. The height of the scanner was found to be a design feature that influenced the stress on the lower back and shoulders. Other features that were judged to be desirable were input conveyors that brought the items directly to the edge of the scanner, narrow conveyor belts, scanners that allowed items to slide over the scanner, a combined scanner/scale, easy accessibility to the bag stand, and a bag stand placed 13 to 17 inches below the checkstand surface. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Cumulative Trauma Disorders Ergonomics Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Biomechanics Cumulative-trauma-disorders Equipment-design Musculoskeletal-system NIOSH-Author Work-analysis Workplace-monitoring
• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00217487
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1993 Nov; 8(11):929-936
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1994
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremities
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9a9193d7b4e31516167c1ce742db086bd5ea2b48a709ef506dd55c4e5f795b3f30ec2a455ae83e1e1b15328dc5270ac44ee5f5235e3ca9aa7268a424650f2f68
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/204631/cdc_204631_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.04 MB ]