Ergonomics in Modern Dairy Practice: A Review of Current Issues and Research Needs

Details

• Personal Author:
  Douphrate DI ; Jakob M ; Lunner Kolstrup C ; Nonnenmann MW ; Pinzke S
• Description:
  Dairy farming is an ancient occupation. Traditionally, cows have been manually milked while tethered in stalls or stanchions. In the latter half of the 20th century as machine milking emerged, the parlor milking system has become more popular, especially among larger dairy farms. The transition from manual milking to automatic milking systems as well as the transition from stanchion to parlor milking systems involved a dramatic change in milking tasks. These transitions have resulted in changing patterns of occupational exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dairy workers. However, aspects of the milking task such as sanitization of teats, stripping milk from teats, and attachment and detachment of milking equipment have remained relatively the same. Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms have been reported in the low back, shoulders, hands/wrists, and knees. Research that has measured exposures to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dairy farm workers has been limited, especially when using ergonomic tools to directly measure exposure, such as electrogoniometry or electromyography. Self-reported exposure measures have been most commonly used. The interventions that have been tested to reduce exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders include assisted lift-hold devices, use of lighter-weight equipment, adjustable flooring, and use of rubber mats. However, research evaluating potential solutions to reduce dairy farm worker exposure to risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders is scarce. Future research efforts should further characterize hazards while simultaneously testing viable solutions that fit within the business model of the dairy farm industry. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Dairy Products Ergonomics Farmers Livestock Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Processes Agricultural Workers Animal Handlers Animal Husbandry Workers Author Keywords: Agriculture Cattle Dairy Dairy Products Livestock Industry MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Repetitive Work Risk Management Upper Extremities

  More +
• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Iowa ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 7 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  198-209
• Volume:
  18
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052134
• Citation:
  J Agromedicine 2013 Jul; 18(3):198-209
• Contact Point Address:
  David I. Douphrate, PhD, MPT, MBA, School of Public Health, University of Texas, San Antonio Regional Campus, 8550 Datapoint, Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
• Email:
  david.i.douphrate@uth.tmc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University - Ft. Collins
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030915
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• End Date:
  20270914
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:91dc16147a17a3ae96aa1896bc5fc5b789c9ce5dd5fbd933ef0e45a13cefba166724ac17473d44db51ce3ac517bace913b901c3dd99172749ff33d403b4132c2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211723/cdc_211723_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.09 MB ]