Are Knee Savers and Knee Pads a Viable Intervention to Reduce Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk in Residential Roofers?

Details

• Personal Author:
  Breloff SP ; Carey RE ; Dai F ; Dutta A ; Ning S ; Sinsel EW ; Warren CM ; Wu, John Z.
• Description:
  One factor commonly associated with musculoskeletal disorder risk is extreme postures. To lessen this risk, extreme postures should be reduced using proactive and prevention-focused methods. The effect of combinations of two interventions, knee pads and knee savers, on lower extremity kinematics during deep or near full flexion kneeling on differently sloped surfaces was analyzed. Nine male subjects were requested to keep a typical resting posture while kneeling on a sloped roofing simulator with and without knee pads and knee savers. Threedimensional peak knee kinematics were recording using a motion capture system. The kinematic data were analyzed with a two-way--4(intervention) X 3(slope)--repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA). It was observed that knee pads did not alter lower extremity kinematics in a way that may reduce musculoskeletal injury risk, but they do provide comfort. Knee savers did statistically significantly reduce peak lower extremity kinematics, however these changes were small and it is uncertain if the changes will reduce musculoskeletal injury risk. This study has provided initial data that supports the use of knee savers as a potential intervention to reduce musculoskeletal disorder risk due to lower extremity joint angles on a sloped surface, nonetheless, further testing involving other musculoskeletal disorder risk factors is needed prior to a conclusive recommendation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Construction Industry Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Musculoskeletal Disorders Biomechanics Construction Workers Intervention Effectiveness Knee Pads Knee Protection Knee Savers Lower Extremities Motion Studies MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Posture Residential Roofers Roofers Sloped Surface

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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:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  74
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057883
• Citation:
  Int J Ind Ergon 2019 Nov; 74:102868
• Contact Point Address:
  Scott P. Breloff, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1095 Willowdale Rd, Mailstop 2027, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
• Email:
  Sbreloff@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• 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-512:4d5a069d8d94690d7b8d9452501cfe605017ef931f77c365e4a31922c0e6e02dc636c4268bbc828809e3541aa691d7bb910219283b48c7f8993c2d1e4ff5fc1f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215089/cdc_215089_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.43 MB ]