Research to Practice Feasibility Study of an Ergonomic Apple Harvest Bucket

Details

• Personal Author:
  Earle-Richardson G ; Jenkins PL ; Jones A ; May JJ ; Stack SG
• Description:
  Introduction: Previous research has demonstrated that an ergonomic apple picking bucket and belt is accepted by orchard workers, does not adversely interfere with productivity, and significantly reduces muscle recruitment in a number of key back muscles in the laboratory. Objective: To evaluate the intervention's effect on muscle load in the orchard with actual harvest workers using electromyography (EMG). Methods: Mean amplitude measurements on five muscles were taken from 10 farm worker volunteers who were working an ordinary day in the apple orchard. The subjects wore the intervention belt one day and no belt the other day. These measurements were taken for five different postures common to apple harvest work. Results: Favorable results were seen for the belt condition in the orchard, relative to muscle recruitment, for the lower erector spinae, the muscle for which greatest benefits were seen in the laboratory. Conclusion: Results in the orchard were similar, but less dramatic than laboratory results. This is likely due to the greater level of physical conditioning among actual harvest workers. This suggests that ergonomic apple bucket benefits will be greatest at the beginning of the season and among less seasoned workers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Ergonomics Farmers Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Industry Agricultural Safety Equipment Testing Farm Workers MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders R2p Research To Practice Initiative
• Publisher:
  Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  California ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  6-7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059774
• Citation:
  Health & safety in Western agriculture: research to practice, September 20-22, 2006, Pacific Grove, California. Davis, CA: Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, 2006 Sep; :6-7
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• Performing Organization:
  Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20040901
• Source Full Name:
  Health & safety in Western agriculture: research to practice, September 20-22, 2006, Pacific Grove, California
• End Date:
  20080831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9bd111e95de7e4650729a0b4486461e38512df953410ccd954a45977c16988b17131822c833de05760c7337fb8df06e6dfb700b1b93b9fc8d813b98f4439d213
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223864/cdc_223864_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 276.38 KB ]