The influence of handle diameter on manual effort in a simulated assembly task.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Grant, Katharyn A. ; Habes, Daniel J. ; Steward LL
• Description:
  This study evaluated the effect of three cylindrical handle diameters on manual effort in a simulated assembly task. Sixteen right handed men participated in the study. A simulated industrial workstation was designed for the study consisting of a height adjustable chair and table positioned in front of a free standing pulley system. When seated the subject's knees were bent at about 90 degrees and the feet were flat on the floor. The handle was positioned about 43.2 centimeters above the table, in a sagittal plane with the participant's right shoulder. Participants grasped the handle with the right hand and pulled it down to a target marked on the work table. The results demonstrated that even a small change in handle diameter of plus or minus 1.0 centimeters can have significant effects on manual effort. A handle which allows some overlap between the thumb and forefinger may be better for some applications than a larger handle. The authors suggest there may be a benefit to manufacturing tools with different sized handles to allow users with larger and smaller grips to select handles best suited for their hand size. The relationship between handle size and anthropometric dimensions should be an important consideration in future handle evaluations. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cumulative Trauma Disorders Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Hand-tools; Muscle-function; Assembly-line-workers; Carpal-tunnel-syndrome; Cumulative-trauma-disorders; Human-factors-engineering; Biomechanics;
• ISBN:
  0748400311
• Publisher:
  Taylor and Francis
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00213346
• Citation:
  Advances in industrial ergonomics and safety IV. Kumar S, Mital A, eds., New York: Taylor and Francis, 1992 Aug; 4:797-804
• Editor(s):
  Kumar S; Mital A
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1992
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremities
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Advances in industrial ergonomics and safety IV. Proceedings of the Annual International Industrial Ergonomics and Safety Conference held in Denver, Colorado, 10-14 June 1992. The Official Conference of the International Foundation for Industrial Ergonomics and Safety Research
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/243245/cdc_243245_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]