A design tool to estimate maximum acceptable manual arm forces for above-shoulder work.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Potvin J ; Rempel D
• Description:
  There is a need for design criteria for above-shoulder work to prevent shoulder fatigue and supraspinatus injuries. A tool is developed to estimate maximum acceptable manual arm forces for above-shoulder work based on 25th % female strength with adjustments for supraspinatus tendon impingement and shoulder fatigue. The tool equations are presented along with tables of maximum acceptable manual arm forces in 77 locations in the 3 D space above the shoulder that accommodates a 50th % female reach. The largest acceptable anterior force, 140.3 N, occurs at shoulder height, 0.5 m anterior to the shoulder. The largest acceptable superior force, 84.4 N, occurs at shoulder height, 0.1 m anterior and 0.2 m medial to the shoulder. The new tool provides design criteria for arm exertions at a higher level of detail than prior ergonomic tools, making it useful for engineers. Based on sensitivity analyses, the tool is robust to parameter assumptions. Practitioner summary: Above-shoulder work is associated with increased risk for shoulder fatigue and injuries. A new tool is developed that estimates maximum acceptable manual arm forces for work at or above shoulder height. The tool can be used to design acceptable above-shoulder work so that it can be accomplished by most workers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Overhead Work; Rotator Cuff; Musculoskeletal Disorders; Work Design; Supraspinatus Tears Upper Extremities; Ergonomics; Muscle Function; Musculoskeletal Disorders; MSD; Biomechanics; Biomechanical Modeling; Work Operations; Repetitive Work;
• ISSN:
  0014-0139
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  65
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065509
• Citation:
  Ergonomics 2022 Oct; 65(10):1338-1351
• Contact Point Address:
  David Rempel, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1301 S. 46th Street, UC RFS Building 163, Richmond, CA 94804, USA
• Email:
  david.rempel@ucsf.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  University of California, Berkeley
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Ergonomics
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9031957f9c6e7da322600dafd013291e7b2289c3fe3375a843ed665c53769e20416e0082d411356e06fa95e4fbef752687ad8868d8791b11d6808075156bbb1c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/248561/cdc_248561_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.41 MB ]