Participatory ergonomic (PE) interventions may vary in implementation. A systematic review was done to determine the evidence regarding context, barriers and facilitators to the implementation of participatory ergonomic interventions in workplaces. In total, 17 electronic databases were searched. Data on PE process and implementation were extracted from documents meeting content and quality criteria and synthesised. The search yielded 2151 references. Of these, 190 documents were relevant and 52 met content and quality criteria. Different ergonomic teams were described in the documents as were the type, duration and content of ergonomic training. PE interventions tended to focus on physical and work process changes and report positive impacts. Resources, programme support, ergonomic training, organisational training and communication were the most often noted facilitators or barriers. Successful PE interventions require the right people to be involved, appropriate ergonomic training and clear responsibilities. Addressing key facilitators and barriers such as programme support, resources, and communication is paramount. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: A recent systematic review has suggested that PE has some effect on reducing symptoms, lost days of work and claims. Systematic reviews of effectiveness provide practitioners with the desire to implement but do not provide clear information about how. This article reviews the literature on process and implementation of PE.

Whole-body vibrations (WBV) were measured at the seatpan of load-haul-dump (LHD) vehicles of 3.5-, 5-, 6- and 8-yard capacity at two underground mines. Twenty-two sets of measurements were made involving 11 vehicles, 8 operators and 4 work locations. In each set frequency-weighted rms and peak accelerations were measured in the x, y and z directions, as defined by the ISO (1982), during mucking, driving full, dumping and driving empty. Significant differences in rms accelerations were found between vehicle sizes and between operational tasks (less than or equal to 0.05). The smallest (3.5 yd) vehicle produced the greatest accelerations in the x and z directions. Accelerations in the x and z directions were also greater when driving full and empty than when mucking and dumping. The highest frequency-weighted rms accelerations of 2.0 to 2.8 m/s-2 were recorded in the z (longitudinal) direction. Peak accelerations ranged from 1.2 to greater than or equal to 20 m/s2, resulting in crest-factor ratios in excess of six. The exposure periods for each task were used to calculate mean daily acceleration exposures (m/s2). Of the 22 sets of measurements, 20 exceeded the International Standards Organization (ISO) six-hour daily exposure limit in the z direction of acceleration, and 9 exceeded the six-hour daily exposure limits in all three directions. Acceleration exposure ratios calculated using resultant acceleration vectors as described in ISO (1982), were found to exceed the ISO exposure limit for health or safety in all 22 cases. One-third octave band frequency analysis of the weighted signals indicated that the dominant frequencies were usually 1.6 to 3.15 Hz, except when the vehicles were idling and higher frequencies predominated.

Costs and successful field performance need to be weighed against the added data detail gained from monitoring equipment when making choices about exposure assessment techniques for epidemiological studies.

There has been little scientific literature about how a practitioner might integrate HF into a company's work system design process. This paper proposes a framework for this effort by presenting a coherent conceptual framework, process tools, design tools and procedural advice that can be adapted for a target organisation.

The objective of this study was to use and evaluate three postural assessment methods for epidemiological studies of back disorders. The methods were: (1) a data-logging inclinometer; (2) observations by trained observers; (3) self-reports by employees. All methods were feasible in 50 heavy industry worksites. Inclinometry provided quantitative measures of flexion-extension (mean 17 degrees, SD 11.2 degrees), lateral flexion (mean 8.5 degrees, SD 2.6 degrees) and trunk movement speed (mean 14.3 degrees per second, SD 4.9 degrees per second). Observations and self-reports provided estimates of time spent in various trunk angles, general postures, materials handling and vehicles. Compared to observations, self-reports under-reported less common tasks, but over-reported task durations. In statistical modelling to determine if observations or self-reports could be used to estimate measured postures, observations accounted for 30 to 61% of the inclinometer measurement variance and self-reports for 33 to 40%. A combination of inclinometry and observations would be an ideal option to provide both depth and breadth of data on postures and other physical exposures for epidemiological research.

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