Occupational tasks of linemen are highly associated with the development of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). Although linemen are prone to develop WRMDs, there is paucity of information on the prevalence of WRMDs and related occupational causative factors. Therefore, the present review was conducted to report on the prevalence of WRMDs and to outline causative risk factors within occupational tasks in the lineman profession. Literature search was conducted in various databases such as Scopus, PubMed and ScienceDirect for articles published between 1996-2013. The articles were analyzed, selected and retrieved based on predetermined objectives, inclusion criteria and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). In the review process only articles published in English were considered. The review identified moderate to high prevalence of WRMDs among the linemen population. Back and shoulder regions were highly affected compared to the other body regions. The review also reported occupational tasks such as bar installation, insulator fixation and manual handling of tools as high risk tasks that lead to the development of WRMDs. In addition, occupational tools such as ladders, manual cutters and manual presses were also identified as a potential ergonomic hazard. In conclusion, the current review identified that WRMDs are common in the back and shoulder regions among linemen. Also, a number of occupational risk factors were identified to be associated with WRMDs among the linemen. Hence, future research on prevention and intervention studies concerning lineman profession population in order to develop a good job practice are recommended. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(5): [725][726][727][728][729][730][731][732][733][734]
A good work posture is one of vital contributors to occupational health and to increase the efficiency of industrial workers. Recently, numerous research works have developed an Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system for work posture assessment; however, usability of the developed system remains unknown. The objective of this study was to develop a prototype of Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system. Additionally, this study performed usability testing on the Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system and RULA Employee Assessment Worksheet to determine feedbacks and reactions from the potential users. A focus group session was conducted among eight potential users, which divided into 2 groups (novice and expert). The results of the focus group session revealed that both novice and expert users agreed that the Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system is easy to use compared to RULA Employee Assessment Worksheet. This study concluded that the Integrated RULA-Kinect TM system is able to counter some limitations of the RULA Employee Assessment Worksheet.
Hand is made up of bones, tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels that can be easily debilitated and injured if the hand tool is not design ergonomically. Recently researchers have examined the effects of individual, environmental and occupational factors on hand grip strength. However, information on the influence of hand tool design on hand grip strength is still lacking. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of factors influencing hand grip strength focusing more towards hand tool design factors. The authors searched the journal articles, book and guidelines from the online databases of Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Pubmed. Fourteen factors includes handle diameter, handle length, handle orientation, handle shape, handle material, handle flange, handle inter distance/grip span, grip method, tool weight, tool center of gravity, tool sharpness, trigger type and size, spring stiffness as well as vibration exposure were found to have significant effect on the hand grip strength. This review identified that the handle diameter is the most significant factor for hand grip strength.
The decrease in the back muscle strength, especially Transverse Abdominus (TrA) muscle can be an early symptom for the occurrence of back pain among individual. The Pressure Biofeedback Unit (PBU) was frequently used in the clinical setting to assess the TrA strength level among back pain patients. However, in the ergonomics setting, lack of studies available to look into the usefulness of the PBU to assess the back muscle strength level, especially the TrA among the working population who are having back pain symptoms. Therefore the current pilot study was conducted among ten computer users to look into the validity of the PBU in assessing the TrA strength level in identifying the early symptom of back pain. The validity of PBU results was compared with the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire results in identifying the back pain symptom among computer users. The chi-square analysis revealed that there was no any significant differences between PBU results and Standardized Nordic Questionnaire results in screening the early symptom of back pain. In conclusion, the current study revealed that the PBU can be an useful tool in the ergonomics assessment to identify the early symptom of back pain among computer users.
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