Physical ergonomic hazards in highway tunnel construction: Overview from the Construction Occupational Health Program

Tak, Sangwoo; Buchholz, Bryan; Punnett, Laura; Moir, Susan; Paquet, Victor; Fulmer, Scott; Marucci‐Wellman, Helen R.; Wegman, David H.

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2010.10.001

Cited by 37 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, the non-trivial marginal costs of data collection mean there are still practical limitations to the number of measurements that can be included in a study. This can be seen in published reports on biomechanical exposure assessments using observational or technical measurements in occupational life, where samples of approximately 100 work shifts are somewhat common [19,26,27], but samples of 200 or more are rare [28]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data processing costs for three posture assessment methods

Trask

Mathiassen

Jackson

et al. 2013

BMC Med Res Methodol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundData processing contributes a non-trivial proportion to total research costs, but documentation of these costs is rare. This paper employed a priori cost tracking for three posture assessment methods (self-report, observation of video, and inclinometry), developed a model describing the fixed and variable cost components, and simulated additional study scenarios to demonstrate the utility of the model.MethodsTrunk and shoulder postures of aircraft baggage handlers were assessed for 80 working days using all three methods. A model was developed to estimate data processing phase costs, including fixed and variable components related to study planning and administration, custom software development, training of analysts, and processing time.ResultsObservation of video was the most costly data processing method with total cost of € 30,630, and was 1.2-fold more costly than inclinometry (€ 26,255), and 2.5-fold more costly than self-reported data (€ 12,491). Simulated scenarios showed altering design strategy could substantially impact processing costs. This was shown for both fixed parameters, such as software development and training costs, and variable parameters, such as the number of work-shift files processed, as well as the sampling frequency for video observation. When data collection and data processing costs were combined, the cost difference between video and inclinometer methods was reduced to 7%; simulated data showed this difference could be diminished and, even, reversed at larger study sample sizes. Self-report remained substantially less costly under all design strategies, but produced alternate exposure metrics.ConclusionsThese findings build on the previously published data collection phase cost model by reporting costs for post-collection data processing of the same data set. Together, these models permit empirically based study planning and identification of cost-efficient study designs.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data processing costs for three posture assessment methods

Trask

Mathiassen

Jackson

et al. 2013

BMC Med Res Methodol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previously collected data using the PATH—Postures, Activities, Tools, and Handling— observation method to assess tunnel and highway construction (Tak et al , 2011) were utilized as the parent data set for this methodological study. PATH (Buchholz et al , 1996) is a work sampling tool to estimate biomechanically relevant exposure variables.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the present paper, the primary biomechanical exposure of interest was trunk posture, which was recorded as a categorical variable with four divisions: neutral (<20° flexion), mild flexion (between 20° and 45°), severe flexion (>45°), and twist (with or without flexion). Trunk posture was selected because it is an important risk factor for back disorders (Punnett et al , 1991) and because non-neutral postures of the trunk were frequently observed in all of the operations represented in the large construction data set (Tak et al , 2011). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical Performance of Observational Work Sampling for Assessment of Categorical Exposure Variables: A Simulation Approach Illustrated Using PATH Data

Mathiassen

Jackson

Punnett

2013

The Annals of Occupational Hygiene

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives:Observational work sampling is often used in occupational studies to assess categorical biomechanical exposures and occurrence of specific work tasks. The statistical performance of data obtained by work sampling is, however, not well understood, impeding informed measurement strategy design. The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for assessing the statistical properties of work sampling strategies evaluating categorical exposure variables and to illustrate the usefulness of this procedure to examine bias and precision of exposure estimates from samples of different sizes.Methods:From a parent data set of observations on 10 construction workers performing a single operation, the probabilities were determined for each worker of performing four component tasks and working in four mutually exclusive trunk posture categories (neutral, mild flexion, severe flexion, twisted). Using these probabilities, 5000 simulated data sets were created via probability-based resampling for each of six sampling strategies, ranging from 300 to 4500 observations. For each strategy, mean exposure and exposure variability metrics were calculated at both the operation level and task level and for each metric, bias and precision were assessed across the 5000 simulations.Results:Estimates of exposure variability were substantially more uncertain at all sample sizes than estimates of mean exposures and task proportions. Estimates at small sample sizes were also biased. With only 600 samples, proportions of the different tasks and of working with a neutral trunk posture (the most common) were within 10% of the true target value in at least 80% of all the simulated data sets; rarer exposures required at least 1500 samples. For most task-level mean exposure variables and for all operation-level and task-level estimates of exposure variability, performance was low, even with 4500 samples. In general, the precision of mean exposure estimates did not depend on the exposure variability between workers.Conclusions:The suggested probability-based simulation approach proved to be versatile and generally suitable for assessing bias and precision of data collection strategies using work sampling to estimate categorical data. The approach can be used in both real and hypothetical scenarios, in ergonomics, as well as in other areas of occupational epidemiology and intervention research. The reported statistical properties associated with sample size are likely widely relevant to studies using work sampling to assess categorical variables.

show abstract

“…Trunk bending >45 degrees was moderately frequent while moving dead pigs (3.5/min) and high while counting and sorting piglets (8.2/min). High levels of trunk bending have been reported in many occupations, 28,30 and back bending has been identified as a particularly relevant hazard in agriculture. 31 A study of Danish pig farmers performing various tasks and found that in most tasks workers had trunk bending more than 20 degrees for about 40% of the time, 5 and a Dutch study found workers exhibited trunk bending over half of working time.…”

Section: Biomechanical Exposuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Ergonomic Evaluation of Barn Tasks in Intensive Swine Production

Trask

2013

Journal of Agromedicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This exploratory pilot study analyses musculoskeletal symptoms and working exposures of intensive pig barn tasks. Methods included a questionnaire phase to gather information about workers' symptoms and video analysis to assess exposures during typical production tasks. Ninety-two percent of workers reported symptoms in the last 12 months in any body part; 58% reported interruption of work activities in the last 12 months. The task "moving dead pigs" exceeded 3400 N during 6 of 18 observations. Frequency of hand gripping and trunk bending >45 degrees were moderate to high in many tasks. These biomechanical exposures suggest a need for further study, particularly on interventions to limit bending, lifting, and repetitive gripping.

show abstract

Physical ergonomic hazards in highway tunnel construction: Overview from the Construction Occupational Health Program

Cited by 37 publications

References 32 publications

Data processing costs for three posture assessment methods

Data processing costs for three posture assessment methods

Statistical Performance of Observational Work Sampling for Assessment of Categorical Exposure Variables: A Simulation Approach Illustrated Using PATH Data

Preliminary Ergonomic Evaluation of Barn Tasks in Intensive Swine Production

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About