The Effects of Ramp Gradients and Pushing–Pulling Techniques on Lumbar Spinal Load in Healthy Workers

Abstract

Background Many tasks in industrial and health care setting are involved with pushing and pulling tasks up or down on a ramp. An efficient method of moving cart which reduces the risk of low back pain should be concerned. This study aimed to investigate the effects of handling types (HTs) and slope on lumbar spinal load during moving a cart on a ramp. We conducted a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial design with three main factors: 2 HTs, 2 handling directions of moving a cart and 4 degrees of ramp slope. Methods Thirty healthy male workers performed 14 tasks consist of moving a cart up and down on the ramp of 0°, 10°, 15°, and 20° degrees with pushing and pulling methods. Joint angles from a 3D motion capture system combined with subject height, body weight, and hand forces were used to calculate the spinal load by the 3DSSPP program. Results Our results showed significant effect of HT, handling directions and slope on compression and shear force of the lumbar spine (p < 0.001). When the ramp gradient increased, the L4/5 compression forces increased in both pushing and pulling (p < 0.001) Shear forces increased in pulling and decreased in pushing in all tasks. At high slopes, pulling generated more compression and shear forces than that of pushing (p < 0.01). Conclusion Using the appropriate technique of moving a cart on the ramp can reduce the risk of high spinal load, and the pushing is therefore recommended for moving a cart up/down on ramp gradients.

The Use of Ergonomic Analysis Methods as Supprt in the Assessment of Occupational Risk in the Position of a Seller in a Small Grocery Store (Poland)

“…The literature describes methods that are mainly devoted to the physical and mental load (Harvey et al, 2017;Hulshof et al, 2019;Jasik-Ślęzak and Baryshnikova, 2020;Pałęga et al, 2019;Pinupong et al, 2020). It is a method of assessing energy expenditure based on the research of Lehmann and his students (Spitzer and Hettinger) from the Max Planck Institute in Dortmund, called the Lehmann method.…”

“…), chemical, biological and psychophysical (Niciejewska and Kiriliuk, 2020). Additionally, the methods of assessing physical and mental stress as well as methods of assessing the risk of musculoskeletal ailments are known (Niciejewska and Klimecka-Tatar, 2018;Pinupong et al, 2020 In the literature on the subject, there is also a division into quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods analyse the number of data on the frequency and type of accidents at work, hazardous events, occupational diseases, time of exposure to risk factors, etc.…”

“…However, qualitative methods rely on adjusting the risk to a contractual characterizing value -called risk valuation. These methods are widely described in the literature, also with the specification of the various workplaces and the various risk factors (Knardahl et al, 2017;Pinupong et al, 2020;Tabor, 2018).…”

Experimental Analysis of Handcart Pushing and Pulling Safety in an Industrial Environment by Using IoT Force and EMG Sensors: Relationship with Operators’ Psychological Status and Pain Syndromes

“…Given that P&P is highly associated with risks from musculoskeletal injuries, there is interest in the effects of various aspects of the pushing/pulling task on loads experienced by the body, especially the spine [ 20 ]. However, while cart P&P tasks might affect the spine and extremities, it is also reasonable to assume that the presence of pain syndromes of the upper extremities as well as the pain syndromes and reduced mobility of the spine would affect how an individual performs the pushing/pulling task.…”

Effect of occupational pushing and pulling combined with improper working posture on low back pain among workers

“…Moreover, the association between pushing–pulling and LBP was found to be stronger when heavier weights were involved. Prior research indicates that heavier loads during pushing and pulling tasks elevate compressive and shear forces on the lumbar intervertebral disc, thereby increasing the likelihood of LBP 2 , 12 , 13 , 14 ) . The addition of weight to pushing–pulling tasks and improper working posture further burden the lumbar region.…”