Weight and frequency effect on spinal loading in a bricklaying task

Abstract

In manual materials handling jobs a reduction in the weight of materials often concurs with an increase in handling frequency. The effect of weight and inversely related frequency on spinal load was studied in two bricklaying tasks: building the skin and the floor of a steel ladle. In both tasks five subjects laid bricks of varying weight and frequency (obtained from field observations). The load parameters investigated were peak values and time integrals of the compressive force on the L5-S1 motion segment an…