Musculoskeletal disorders are a prevalent disease in many Western countries. While a large number of ergonomic analyses and assessment methods are nowadays available, most current methods that assess exposure calculate overall risk scores of individual body segments without considering interaction effects of exposure variables. Therefore, a study was conducted that aimed at investigating and quantifying interaction effects of trunk inclination and arm lifting on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle activity. A multiple regression model to predict musculoskeletal load under consideration of interaction effects was derived. The study revealed that there is a significant interaction effect of trunk inclination and arm lifting. Furthermore, final regression models explained variance in exposure variables in a range of R 2 ¼ 0.68 to R 2 ¼ 0.147 with a subset of two to three inputs. The predicative equations support the computerbased post-processing of sensor data.Practitioner summary: This article elaborates on the importance of interaction effects of working postures on assessment results of load. In practise, easy to-use-methods for an assessment of working postures are needed. Therefore, a regression model is derived, which facilitates the quantification of work load under consideration of interaction effects. The use of this regression model for the assessment of posture data gathered by range sensors is recommended.

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Why cumulative loading calculated using non-weighted integration may not be suitable for assessing physical stress of the lower back: an empirical investigation of strain during lifting and lowering tasks, Ergonomics,

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