A Box Lift and Place Assessment is Related to Performance of Several Military Manual Handling Tasks

Abstract

Soldiers undergo regular physical testing to assess their functional capacity. However, current physical tests, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups, do not necessarily assess job-specific physical capability. This article assesses the utility of generic predictive tests and a task-related predictive test in predicting performance against four job-critical military manual handling tasks. The box lift and place test was found to be the superior predictor in performance of four job tasks; a pack lift and place (R(2) = 0.76), artillery gunner loading simulation (R(2) = 0.36), bombing up an M1 tank simulation, (R(2) = 0.47) and a bridge building simulation (R(2) = 0.63). Pull-ups and push-ups were poor predictors of performance in the majority of job tasks. Although the box lift and place had a larger correlation with the artillery gunner loading task than the generic assessment, it only accounted for 36% of the variance, indicating that a task simulation may be more appropriate to assess soldiers' capacity to perform this job task. These results support the use of a box lift and place rather than generic fitness tests for the evaluation of military manual handling tasks.

Positive, limited and negative responders: The variability in physical fitness adaptation to basic military training

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International consensus on military research priorities and gaps — Survey results from the 4th International Congress on Soldiers’ Physical Performance

“…With the removal of gender restrictions on combat roles, the relative importance of this topic may have reduced in both these countries. In addition, significant research has been conducted in this area by the militaries of Australia, 23,24 Canada, 25 and the United States. 26 The most important emerging threat identified was resilience or psychological fitness of recruits.…”

A method for developing organisation-wide manual handling based physical employment standards in a military context

“…Representative cluster tasks were performed maximally by participants to examine the impact of the different lifting characteristics: repetition, 22 object type, 6,23,24 posture, 25 number of lifters 24 and repetitive lift-carry-lifts to a platform. 6,26 These representative cluster tasks provided coverage of the different lifting characteristics present within the cluster. Task-to-test relationships were then developed to ensure criterion validity, where strong relationships were found between representative cluster tasks and the box lift and place test.…”

“…[3][4][5] Manual handling is defined as the exertion of force to hold and/or move objects from one location to another, predominately by hand. Manual handling tasks in the military are diverse, 1,2 often not modifiable 6,7 and require high levels of muscular strength and/or muscular endurance. 2,6 The mismatch between workers physical capacity and the physical demands of the job may increase the incidence of musculoskeletal injury.…”

“…Manual handling tasks in the military are diverse, 1,2 often not modifiable 6,7 and require high levels of muscular strength and/or muscular endurance. 2,6 The mismatch between workers physical capacity and the physical demands of the job may increase the incidence of musculoskeletal injury. 8 The implemen-tation of scientifically developed physical employment standards (PES) serves to address this mismatch and can lead to increased capability, and operational effectiveness.…”