Evaluation of the physical work load of bricklayers in the steel industry.

Malchaire, Jacques; Rezk-Kallah, B

doi:10.5271/sjweh.1729

Cited by 34 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…When restricting external load on the back to non-neutral trunk postures, assessment of lumbar posture is performed for many reasons, such as identification of strenuous tasks and activities in particular jobs (Malchaire and Rekz-Kallah, 1991), surveillance for ergonomic hazards at work (Harber et al, 1992), characterization of exposure in epidemiologic studies (Winkel and Mathiassen, 1994;Punnett et al, 1991), and evaluation of the effectiveness of ergonomic controls (Hultman et al, 1984;Burdorf and Van Duuren, 1993). These assessments have in common that they purport to make available information that allows inferences on the exposure distribution for a group of workers.…”

Section: Basic Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of strategies to assess lumbar posture during work

Burdorf¹,

Riel²

1996

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

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Quantitative characterization of postural load on the back should describe exposure patterns among workers and factors affecting these exposure patterns. This article presents general guidelines for designing appropriate measurement strategies; how to obtain detailed data with an applicable measurement method, what sampling strategy should be applied, which frequency and duration of measurements are required, and how differences between workers, shifts and tasks are addressed. Formulae are available Io evaluate the best trade-off between the reliability of a measurement device and repeated measurements and between the number of workers to be monitored and the number of measurements per worker. More difficult questions relate to collective assessments versus individual assessments and duration versus frequency of measurements. Methods are described for statistical modelling of data on trunk flexion and rotation. A two-way analysis of variance was applied to assess the principal sources of variation in back load among workers in the woodworking industry. A bootstrapping technique was used to evaluate the minimum number of measurements required to arrive at an unbiased estimate of the average exposure to trunk flexion in two occupational groups. It is advisable to conduct a small pilot study to determine the essential features of the measurement strategy before undertaking a large study comprising many workers and many work situations. Relevance to industry In order to reduce the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in occupational populations, quantitative assessment of work-related risk factors is needed. This article presents a framework for the design of exposure assessment strategies, using physical load due to trunk posture as an example. General guidelines are presented to accommodate optimal measurement of physical load at work.

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Section: Basic Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of strategies to assess lumbar posture during work

Burdorf¹,

Riel²

1996

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

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“…Traditionally, there has been a greater interest in adverse outcomes caused by environmental and physical factors, and thus a major focus on examining blue-collar steel workers. Besides general sources describing such types of occupational hazards as published from the International Iron and Steel Institute and the United Nations Environment Programme ( 12 ) as well as the International Labor Organization ( 13 ), there has been a number of studies investigating the impact of heavy work on for instance low back pain in different steel working occupations ( 14 – 16 ). Furthermore, a large number of studies on exposure to chemical and other physical hazards across different industries have been published, which are not further dealt with here.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial Hazard Analysis in a Heterogeneous Workforce: Determinants of Work Stress in Blue- and White-Collar Workers of the European Steel Industry

Metzler

Bellingrath

2017

Front. Public Health

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The European steel industry’s workforce is highly heterogeneous and consists of various occupational groups, presumably facing different psychosocial stressors. The few existing studies on the subject mainly focused on physical constraints of blue-collar workers, whereas the supposable psychosocial workload received only little research attention. This is remarkable considering the challenges associated with statutory required risk assessment of psychosocial hazards. Valid measures of hazard analysis must account for various stressors and reliably identify them, also between occupational groups. The present study, based on a sample of blue- and white-collar workers (N = 124) from the European steel industry, aims to provide a first insight into psychosocial stressors and strain at work in this rarely researched industrial sector. Furthermore, two well-known theoretical roadmaps in job analysis are examined regarding their utility for risk assessment in heterogeneous workforces: the German standard version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the short version of the effort–reward imbalance questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the COPSOQ was better suited to predict various strain indices in the present sample. Especially stressors relating to socioemotional aspects, such as work-privacy conflict, revealed a reasonable impact, indicating the need for comprehensive solutions at the organizational level instead of solutions focusing on single workplaces. To conclude, a broadly diversified and validated approach in psychosocial risk assessment is needed to adequately assess the variety of psychosocial factors at work and in different occupational groups.

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“…Luttmann et al (1992) reported heart rates starting at 120 bpm and declining to 90-100 as the job progressed (German refuse workers), and Canadian tree planters averaged mean heart rates of 117, equivalent to 46% of maximum aerobic capacity (Trites et al, 1993). Japanese lumberjacks worked at somewhat lower levels with a mean of 106 bpm (Kurumatani et al, 1992), as did Belgian bricklayers averaging 99 bpm (Malchaire and Rezk-Kallah, 1991). These jobs were all classified as heavy labor by observers.…”

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confidence: 99%

Work performance of Chinese cycle haulers: Controlled field experiments in normal work conditions

Steegmann

Li²,

Emmer

et al. 1995

American J Phys Anthropol

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Forty-five male Chinese cycle haulers performed a controlled field experiment under mild winter conditions. The objective was to gain insight into factors that affect work performance. Each man hauled the same 481-kg load around a Beijing street course of 14.18 km. The experiment was a measured sample of the same work they do routinely, on the same roads, using similar human powered hauling cycles (modified only enough to carry observers and instruments). The course was completed at a mean speed of 10.4 kph and mean time of 84.2 min. While there was considerable variation in individual pace and in pace change during work, the haulers performed at relatively high output in reference to their capacities. Mean heart rate was 156.8 +/- 16.1 bpm, 83.9% of maximum. The men had average body build and were average in size for the general Chinese population (X stature = 169.7 cm) although they showed relatively high aerobic capacity (determined in laboratory tests). Performance levels during experiments appear to match habitual work patterns, and self-pacing emerged as a major behavioral finding of this research. Speed, a primary index of job performance, showed significant correlation to heart rate, VO2max, variation in windchill, self-reported health and other variables, with a multiple regression coefficient of 0.811. Similar patterns were seen for heart rate relative to speed, except that physical size, education, and other behavioral variables were also predictors.

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Evaluation of the physical work load of bricklayers in the steel industry.

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Design of strategies to assess lumbar posture during work

Design of strategies to assess lumbar posture during work

Psychosocial Hazard Analysis in a Heterogeneous Workforce: Determinants of Work Stress in Blue- and White-Collar Workers of the European Steel Industry

Work performance of Chinese cycle haulers: Controlled field experiments in normal work conditions

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