Rating of acceptable load in manual sorting of postal parcels.

The psychophysical test, the rating of acceptable load (RAL) were used to assess acceptable weights for dynamic lifting in postal workers engaged in sorting parcels. The standard test (RALSt) and a work-simulating test (RALW) were administered to 103 volunteers: all experienced male sorters. In the RALSt, subjects selected the weight which would be acceptable for lifting in a box with handles from table to floor and back to the table once every 5 min for the working day. for the RALW, the box was without handles and the weight was chosen to be acceptable for transfer 4-6 times/min from a table to the parcel container and back to the table. Both tests were made during normal working hours at postal sorting centres. The overall means for RALSt and RALW were 16.4 kg and 9.4 kg respectively (p < 0.001): both being substantially higher than the average parcel weight of 4 kg. The RALSt and RALW tests proved to be repetitive and sensitive for differentiating the effects of load and task variable in actual manual material handling. Thus they appear to be applicable to the evaluation of manual materials handling problems.

Anthropometric, muscle strength, and spinal mobility characteristics as predictors in the rating of acceptable loads in parcel sorting.

The rating of acceptable load (RAL) attained with a standard test (RALSt) and a wrk-simulating test (RALW) for postal parcel sorting was related to anthropometric, muscle strength, and spinal mobility characteristics of 18 male sorters. The subjects comprised a subsample of 103 experienced male sorters who carried out the RAL tests at postal sorting centres. The dynamic hand-grip endurance correlated significantly (p = 0.036) to the RALSt results. Correspondingly, there was a significant correlation (p = 0.044) between the ratio of maximal isometric strength of trunk extension to body weight and the RALW. The dynamic hand-grip endurance predicted 26% of the variation in the RALSt; in the RALW the maximal isometric strength of trunk flexion to body weight ratio predicted 24%. The subjects who rated heavier weights for RALSt tended to have a better trunk mobility. The dynamic endurance of hand-grip muscles, trunk strength, and spinal flexibility seemed to be the most powerful predictors for the psychophysically assessed 'acceptable loads' in experienced workers performing manual materials handling tasks.

Biomechanically and electromyographically assessed load on the spine in self-paced and force-paced lifting work.

The purpose of this study was to measure dose of spinal load when different pacing methods were applied to lifting work and to develop methodology for such measurements. The compressive load on the spine computed by a dynamic biomechanical model and the electromyographic activity of back muscles were used for describing the spinal load. Five men and five women worked in a laboratory on two days lifting a box up and down for 30 min on both days, on one day force-paced (4 lifts/min), and on the other self-paced in random order. The weight of the box was rated by the subjects to be acceptable for the work done. The lift rate of our female subjects was higher and that of the male subjects lower in self-paced than in force-paced work. There were no significant differences in peak lumbosacral compressions nor in the amplitude distributions of electromyography between the two pacing methods. The biomechanically-calculated compressive forces on the spine were lower (about 2.7 kN for the men and 2.3 kN for women) than the biomechanical recommendations for safe lifting, but the EMG activity showed quite high peaks so that for 1% of work time the activity was on women above 60% and on men above 40% of the activity during maximum isometric voluntary test contraction.

Shrinkage and psychophysical load ratings in self-paced and force-paced lifting work and during recovery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the load on the human spine during force-paced and self-paced lifting and subsequent rest. Five women and five men worked under self-paced and force-paced (4 lifts/min) conditions on two days lifting a box for 30 min. The weight of the box was determined by the rating of acceptable load (RAL) method. During the work the lift rate was observed, and subjects made rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in 5 min intervals. The stature was measured with a staturemeter before and after the work period and during the following 30 min rest lying. In self-paced work women had a higher lift rate than men (p less than 0.05). In general, RPEs increased towards the end of the lifting period but RPEs did not differ between women and men or between self-paced and force-paced work. The mean shrinkage during the 30 min work was in self-paced work 5.1 +/- 2.0 mm for women and 5.8 +/- 1.2 mm for men, and in force-paced work 5.8 +/- 2.3 mm and 6.8 +/- 2.2 mm, respectively. There were no significant differences in shrinkage at work between women and men nor between the two different pacing methods. During the 30 min rest recumbent the subjects regained almost the same amount of height as they had lost during lifting. The rapid shrinkage and recovery when loading and unloading suggest that a few minutes rest lying after heavy activities would be beneficial for the spine.

Postural, epidemiological and biomechanical analysis of luggage handling in an aircraft luggage compartment.

Loading and unloading of luggage in an aircraft luggage compartment is carried out manually in uncomfortable working position. In this study, the loading work was analysed by surveying musculoskeletal symptoms, by recording the working postures and techniques at work, and by simulating the loading work in a mock-up of a DC-9 aircraft compartment. Low back, knees and shoulders were exposed to mechanical load in luggage handling. Video recordings were used to analyse posture and work technique. In the simulated luggage compartment in the laboratory, ground reaction forces, intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and electromyography (EMG) signals from back and shoulder muscles were recorded simultaneously. Loading in sitting, squatting and kneeling were the postures that were used the most often. Unloading was generally less stressful than loading, involving less static work. Handling time was shortest when kneeling but knee symptoms were dominant. Lateral ground reaction forces and EMG activity from trapezius were highest when sitting, and IAP peaks were greatest when squatting. Thus each posture had major, though differing, disadvantages and a radical redesign of the DC-9 luggage compartment was clearly indicated.