Ergonomic conditions in manual harvesting in Swedish outdoor cultivation.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Ergonomic problems in manual labour in agriculture are well known worldwide. This study investigates the ergonomic conditions during manual work in Swedish outdoor vegetable/berry cultivation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire on work and health conditions was sent to all growers of vegetables and strawberries in Sweden. Workplace studies with video recordings and observations of work operations and positions at harvest were performed. Calculations of back compression and risk assessment for harmful impact of work were made. Employers and employees were interviewed. RESULTS: Working standing/walking instead of kneeling when harvesting vegetables was shown to decrease lumbar compression. Using a conveyor belt instead of carrying a plastic box into the field for the harvested vegetables reduced harmful forward bends and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). When strawberries were grown in pots, the work position was a straight back and neck, with lowered arms. When grown on raised beds, the work position was either kneeling or bending forward with straight legs. When kneeling, the back was often bent or rotated, frequently with the arms far from the body. Bending forward with straight legs caused a harmful level of lumbar compression. CONCLUSIONS: Harmful work postures arise during manual harvesting in Swedish outdoor cultivation. The risk can be reduced using mechanized work tools and optimal cultivation methods. Adequate work training, including instructions about optimal working postures and movements, may reduce the risk of MSD, but will most likely not eliminate it completely.

The Significance of Experiences of Nature for People with Parkinson's Disease, with Special Focus on Freezing of Gait--The Necessity for a Biophilic Environment. A Multi-Method Single Subject Study.

Freezing of Gait (FOG) is a common condition in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). FOG entails suddenly experiencing difficulties moving or feeling that one's feet are as glued to the ground. It is triggered, e.g., when passing through doorways. Earlier studies suggest that being in natural environments affects FOG in a positive way. Five subjects were recruited to serve as five single subject cases. We used interviews, observations, questionnaires and collected gait pattern data with aid of an accelerometer. A special designed outdoor setting was used, where we investigated whether passing through hedge openings with or without built elements triggered FOG. We found that no one experienced a FOG reaction when they passed through hedge openings without built elements. However, FOG was triggered when a doorframe was inserted into a hedge opening, and/or when peripheral vision was blocked. We interpret the results such that the doorframe triggered a phobic reflex, causing a freezing reaction. Passing through hedge openings does not trigger FOG, which we interpret as a biophilic reaction. Our results, if repeated in future studies, may have significance to everyday lives of PD patients, who could get a simpler life by consciously prioritizing stays in natural surroundings.