The Importance of Lifting Height and Load Mass for Muscular Workload during Supermarket Stocking: Cross-Sectional Field Study

Autor: Sebastian Venge Skovlund, Rúni Bláfoss, Sebastian Skals, Markus Due Jakobsen, Lars Louis Andersen
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 19; Issue 5; Pages: 3030
Skovlund, S V, Bláfoss, R, Skals, S, Jakobsen, M D & Andersen, L L 2022, ' The Importance of Lifting Height and Load Mass for Muscular Workload during Supermarket Stocking : Cross-Sectional Field Study ', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 5, 3030 . https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19053030
ISSN: 1660-4601
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19053030
Popis: High physical work demands increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and sickness absence. Supermarket work involves a high amount of manual material handling. Identifying specific ergonomic risk factors is an important part of occupational health and safety efforts in the supermarket sector. In this cross-sectional field study among 64 supermarket workers, we used electromyography during the workday to determine the influence of lifting height and load mass on muscular workload of the low-back and neck/shoulder muscles during un-restricted manual material handling (grocery stocking). We found a significant effect of load mass, i.e., higher loads associated with higher muscular workload in the low-back and neck/shoulder muscles. We demonstrated a significant interaction between start and end position, i.e., lifts performed from ‘Low’ start positions to ‘High’ end positions demonstrated the highest low-back muscular workload, whereas ‘High’ positions were associated with increased neck/shoulder workload. In conclusion, lifting higher loads and lifting goods from low to high positions (low-back) and at high positions (neck/shoulder) are associated with higher muscular workload. These results can be used to guide highly warranted preventive initiatives to reduce the physical workload during supermarket work.
Databáze: OpenAIRE