A Review on Ergonomics in Agriculture. Part I: Manual Operations

Background: Agriculture involves several harmful diseases. Among the non-fatal ones, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most prevalent, as they have reached epidemic proportions. The main aim of this investigation is to systematically review the major risk factors regarding MSDs as well as evaluate the existing ergonomic interventions. Methods: The search engines of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were used to identify relevant articles during the last decade. The imposed exclusive criteria assured the accuracy and current progress in this field. Results: It was concluded that MSDs affect both developed and developing countries, thus justifying the existing global concern. Overall, the most commonly studied task was harvesting, followed by load carrying, pruning, planting, and other ordinary manual operations. Repetitive movements in awkward postures, such as stooping and kneeling; individual characteristics; as well as improper tool design were observed to contribute to the pathogenesis of MSDs. Furthermore, low back disorders were reported as the main disorder. Conclusions: The present ergonomic interventions seem to attenuate the MSDs to a great extent. However, international reprioritization of the safety and health measures is required in agriculture along with increase of the awareness of the risk factors related to MSDs.

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Health-Related and Sociodemographic Risk Factors for Disability Pension due to Low Back Disorders

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1097/jom.0b013e31821576dd ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 53 (5) ◽

pp. 488-496 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Sanna Pietikäinen ◽

Karri Silventoinen ◽

Pia Svedberg ◽

Kristina Alexanderson ◽

Antti Huunan-Seppälä ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Disability Pension ◽

Low Back ◽

Back Disorders ◽

Low Back Disorders ◽

Sociodemographic Risk ◽

Health Related

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Identifying Safe Load Moment Exposures for the Back

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120905301405 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 53 (14) ◽

pp. 883-883

Author(s):

Steven A. Lavender ◽

William S. Marras ◽

Sue A. Ferguson ◽

Riley E. Splittstoesser ◽

Gang Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Physical Workload ◽

Back Injury ◽

Low Back ◽

Distribution Centers ◽

Back Disorders ◽

Low Back Injury ◽

Low Back Disorders ◽

Back Disorder

Low back disorders continue to be the most common and significant work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the US. Identifying what constitutes a “safe” physical workload has been the biggest challenge facing injury prevention efforts. Prior low back injury risk models have focused on manufacturing activities where there is limited variability in the parameters used to describe the exposures to low back disorder risk factors. Lifting tasks in distribution centers can have considerably more variability in load and physical layout. The goal of this project was to identify and quantify measures that characterize the biomechanical risk factors, including measures of the load moment exposure, and measures that characterize the duty cycle that are predictive of low back disorders in distribution centers. Thus, our hypothesis was that we could define a relationship between moment exposure parameters and the low back disorder incidence rates. A cross-sectional study was designed to examine the mechanical risk factors responsible for reported low back injury in distributions centers. The physical exposure was measured on 195 workers on 50 jobs in 21 distribution centers using a sonic-based Moment Exposure Tracking System (METS). The METS measures load, force, load moment, torso kinematics, and temporal parameters of the job simultaneously. For each job, low back injury rates were collected retrospectively from the company's records over the prior 3-year period. The data were used to develop a risk model designed to predict back injury risk based upon direct measures of load and load moment exposure. The model incorporates biomechanical variables which include the load moment and horizontal sliding forces, as well as a temporal variable indicating the opportunity for micro-breaks during the work process. Overall, the presented model has very good sensitivity (87%) and specificity (73%).

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A participatory ergonomics intervention to reduce risk factors for low-back disorders in concrete laborers

Applied Ergonomics ◽

10.1016/j.apergo.2004.04.003 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 427-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Jennifer A Hess ◽

Steven Hecker ◽

Marc Weinstein ◽

Mindy Lunger

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Low Back ◽

Participatory Ergonomics ◽

Back Disorders ◽

Low Back Disorders ◽

Reduce Risk

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Job-Specific Factors and Prevalence of Multiple and Disabling Musculoskeletal Pain Among Office Workers, Nurses, and Caregivers in Estonia

Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Section B Natural Exact and Applied Sciences ◽

10.1515/prolas-2016-0044 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 70 (5) ◽

pp. 286-293 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eda Merisalu ◽

Liina Animägi ◽

Kristel Oha ◽

Tiina Freimann ◽

Tuuli Sirk

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Sick Leave ◽

Office Workers ◽

Low Back ◽

The Past ◽

Related Risk ◽

Repetitive Movements ◽

Specific Factors

Abstract The aims of this study were to describe job-specific factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal pains (MSPs) by the occupation and body regions in the past 12 months and past month, to analyse multisite and disabling pain and sick leave among office workers (OW), nurses and caregivers (CG); and to find relationships between the observed indicators. The study groups were selected by random sample method. Questionnaire responses on demographic parameters, job-specific factors, and MSPs by body parts in the past 12 months (MSP-12) and past month (MSP-1) were analysed. A questionnaire was sent to 1291 participants. The response rate was 54%. Most of the participants were women, with mean age 41.2 (±11.5) years, working on average 42.8 (±6.7) hours per week and had service length more than five years. Repetitive movements of wrist/hands and working under time pressure were more often reported risk factors by the nurses. Lifting weights 25 kg and more, climbing up and down, kneeling more than one hour a day and piecework finished in the work shift were the most often reported job-related risk factors for the CGs. Use of a keyboard was the same frequent work-related risk factor for the OWs. The most prevalent MSP-12 was low back pain for CGs (66.3%) and nurses (56.1%) and neck pain for OWs (51.5%). The most often reported MSP-1 was shoulder pain for nurses and OWs (84.4% and 65.7%, correspondingly), and elbow pain for CGs (74.9%). In the the entire sampled group, low back pain (53.9%) in the past 12 months and shoulder pain (70.9%) in the past month were the most often reported pain regions. A higher prevalence of multiple and disabling MSP and sickness absence were reported by CGs, compared to other occupation groups (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed positive relationships between job-related risk factors, like repetitive movements, physical load, and time demands, and MSPs and sick leave, especially among CGs (p < 0.05). Job-specific factors need more attention to prevent multiple and disabling pain and sick leave among office and hospital workers.

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