Sector: food industry

Type of hazard: handling of loads

Catchwords: lifting and carrying of loads, ergonomics, measuring methods

Status: completed 12/1996

Financed by: Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmittel und Gaststätten

Research institution(s): Institut für pathologische Physiologie der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Arbeitsgruppe Motorik

Description, key words:

Muscle system functioning when lifting loads

Aims:

Determining the important strain- and EMG-parameters and their correlation when lifting and carrying loads

Activities/methods:

Determination of spine-muscle activities during, lifting and carrying loads

Results:

The load/strain during lifting work is not restricted to the lumbar area: as well as the trunk muscle system the shoulder girdle muscle system is also considerably involved; the maximum demands made on the muscular system occur in the lumbar area during lifting of weights and in the shoulder girdle area during lowering of weights; there is no linear increase in EMG-performance with weight (saturation characteristic), maximum work is transferred to the cranial-lateral area with increased load.

Publications:

Referat auf "Prävention von berufs-/arbeitsbedingten Gesundheitsstörungen und Erkrankungen - 2. Erfurter Tage" 12/95

last update: 22.08.2000