Examining joint loading and self-reported exertion and discomfort during ladder handling

Ladder handling by telecommunications technicians represents an indispensable part of their daily work, but may generate musculoskeletal injury risk. These workers have a high prevalence of shoulder and back injuries, motivating research to quantify postures and loading using different ladders during common handling tasks. Twenty-five participants completed carry, raise (against a wall or free standing), and simulated removal from a van roof tasks using three ladders (8.5m 2-piece wood; 8.5m 2-piece fibreglass, 9.2m 3-piece wood). Data collection included kinematics and kinetics during these ladder handling tasks, as well as perceived discomfort, perceived exertion and post-collection ladder and task preferences. Significant effects depended on task and ladder. Dominant arm (the arm completing the primary action) elevation was higher while extending the ladder (114.7 ± 3.4°) than the carry task (53.5 ± 3.5°) (p < 0.05). Joint moments in the dominant shoulder and trunk were highest for the 2-piece wood ladder (59.0 ± 2.2 Nm and 254.8 ± 8.8 Nm) averaged across all tasks. Joint forces were increased when using the 2-piece wood ladder compared to the 3-piece wood ladder (p < 0.05), while the greatest discomfort in the shoulders occurred using the 2-piece wood ladder in the carry task. Many tasks approached or exceeded strength capability of a 50th percentile male's predicted strength. While no ladder universally mitigated physical demands while lowering perceptual difficulty, construction differences yielded trends toward preferring the 2-piece fibreglass or 3-piece wood ladders over the 2-piece wood ladder. This work has direct relevance to workplaces with ladder handling and provides recommendations for ladder selection and strength requirements across tasks.