Anthropometric, muscle strength, and spinal mobility characteristics as predictors in the rating of acceptable loads in parcel sorting. |
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Authors: | H R St?lhammar V Louhevaara |
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Affiliation: | Department of Physiology, Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland. |
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Abstract: | The rating of acceptable load (RAL) attained with a standard test (RALSt) and a wrk-simulating test (RALW) for postal parcel sorting was related to anthropometric, muscle strength, and spinal mobility characteristics of 18 male sorters. The subjects comprised a subsample of 103 experienced male sorters who carried out the RAL tests at postal sorting centres. The dynamic hand-grip endurance correlated significantly (p = 0.036) to the RALSt results. Correspondingly, there was a significant correlation (p = 0.044) between the ratio of maximal isometric strength of trunk extension to body weight and the RALW. The dynamic hand-grip endurance predicted 26% of the variation in the RALSt; in the RALW the maximal isometric strength of trunk flexion to body weight ratio predicted 24%. The subjects who rated heavier weights for RALSt tended to have a better trunk mobility. The dynamic endurance of hand-grip muscles, trunk strength, and spinal flexibility seemed to be the most powerful predictors for the psychophysically assessed 'acceptable loads' in experienced workers performing manual materials handling tasks. |
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