Effects of Scaffolding Equipment Interventions on Muscle Activation and Task Performance

Abstract

Examination of a local power utility’s injury database revealed maintenance personnel to experience high injury rates. Maintenance jobs were analyzed using an ergonomic risk factor screening tool and scaffolding tasks, including walk-board tie-down and frame tube coupling, were found to pose high risks. Factors included high torques at joints and awkward posture positions. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize interventions to reduce risks and conduct experiments to assess the impact of interventions on worker muscle activation and performance. Nine male operators were recruited from the utility and participated in two tests of novel walk-board tie-down and frame coupling equipment. Muscle activation was measured using electromyography in scaffold assemble/disassemble tasks along with time-to-task completion. Results revealed plastic zip-ties and quick-clamping couplers to reduce mean normalized muscle responses and support performance comparable to conventional metal-wire ties and ratcheting clamps. These ergonomic interventions maybe implemented in other areas where scaffolding is used.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Chang

Sun

Chuang

Hsu

(2009). Work fatigue and physiological symptoms in different occupations of high-elevation construction workers. Applied Ergonomics, 40(4), 591-596.

Delagi

E. F.

Iazzetti

Perotto

Morrison

(Eds.). (1994). Anatomical guide for the electromyographer- the limbs and trunk (3rd Ed.) Charles C Thomas.

Elders

L. A.

Burdorf

(2001). Interrelations of risk factors and low back pain in scaffolders. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 587-603.

Kathleen Killough

Crumpton

L. L.

(1996). An investigation of cumulative trauma disorders in the construction industry. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 18(5-6), 399-405. DOI: 10.1016/0169-8141(95)00102-610.1016/0169-8141(95)00102-6

K. W.

(2002). Ergonomic design and evaluation of wire-tying hand tools. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 30(3), 149-161. DOI: 10.1016/S0169-8141(02)00097-510.1016/S0169-8141(02)00097-5

K. W.

(2003). Ergonomic evaluation of a fixture used for power driven wire-tying hand tools. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 32(2), 71-79

McAtamney

Nigel Corlett

(1993). RULA: A survey method for the investigation of work-related upper limb disorders. Applied Ergonomics, 24(2), 91-99. DOI: 10.1016/0003-6870(93)90080-S10.1016/00036870(93)90080-S

Mital

Channaveeraiah

(1988). Peak volitional torques for wrenches and screwdrivers. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 3(1), 41-64.

Moore

J. S.

Garg

(1995). The strain index: A proposed method to analyze jobs for risk of distal upper extremity disorders. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, 56(5), 443-458.

10.

Payton

C. J.

Bartlett

R. M.

(Eds.). (2008). Biomechanical evaluation of movement in sport and exercise: The British association of sport and exercise sciences. New York: Routledge.

11.

Rash

G. S.

Quesada

P. M.

(2006). Electromyography: Fundamentals. In Karwowski

(Ed.), International encyclopedia of ergonomics and human factors (Second ed., pp. 3107-3114) Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

12.

Sabin

T. E.

Stafford

S. G.

Oregon State University. Forest Research Laboratory (1990). Assessing the need for transformation of response variables. Corvallis, OR: Forest Research Lab, College of Forestry, Oregon State University.