Abstract
A before-and-after experimental design was conducted to evaluate the potential reduction in the risk of musculoskeletal injuries to concrete reinforcement workers when using an automatic rebar tying machine. Eleven (11) concrete reinforcement workers participated in this experiment. All dependent variables (trunk posture, and rebar tying time) were measured before and after implementing the rebar tying machine. The results of the study indicated that working with a rebar tying machine significantly reduced the magnitude and duration of exposure to awkward trunk posture. Tying time was reduced when participants used the machine. Based on trunk posture exposure and rebar tying time, it is concluded that the rebar tying machine can be an effective tool to reduce the frequency and duration of severe trunk flexion and increase productivity among concrete reinforcement workers.
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