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Abstract

Falls, over-exertion injuries and other potential consequences of balance losses continue to be serious ergonomic concerns. Stability issues are important in the prevention of these injuries, especially when the task is complicated by handling loads. However, stability analyses are not typical components of ergonomic job analyses. This study demonstrated that stability assessments can be effective in recommending load-carrying strategies. In particular, the effects of load positioning and magnitude on stability were investigated. Unladen walking was also tested for comparison. Several stability measures were defined based on the body-and-load's center of mass displacement in the frontal plane. Statistical differences among the load positions and magnitudes were found and are discussed. Results were consistent across measures. Additional work is needed to better define the limits of stability while carrying and to relate these, or other, stability measures to the likelihood of a balance loss.

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Postural Stability While Walking and Carrying Loads in Various Postures

Abstract

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References