Occupational risk factors and back injury.

Twenty-one risk factors affecting laborers in manual materials handling tasks were analyzed to determine what, if any, statistically significant relationships existed between the factors and the emergence of occupational back injury. The statistically significant risk factors (p ≤ .05) in the univariate analysis were determined to be weight lifted per hour (work intensity), trunk twists per hour, weight lifted per day, frequency of lift, trunk motions per hour, and trunk flexions per hour, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.

Personal and non-occupational risk factors and occupational injury/illness.

Background: The materials handling industry performs is an essential function in the world economy, however, it is plagued with occupationally related injuries and illnesses. Understanding the risk factors may assist this industry in alleviating these injuries and illnesses, as well as their associated costs.

Methods: Forty-eight personal and non-occupational risk factors were measured and evaluated for statistically significant relationships with occupational injury in 442 volunteer manual material handlers who worked for three different companies, at nine US locations, with 15 different job descriptions.

A prospective field study of the relationship of potential occupational risk factors with occupational injury/illness.

Twenty-one occupationally related risk factors were measured and prospectively evaluated for statistically significant relationships with occupational injury/illness in 442 manual material handlers, working for three different companies, at nine U.S. locations, and encompassing 15 different job descriptions.