Evolving pipe joining methods and their association to musculoskeletal symptoms for residential plumbers.

Background: Recently the plumbing trade has transitioned from traditional copper piping to flexible plastic piping (PEX) for residential water distribution systems. However, there has been very limited research into the ergonomic implications of the modernized processes.

Objective: This research documents the physical workload and risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) with the use of new tools and processes for joining piping.

The Path from Survey Development to Knowledge Activism: A Case Study of the Use of a Physical Loads Survey in a Retail Workplace.

Workers at a multi-site retailer were concerned that they were experiencing higher than anticipated work-related musculoskeletal disabilities (MSDs). They approached union leadership and academic researchers and a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project was developed which culminated in a targeted online Physical Loads Survey (PLS). The goal was to initiate discussions to design a preventative collaborative ergonomic program.

Did you have an impact? A theory-based method for planning and evaluating knowledge-transfer and exchange activities in occupational health and safety.

Few evaluation tools are available to assess knowledge-transfer and exchange interventions. The objective of this paper is to develop and demonstrate a theory-based knowledge-transfer and exchange method of evaluation (KEME) that synthesizes 3 theoretical frameworks: the promoting action on research implementation of health services (PARiHS) model, the transtheoretical model of change, and a model of knowledge use. It proposes a new term, keme, to mean a unit of evidence-based transferable knowledge.