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.

Examining the relationship between human factors related quality risk factors and work related musculoskeletal disorder risk factors in manufacturing.

This study addresses the relationship between human factors (HF) related quality deficits in manufacturing and work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) risk factors in production staff. A recent systematic review identified 60 HF-related quality risk factors (QRFs) in manufacturing related to product, process and workstation design stages. We investigate the extent to which these identified QRFs are also WMSD risk factors.

The impact of different seats and whole-body vibration exposures on truck driver vigilance and discomfort.

Laboratory studies have shown that exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) increases physical and mental fatigue, which are common issues professional drivers face. The objective of this study was to determine whether altering WBV exposures had any effect on driver vigilance and discomfort. A repeated measures crossover design of five truck drivers with regular 10-h routes was used.

Exploring the Relationship of Task Performance and Physical and Cognitive Fatigue During a Daylong Light Precision Task.

Objective: Our aim was to explore the relationship between fatigue and operation system performance during a simulated light precision task over an 8-hr period using a battery of physical (central and peripheral) and cognitive measures.

Background: Fatigue may play an important role in the relationship between poor ergonomics and deficits in quality and productivity. However, well-controlled laboratory studies in this area have several limitations, including the lack of work relevance of fatigue exposures and lack of both physical and cognitive measures.

Older females in the workforce - the effects of age on psychophysical estimates of maximum acceptable lifting loads.

The number of older workers in the workforce is increasing substantially, and advanced age is associated with factors that could influence musculoskeletal injury risk and work capacity. This study's goals were to test whether psychophysical estimates of maximum acceptable weight of lift (lift) differed between younger and older workers, and to examine potential explanatory factors. Twenty-four female workers (half 50 + years; half 20-32 years) self-adjusted a box's mass to their perceived lift during four lifting tasks.

Fatigue Detection Using Phase-Space Warping.

A novel application of phase-space warping (PSW) method to detect fatigue in the musculoskeletal system is presented. Experimental kinematic, force, and physiological signals are used to produce a fatigue metric. The metric is produced using time-delay embedding and PSW methods.

Sensitivity, reliability and the effects of diurnal variation on a test battery of field usable upper limb fatigue measures.

Fatigue has been linked to deficits in production quality and productivity and, if of long duration, work-related musculoskeletal disorders. It may thus be a useful risk indicator and design and evaluation tool. However, there is limited information on the test-retest reliability, the sensitivity and the effects of diurnal fluctuation on field usable fatigue measures.

Responsive upper limb and cognitive fatigue measures during light precision work: an 8-hour simulated micro-pipetting study.

Many contemporary occupations are characterised by long periods of low loads. These lower force levels, which are relevant to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, are usually not the focus of fatigue studies. In studies that did measure fatigue in light manual or precision work, within and between measurement responses were inconsistent.

Evaluating protocols for normalizing forearm electromyograms during power grip.

Many studies use a reference task of an isometric maximum voluntary power grip task in a mid-pronated forearm posture to normalize their forearm electromyographic (EMG) signal amplitude. Currently there are no recommended protocols to do this. In order to provide guidance on the topic, we examined the EMG amplitude of six forearm muscles (three flexors and three extensors) during twenty different maximal voluntary efforts that included various gripping postures, force and moment exertions and compared them to a frequently used normalization task of exerting a maximum grip force, termed the reference task.

A comparison of two methods to assess the usage of mobile hand-held communication devices.

The purposes of this study were to: 1) examine agreement between self-reported measures of mobile device use and direct measures of use, and 2) understand how respondents thought about their device use when they provided self-reports. Self-reports of six categories of device use were obtained using a previously developed questionnaire, and direct measures of use were collected using a custom logging application (n = 47). Bland-Altman analyses were used to examine agreement between the two measurement approaches.

Detecting within- and between-day manifestations of neuromuscular fatigue at work: an exploratory study.

Unlabelled: Cumulative neuromuscular fatigue may result from exposure to physically demanding work, such as repetitive and/or sustained work with insufficient recovery. The aims of this exploratory study were to develop a battery of field usable fatigue measures and to document hand/arm fatigue in physically demanding work over multiple workdays and after a weekend break. Sixteen plumbers were observed for five days and measures of handgrip force, variability, tremor and discomfort were obtained pre-, mid- and post-shift.

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.

Estimating maximum and psychophysically acceptable hand forces using a biomechanical weakest link approach.

Accurate estimation of occupational performance capability facilitates better job (re-) design by informing workplace parties about the potential mismatches between job demands and the capability of their labour force. However, estimating occupational performance requires consideration of multiple factors that may govern capacity. In this paper, a novel model is described that uses a stochastic algorithm to estimate how variability in underlying biomechanical constraints affects hand force capability.

The roles of whole body balance, shoe-floor friction and joint strength during maximum exertions: searching for the "weakest link".

Exerting manual forces is critical during occupational performance. Therefore, being able to estimate maximum force capacity is particularly useful for determining how these manual exertion demands relate to available capacity. To facilitate this type of prediction requires a complete understanding of how maximum force capacity is governed biomechanically.

Variation of force amplitude and its effects on local fatigue.

Trends in industry are leaning toward stereotyped jobs with low workloads. Physical variation is an intervention to reduce fatigue and potentially musculoskeletal disorders in such jobs. Controlled laboratory studies have provided some insight into the effectiveness of physical variation, but very few have been devoted to force variation without muscular rest as a component.

Individual participant data meta-analysis of mechanical workplace risk factors and low back pain.

Objectives: We used individual participant data from multiple studies to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of mechanical exposures in the workplace and low back pain.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search and contacted an author of each study to request their individual participant data. Because outcome definitions and exposure measures were not uniform across studies, we conducted 2 substudies: (1) to identify sets of outcome definitions that could be combined in a meta-analysis and (2) to develop methods to translate mechanical exposure onto a common metric.

Relationships between psychophysically acceptable and maximum voluntary hand force capacity in the context of underlying biomechanical limitations.

This research investigated if proportional relationships between psychophysically acceptable and maximum voluntary hand forces are dependent on the underlying biomechanical factor (i.e. whole body balance or joint strength) that limited the maximum voluntary hand force.

Enhanced selectivity in acetylene hydrogenation by ligand modified Pd/TiO2 catalysts.

Modification of Pd/TiO(2) catalyst by adsorption of triphenylphosphine and phenyl sulfide leads to markedly enhanced selectivity for acetylene hydrogenation in the presence of ethylene and excess hydrogen. Similar selectivities were maintained in cases where ligand decomposition took place and sulfur was retained on the catalyst surface.

Translation of mechanical exposure in the workplace into common metrics for meta-analysis: a reliability and validity study.

Objectives: We previously assessed inter-rater reliability of expert raters using six scales to estimate the intensity of literature-based mechanical exposures. The objectives of this study were to estimate the impact on the inter-rater reliability of using non-expert (NE) raters and to assess the validity of our scales.

Methods: We used 7-point scales to represent three dimensions of mechanical exposures at work: 1) trunk posture, 2) weight lifted or force exerted and 3) spinal loading.

Musculoskeletal symptoms among mobile hand-held device users and their relationship to device use: A preliminary study in a Canadian university population.

The study aims were, in a population of university students, staff, and faculty (n = 140), to: 1) determine the distribution of seven measures of mobile device use; 2) determine the distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms of the upper extremity, upper back and neck; and 3) assess the relationship between device use and symptoms. 137 of 140 participants (98%) reported using a mobile device. Most participants (84%) reported pain in at least one body part.

Dancing the two-step: Collaborating with intermediary organizations as research partners to help implement workplace health and safety interventions.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the involvement of intermediaries who were research partners on three intervention studies. The projects crossed four sectors: manufacturing, transportation, service sector, and electrical-utilities sectors. The interventions were participative ergonomic programs.

Searching for needles in a haystack: identifying innovations to prevent MSDs in the construction sector.

This study identified innovations that could potentially reduce the risk of MSDs in the construction sector. The action research approach was based on a collaborative model of researchers working with workplace representatives. We searched for innovations being used by construction companies.

The effect of added degrees of freedom and handle type on upper limb muscle activity during simulated hand tool use.

The human upper limb serves a number of functions ranging from coarse movements such as supporting a load when lifting overhead to the fine motor control required when painting a portrait. However, there are limited data available that address upper extremity function and performance when using hand tools in situations where the tool endpoint is not fixed but can move translationally or rotationally. The goal of this study was to examine variation in arm muscle activity when added degrees of freedom (DOF) were introduced through the use of a force application apparatus with two different handle designs (D-handle or screwdriver).

A comparison of cortical and trabecular bone from C57 Black 6 mice using Raman spectroscopy.

Cortical and trabecular bone are both produced and maintained by the same cell types. At the microscopic scale they have a similar lamellar structure but at a macroscopic scale they are very different. Raman microscopy has been used to investigate compositional differences in the two bone types using bone from standard laboratory mice in physiological conditions.

Remediation of a chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon in water by photoelectrocatalysis.

Photoelectrocatalysis driven by visible light offers a new and potentially powerful technology for the remediation of water contaminated by organo-xenobiotics. In this study, the performance of a visible light-driven photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) batch reactor, applying a tungsten trioxide (WO(3)) photoelectrode, to degrade the model pollutant 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) was monitored both by toxicological assessment (biosensing) and chemical analysis. The bacterial biosensor used to assess the presence of toxicity of the parent molecule and its breakdown products was a multicopy plasmid lux-marked E.