Low Back Pain Among Residential Carpenters: Ergonomic Evaluation Using OWAS and 2D Compression Estimation

• Published in: International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 305 - 321
• Main Authors: Gilkey, David P., Keefe, Thomas J., Bigelow, Philip L., Herron, Robin E., Duvall, Kirby, Hautaluoma, Jacob E., Rosecrance, John S., Sesek, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Cross-Sectional Studies; ergonomic factors; Ergonomics; Facility Design and Construction; Humans; low back pain; Low Back Pain - epidemiology; lumbar compression; Lumbosacral Region; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Prevalence; Spinal Cord Compression - epidemiology; Spinal Cord Compression - physiopathology; Task Performance and Analysis
• ISSN: 1080-3548; 2376-9130
• DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2007.11076731

Occupational low back pain (LBP) remains a leading safety and health challenge. This cross-sectional investigation measured the prevalence of LBP in residential carpenters and investigated ergonomic risk factors. Ninety-four carpenters were investigated for LBP presence and associated risk factors. Ten representative job-tasks were evaluated using the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) and ErgoMaster™ 2D software to measure elements of posture, stress, and risk. Job-tasks were found to differ significantly for total lumbar compression and shear at peak loading (p < .001), ranging from 2 956 to 8 606 N and 802 to 1 974 N respectively. OWAS indicated that slight risk for injury was found in 10 job-tasks while distinct risk was found in 7 of the 10 job-tasks. Seven of the 10 job-tasks exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) action limit of 3 400 N for low back loading. The point prevalence for LBP was 14% while the annual prevalence was 38%.