Document Detail


Method for quantitatively assessing physical risk factors during variable noncyclic work.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  14584516     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: Assessing exposure to physical risk factors during variable noncyclic work can be problematic. The purpose of this study was to modify an existing data reduction method for directly quantifying physical exposures during variable noncyclic work. METHODS: Myoelectric activity of the finger flexors of two groups of workers, heavy equipment operators (N=25) and mechanics (N=25), was sampled to determine the intensity and duration of forceful exertions during normal tasks. Data were reduced with a modification of the exposure variation analysis (EVA), called clustered EVA (CEVA), using three intensity and two duration categories. A two-way, mixed-effects, repeated-measures analysis of variance evaluated the percentage of sampled work time in each CEVA category. RESULTS: CEVA was able to quantify variable noncyclic work, and it contrasted the work of the two groups, with simple effects significantly different for all the exposure categories. The mechanics performed high-intensity short-duration contractions 9.1% of the time, whereas the operators had similar contractions only 1.8% of the time. Conversely, the operators used low-intensity contractions of prolonged duration over 81% of the time, compared with only 43% for the mechanics. CONCLUSIONS: CEVA is a useful modification of EVA for contrasting the noncyclic work typical of understudied industries like construction. A simplification of electromyography with summary measures such as CEVA provides a comprehensible, yet accurate measure of forceful exertions during worktasks.
Authors:
Dan Anton; Thomas M Cook; John C Rosecrance; Linda A Merlino
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health     Volume:  29     ISSN:  0355-3140     ISO Abbreviation:  Scand J Work Environ Health     Publication Date:  2003 Oct 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2003-10-30     Completed Date:  2004-02-18     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7511540     Medline TA:  Scand J Work Environ Health     Country:  Finland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  354-62     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-5000, United States. dan-anton@uiowa.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Biomechanics
Causality
Cross-Sectional Studies
Electromyography
Fingers / physiology*
Forearm / physiology
Humans
Muscle, Skeletal / physiology*
Risk Factors
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
CCU317202/CC/CDC HHS; T42/CCT 717547/CC/CDC HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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