Occupationally-relevant low back disorders are an important health concern in the workplace. Measuring workers' exposure to biomechanical risk factors such as non-neutral postures and high force exertions is an important step for managing and mitigating the risk of such cumulative disorders. Accurate and precise quantification of exposures to biomechanical risk factors in non-repetitive material handling present unique challenges, particularly in jobs where the magnitude of hand loads vary during the workday and/or are difficult to measure directly (e.g., warehousing, construction). Wireless wearable inertial sensors offer new opportunities to acquire continuous posture data in situ and has received considerable interest in ergonomics research. This research explores several emerging issues and opportunities afforded by body-worn inertial sensing technology for quantifying biomechanical exposures and low back disorder risk particularly in relation to nonrepetitive Manual Material Handling (MMH) jobs.
The specific goal of this research is to develop, implement, and assess a framework that combines occupational biomechanics principles and empirical findings, wearable inertial sensing, and predictive modeling for quantifying biomechanical exposures associated with low back disorder risk in non-repetitive MMH work. The research is specifically targeting manual load carriage, lifting and lowering, which represent common MMH tasks associated with an increased risk of low back disorders.
