1. |
- Antonson, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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The clinical consequence of using less than four sensory perception examination methods in the Swedish surveillance system for Hand-Arm vibration syndrome
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Health. - : Wiley. - 1348-9585 .- 1341-9145. ; 64:1, s. 12343-12343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: The Swedish surveillance system aiming to reveal undetected Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) in workers exposed for vibrations is regulated by the provision AFS 2019:3. The goal for the surveillance system is to diagnose HAVS, as well as to find workers at risk for developing HAVS due to other conditions. The national guidelines stipulate examination using at least two out of four hand sensory examination methods (SEM); monofilament (touch), two-point discrimination (discriminative), tuning fork (vibrotactile), and Rolltemp (thermotactile). The aim of this study was to examine the clinical consequence of using less than four of these SEMs. METHODS: We collected data on SEMs from the medical records of all individuals that went through the specific surveillance medical check-up in a large occupational health service for 1 year. We then calculated the number of workers found with HAVS when using one, two, or three SEMs, and compared with the result from using all available SEMs. RESULTS: Out of 677 examined individuals, 199 had positive findings in at least one SEM. The detection rate for these findings was on average 47% when using one SEM, 71% using two SEMs, and 88% using three SEMs (out of 100% detection when all four SEMs were used). CONCLUSIONS: If fewer than four sensory examination methods are used for surveillance of HAVS, many workers with incipient injuries may stay undetected. This may lead to further exposure resulting in aggravation of injury.
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2. |
- Arvidsson, Inger, et al.
(författare)
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Action Levels for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Neck and Upper Extremities : A Proposal
- 2021
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Ingår i: Annals of Work Exposures and Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2398-7308 .- 2398-7316. ; 65:7, s. 741-747
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There are several well-known risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Despite this knowledge, too many people still work in harmful conditions. The absence of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for physical workload impedes both supervision and preventive work. To prevent myalgia, tendon disorders, and nerve entrapments in the upper musculoskeletal system, we propose action levels concerning work postures, movement velocities and muscular loads recorded by wearable equipment. As an example, we propose that wrist velocity should not exceed 20°/s as a median over a working day. This has the potential to reduce the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in highly exposed male occupational groups by 93%. By reducing upper arm velocity in highly exposed female groups to the suggested action level 60°/s, the prevalence of pronounced neck/shoulder myalgia with clinical findings (tension neck syndrome) could be reduced by 22%. Furthermore, we propose several other action levels for the physical workload. Our ambition is to start a discussion concerning limits for physical workload, with the long-term goal that OELs shall be introduced in legislation. Obviously, the specific values of the proposed action levels can, and should, be discussed. We hope that quantitative measurements, combined with action levels, will become an integral part of systematic occupational health efforts, enabling reduction and prevention of work-related MSDs.
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3. |
- Arvidsson, Inger, et al.
(författare)
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Betydelsen av fysiska och psykosociala riskfaktorer för sjukdom/besvär i muskler och leder - En uppföljningsstudie av kvinnor inom vård och skola
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Vi har upprättat en kohort med 1591 kvinnor från fem vanliga yrken: Operationssköterskor (Op), anestesisköterskor (Ane), undersköterskor på operation (Usk), biomedicinska analytiker som gör ultraljudsundersökningar (BMA) samt lärarinnor (Lär). Enkät har skickats ut vid baseline och i genomsnitt ca 28 månader därefter. Data från uppföljningen är inte analyserade ännu, varför rapporten enbart omfattar resultat från baseline. Fallen definierades baserat på kombinationen av frekvens och intensitet av rapporterade besvär. Samband mellan smärttillstånd och arbetsbelastning, individ- och livsstilsfaktorer analyserades med multivariat analys, backward proceedure. Samband påvisades för nacken med högt mekaniskt index, lågt fysiskt index, missnöje med datorarbetsplatsens utformning, höga krav, låg kontroll, höga känslomässiga krav, låga sensoriska krav samt låg ålder. axlarna med högt mekaniskt index, missnöjd med datorarbetsplatsens utformning, krav och lite egen tid för återhämtning. handleder/händer med högt mekaniskt index, höga krav, låg kontroll, hög ålder, högt BMI och inga/få hemmavarande barn. ländryggen med högt mekaniskt index, höga krav, låg kontroll, låga sensoriska krav, hög ålder, högt BMI och lite egen tid för återhämtning. fötterna med högt BMI, högt fysiskt index, hög ålder, höga krav, inga eller få hemmavarande barn samt låg kontroll. De ergonomiska problem som framkommit vid intervjuerna av operationspersonal har presenterats för studenter på Lunds tekniska högskola. Ett särskilt problem avsåg de statiska, obekväma och ansträngande arbetsställningarna som uppkom då operationssjuksköterskorna assisterade under operationer. Med hjälp av en operationhake höll de isär såret under operationen. Haken har ett grepp som tvingar Op till ett böjt och icke funktionellt handgrepp. Studenterna tog fram prototyp för en hållare till haken, som ger möjlighet till en mer ergonomisk handledsställning, samt att byta hand vid behov under operationen. Hållaren till haken utvärderas f n på två operationsavdelningar.
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4. |
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5. |
- Arvidsson, Inger, et al.
(författare)
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Cross-sectional associations between occupational factors and musculoskeletal pain in women teachers, nurses and sonographers.
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2474. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is usually assumed that musculoskeletal pain is associated with both the physical workload and the psychosocial work environment, as well as with personal and lifestyle factors. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in women with varying or different occupational exposures, and to explore the associations between musculoskeletal pain and the occupational and personal factors.
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6. |
- Arvidsson, Inger, et al.
(författare)
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Discrepancies in pain presentation caused by adverse psychosocial conditions as compared to pain due to high physical workload?
- 2012
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Ingår i: Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation. - 1875-9270. ; 41, s. 2472-2475
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Disorders in the musculoskeletal system have been associated with a high physical workload as well as psychosocial and individual factors. It is however not obvious which of these factors that is most important to prevent. Musculoskeletal disorders in neck and upper extremity was assessed by interview and clinical examination in 79 teachers and 93 assisting nurses, all females. Psychosocial work environment was assessed by questionnaire. The physical workload was recorded by technical measurements of postures, movements and muscular load, in 9 teachers and 12 nurses. The physical workload was lower among the teachers, but they had a more demanding psychosocial work environment. Among the nurses, but not in the teachers, the neck-shoulder disorders were associated with a high body mass index (BMI). The teachers reported neck-shoulder complaints to a higher extent than the nurses, but had much lower prevalence of diagnoses in the clinical examination (12% vs. 25%; POR 0.3 CI 0.1 - 1.2; adjusted for age and BMI). The results suggest that adverse psychosocial conditions among the teachers give rise to a different kind of pain in the neck-shoulder region than from physical overload, troublesome but not as severe as the one afflicting the nurses.
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7. |
- Arvidsson, Inger, et al.
(författare)
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Rationalization in meat cutting - Consequences on physical workload.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-9126 .- 0003-6870. ; 43:6, s. 1026-1032
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Meat cutting is associated with several ergonomic risk factors and a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The development of new production systems points to an increased degree of mechanization; instead of subdividing split carcasses of pigs with a knife, the halves are trisected by an electrical saw into 'sixth-parts', resulting in shorter work cycles for the workers. Recently, machine-directed line-production systems have been implemented. This study evaluates differences in the physical workload between the production systems. The postures and movements (inclinometry and goniometry) and muscular load (electromyography) of workers in the split-carcass- (five subjects), sixth-part- (ten) and line-production systems (five) were recorded. Most measures showed a statistically significant trend of declining physical exposure with increasing degrees of mechanization. For example, movement velocities of the upper arm were higher in the split-carcass system (50th percentile: mean 209°/s) than in the sixth-part (103°/s) and line production (81°/s). However, the latter two were not statistically significantly different. A novel method for quantifying posture variation, based on inclinometry, showed that the split-carcass system implied the highest variation of the upper arm postures "within-minute" (i.e., a high range of motion each minute), but the lowest "between-minute" (i.e., a low variation during the course of the workday). In conclusion, the physical workload in the line-production system was significantly lower than in the split-carcass one, and tended also to be lower than in the sixth-part system. However, there may be disadvantages in line production, such as machine-directed work pace and shorter work cycles.
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8. |
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9. |
- Arvidsson, Inger, et al.
(författare)
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The impact of occupational and personal factors on musculoskeletal pain - A cohort study of female nurses, sonographers and teachers
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2474. ; 21:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Musculoskeletal pain is common in the general population and constitutes a major public health problem. A large proportion of these conditions may be work related. The aim of this study was to explore the relative importance of physical, psychosocial and personal factors, in number of pain sites and in five specific pain sites, among women in common professions with a broad variety of occupational exposures. Methods: A cohort of 1115 women responded to a questionnaire on ergonomic, psychosocial, personal and life-style factors, and the outcome measure of musculoskeletal pain (based on frequency and intensity of complaints at nine anatomical sites), at baseline and at follow-up. Sum scores of ergonomic and psychosocial factors were created. The importance of exposure at baseline for the number of pain sites at follow-up were estimated using ordinal regression. The importance of exposure at baseline for pain in the neck, shoulders, hands, lower back and feet at follow-up were estimated using multi-exposure Poisson regression models. Results: High sum scores for ergonomic and psychosocial factors were of importance for a high number of pain sites, although the strongest risk factor was a high number of pain sites already at baseline. On the individual level, there was a large fluctuation in number of pain sites between the two time points. Eighteen percent reported persistent (or recurrent) ≥ four pain sites, while only 11 % did not report any pain at baseline or at follow-up. Among the specific pain sites, a high sum score of ergonomic factors was associated with pain in the neck, hands and feet. A high sum score of psychosocial factors was associated with neck and shoulder pain. The strongest risk factor was, however, pain at that specific anatomical site at baseline. Only a few of the personal and life-style factors were associated with pain. Conclusions: An overwhelming majority of the women in common occupations were affected by musculoskeletal pain. Both ergonomic and psychosocial factors were predictive of a high number of pain sites and of specific pain sites. These findings indicate the need for preventive measures on the individual, organizational and societal level.
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11. |
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12. |
- Balogh, Istvan, et al.
(författare)
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Precision of measurements of physical workload during standardized manual handling part III: Goniometry of the wrists.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Electromyography & Kinesiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-5711 .- 1050-6411. ; 19:5, s. 1005-1012
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Goniometry of the wrist is a feasible method for studying wrist movements in most hand-intensive work. The precision and accuracy of the method per se is good. For the knowledge on validity of field measurements, the size of imprecision is of importance. This study evaluated this condition during standardized circumstances. Six women performed three different hand-intensive work tasks: 'materials picking', 'light assembly', and 'heavy assembly', repeated during three different days. Variance components between-days (within subjects) and between-subjects were derived for positions (flexion/extension and deviation) and movements, including angular velocities, % of time with very low velocity (<1 degrees /s), as well as repetitiveness. For positions, the average standard deviations in the three tasks were, both between-days and between-subjects, 3-4 degrees . For movements, the coefficients of variation of angular velocities were about 10% between-days, and could to a great part be explained by differences in work rate. Between-subjects variability was higher, 20-40%. The variability was larger at low velocities than at high ones. The precision of the measured positions was good, expressed as small between-days and between-subjects variability. For movements, the between-days variability was also small, while there was a larger between-subjects variability. The imprecision of goniometry is consequently lower and comparable with inclinometry but lower than for EMG.
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13. |
- Balogh, Istvan, et al.
(författare)
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Questionnaire-based mechanical exposure indices for large population studies--reliability, internal consistency and predictive validity
- 2001
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140. ; 27:1, s. 41-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study attempts to construct valid indices for mechanical exposure of the shoulder-neck region with relation to the development of shoulder-neck pain in a 1-year perspective study of a general population. METHODS: A comprehensive questionnaire was presented to 14 556 subjects aged 45 or 65 years and repeated after 12 months. Twenty-four questions concerning positions, movements, and manual materials handling were registered on a 3-point impact scale. Musculoskeletal problems were reported on a slightly modified version of the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire for the Analysis of Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Test-retest stability after 2 weeks was calculated for 232 consecutive participants. Based on mechanistic theories, 4 exposure indices were formed. Another 5 constructs were obtained by factor analysis. RESULTS: All the indices showed good test-retest stability, and 5 of them had very good internal consistency. Due to overlaps between the indices, 2 indices stood out as having unique properties. One of them concerned mainly postures and the other dealt primarily with measured lifting. However, the latter was not related to the shoulder-neck pain outcome when adjusted for the posture index. The posture index showed an exposure-effect relationship with the outcome. The job titles implied a large degree of exposure misclassification. CONCLUSIONS: The posture index is recommended as a mechanical exposure index for analyses of interaction with other possible determinants of shoulder-neck pain (ie, psychosocial factors). The use of such an index instead of job titles in large population studies will reduce the risk of misclassification.
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14. |
- Balogh, Istvan, et al.
(författare)
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Self-assessed and directly measured occupational physical activities - influence of musculoskeletal complaints, age and gender
- 2004
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-9126 .- 0003-6870. ; 35:1, s. 49-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study compares questionnaire assessed physical activity with direct technical measurements among cleaners and office workers, stratified regarding age, gender and self-reported neck/shoulder complaints. During two full working days number of steps was recorded by a pedometer, sitting/standing positions by a posimeter and heart rate by a Sport-Tester. In addition the subjects kept a work task diary for 10 days. There were high intra-individual variations in exposure between the days. Subjects with complaints rated their exposure higher than those without, although they in fact showed lower direct measured exposure. This may imply underestimation of exposure-effect relationships. Rate of perceived exertion showed low correlation with heart rate ratio within the two occupational groups, but high, 0.64 when the two groups were combined. Age and complaints explained 31% of the variance for the cleaners.
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15. |
- Balogh, Istvan, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of work organization on workload and musculoskeletal health - Grocery store work as a model.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-9126 .- 0003-6870. ; 53:Part A, s. 143-151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have evaluated the consequences of work organization on musculoskeletal health. Using a postal questionnaire, answered by 1600 female grocery store workers, their main work tasks were identified and four work groups were defined (cashier, picking, and delicatessen work, and a mixed group, who performed a mix of these tasks). The crude odds ratios (ORs) for neck/shoulder complaints were 1.5 (95% CI 1.0-2.2), 1.1 (0.7-1.5) and 1.6 (1.1-2.3), respectively, compared to mixed work. Adjusting for individual and psychosocial factors had no effect on these ORs. For elbows/hands, no significant differences were found. Technical measurements of the workload showed large differences between the work groups. Picking work was the most strenuous, while cashier work showed low loads. Quantitative measures of variation revealed for mixed work high between minutes variation and the highest between/within minutes variation. Combining work tasks with different physical exposure levels increases the variation and may reduce the risk of musculoskeletal complaints.
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16. |
- Balogh, Istvan, et al.
(författare)
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Work-related neck and upper limb disorders - Quantitative exposure-response relationships adjusted for personal characteristics and psychosocial conditions
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2474. ; 20:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: We have previously reported quantitative exposure-response relationships between physical exposures recorded by technical methods, and complaints and diagnoses in the neck/shoulders, and the elbows/hands, based on group data. In the present study the number of workers was doubled, and information on individual factors, and psychosocial working conditions was used. Relationships between various kinds of exposure and response have been analysed in this larger and more detailed sample. Methods: The prevalence of complaints (Nordic Questionnaire) and diagnoses (clinical examination) were recorded in a number of occupational groups within which the participants had similar work tasks, 34 groups of female employees (N = 4733 women) and 17 groups of male employees (N = 1107 men). Age and other individual characteristics were recorded, as well as psychosocial work environment factors (job-content questionnaire) for most participants. Postures and velocities (inclinometry) of the head (N = 505) and right upper arm (N = 510), right wrist postures and velocities (electrogoniometry; N = 685), and muscular activity (electromyography; EMG) in the right trapezius muscle (N = 647) and forearm extensors (N = 396) were recorded in representative sub-groups. Exposure-response relationships between physical exposure and musculoskeletal disorders, adjusted for individual factors with Poisson regression were then calculated. The effect of introducing psychosocial conditions into the models was also assessed. Results: Associations were found between head velocity, trapezius activity, upper arm velocity, forearm extensor activity and wrist posture and velocity, and most neck/shoulder and elbow/hand complaints and diagnoses. Adjustment for age, other individual characteristics and psychosocial work conditions had only a limited effect on these associations. For example, the attributable fraction for tension neck syndrome among female workers with the highest quintile of trapezius activity was 58%, for carpal tunnel syndrome versus wrist velocity it was 92% in men in the highest exposure quintile. Conclusions: Based on the findings, we propose threshold limit values for upper arm and wrist velocity.
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17. |
- Dahlqvist, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
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Arbetsbelastning vid städning av hotellrum
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Enligt Arbetsmiljöverkets rapport ”Arbetsmiljön 2013” har 40 procent av alla hotell- och kontorsstädare ont i nacke, rygg, axlar eller armar varje vecka. 60 procent av dem känner sig uttröttade i kroppen. Arbets- och miljömedicin (AMM) Syd har tagit fram åtgärdsnivåer för ett antal belastningsmått, ”AMM Syds åtgärdsnivåer för ergonomisk belastning”, och om man överstiger dessa, anser vi att risken för belastningsskada är stor. Vi har studerat hotellrumsstädares belastning och jämfört med våra åtgärdsnivåer.Vi mätte den fysiska arbetsbelastningen hos fjorton kvinnliga hotellrumsstädare under en vanlig arbetsdag, på en deltagare åt gången. De arbetade på sju olika hotell i södra Sverige. Några var anställda av städföretag och några direkt av hotellen.Vi fann att hotellrumsstädare har en väldigt hög arbetsbelastning i övre delen av kroppen, både vad gäller rörelsehastighet, arbetsställningar och muskelansträngning (se Tabell på sid 3). Samtliga deltagare hade för hög rörelsehastighet i överarm och handled och för lite vila i underarmens muskler i jämförelse med våra åtgärdsnivåer. Även vad gäller framåtböjningen av huvudet, överarmens arbetsställning och underarmens muskelbelastning fann vi för höga nivåer. Hotellrumsstädning överskrider nio av våra elva åtgärdsnivåer för ergonomisk belastning. Detta betyder att hotellrumsstädare har en väldigt hög risk att drabbas av belastningsskador.RekommendationerFör att minska risken för belastningsskador bland hotellrumsstädare måste arbetstempot sänkas, genom att minska antalet rum som ingår i en hotellrumsstädares arbetsdag.Personalen bör erbjudas regelbundna medicinska kontroller avseende ergonomiskt belastande arbete så att man tidigt sätter in åtgärder för den arbetstagare eller grupp av arbetstagare som är på väg att utveckla skada i muskler och/eller leder. Arbetsplatsen rekommenderas att ha företagshälsovård knuten till sig, som kan genomföra de medicinska kontrollerna och som kontinuerligt gör riskbedömningar av arbetet. De bör också ha som uppgift att utbilda städpersonalen i ergonomi.
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19. |
- Dahlqvist, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
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Comparing two methods to record maximal voluntary contractions and different electrode positions in recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity : refining risk assessments for work-related wrist disorders
- 2018
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Ingår i: Work. - : IOS Press. - 1051-9815. ; 59:2, s. 231-242
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Wrist disorders are common in force demanding industrial repetitive work. Visual assessment of force demands have a low reliability, instead surface electromyography (EMG) may be used as part of a risk assessment for work-related wrist disorders. For normalization of EMG recordings, a power grip (hand grip) is often used as maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the forearm extensor muscles. However, the test-retest reproducibility is poor and EMG amplitudes exceeding 100% have occasionally been recorded during work. An alternative MVC is resisted wrist extension, which may be more reliable.Objective: To compare hand grip and resisted wrist extension MVCs, in terms of amplitude and reproducibility, and to examine the effect of electrode positioning.Methods: Twelve subjects participated. EMG from right forearm extensors, from four electrode pairs, was recorded during MVCs, on three separate occasions.Results: The group mean EMG amplitudes for resisted wrist extension were 1.2-1.7 times greater than those for hand grip. Resisted wrist extension showed better reproducibility than hand grip.Conclusions: The results indicate that the use of resisted wrist extension is a more accurate measurement of maximal effort of wrist extensor contractions than using hand grip and should increase the precision in EMG recordings from forearm extensor muscles, which in turn will increase the quality of risk assessments that are based on these.
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20. |
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21. |
- Dahlqvist, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
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Self-recordings of upper arm elevation during cleaning - comparison between analyses using a simplified reference posture and a standard reference posture
- 2018
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Ingår i: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. - : BMC. - 1471-2474. ; 19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background To reduce ergonomic risk factors in terms of awkward and constrained postures and high velocities, it is important to perform adequate risk assessments. Technical methods provide objective measures of physical workload. These methods have so far mainly been used by researchers. However, if written instructions how to apply the sensors and how to adopt the reference posture are provided, together with triaxial accelerometers, it may be possible for employees to record their own physical workload. The exposure in terms of e.g. upper arm elevations could then easily be assessed for all workers in a workplace. The main aims of this study were: 1) to compare analyses for self-recording of upper arm elevation during work using a simplified reference posture versus using a standard reference posture, and 2) to compare the two reference postures.MethodsTwenty-eight cleaners attached an accelerometer to their dominant upper arm and adopted a simplified reference according to a written instruction. They were thereafter instructed by a researcher to adopt a standard reference. Upper arm elevations were recorded for 2 or 3 days. Each recording was analysed twice; relative to the simplified reference posture and relative to the standard reference posture. The group means of the differences in recorded upper arm elevations between simplified and standard reference analyses were assessed using Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Furthermore, we calculated the group mean of the differences between the simplified reference posture and the standard reference posture.ResultsFor arm elevation during work (50(th) percentile), the group mean of the differences between the two analyses was 0.2 degrees (range-7 - 10 degrees). The group mean of the differences between the two references was 9 degrees (range 1-21 degrees). The subjects were able to follow the instructions in the protocol and performed self-recording of upper arm elevation and velocity.ConclusionsThe small difference between the two analyses indicates that recordings performed by employees themselves are comparable, on a group level, with those performed by researchers. Self-recordings in combination with action levels would provide employers with a method for risk assessment as a solid basis for prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
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22. |
- Dahlqvist, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of two types of maximal voluntary contraction and two electrode positions in field recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity during hotel room cleaning
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1080-3548 .- 2376-9130. ; 26:3, s. 595-602
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose. This study aimed to investigate the effects of using hand grip or resisted wrist extension as the reference contraction, and two electrode positions, on field recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity. Materials and methods. Right forearm extensor muscle activity was recorded using two electrode pairs (over the most prominent part (position 2) and proximal to that (position 1)) during one working day in 13 female hotel housekeepers. Each subject performed the two maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs), and the electrical activity obtained during these (maximal voluntary electrical activity (MVE)) was used for normalization. Each set of recordings was analysed twice, once using hand grip as the MVC and once using resisted wrist extension. Results. Resisted wrist extension showed a higher group mean MVE than hand grip. Position 2 had higher correlation between MVE and force during the MVCs. The workload during cleaning was lower when using resisted wrist extension as reference than when using hand grip (24%MVE vs 46%MVE; p = 0.002 at position 2) for the 90th percentile. The workload (99th percentile) was overestimated in two subjects when using hand grip as reference. Conclusions. Problems associated with poorly activated forearm extensors can be overcome by using resisted wrist extension as reference.
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24. |
- Eliasson, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Study protocol for a qualitative research project exploring an occupational health surveillance model for workers exposed to hand-intensive work
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 17:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study protocol is to describe the development of a process model for occupational health surveillance for workers exposed to hand-intensive work (the HIW-model), and to describe the studies that will explore the model. The studies are designed to: (1) explore stakeholders' experiences of the model, and (2) explore if, and how, the model affects actions for reduction of exposure to hand-intensive work. The study protocol presents a research project that is described as two studies. The first study will explore company representatives' and ergonomists' experiences of the execution of the HIW-model and its various components concerning feasibility and values. Semi-structured interviews will constitute the data source. The second study will explore whether the execution of the HIW-model leads to work environmental changes, such as actions for reduction of exposure to hand-intensive work, and whether these potential actions are based on the ergonomist's feedback of the exposure assessment and the medical health checks. A mixed method approach will be applied, in which the data sources will be comprised of semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and documents. The project is expected to generate knowledge regarding the values of the HIW-model. The project is anticipated to shed light on factors that facilitate or impede execution of the model from the different stakeholders' perspectives; the employer's as having the legal responsibility for the work environment, and the occupational health service consultants', being the work environment experts supporting the employers.
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