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- Forsman, Mikael, et al.
(author)
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The need for practical and reliable assessment methods for prevention musculoskeletal disorders
- 2019
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In: Transforming Ergonomics with Personalized Health and Intelligent Workplaces. - : IOS Press. - 9781614999737 - 9781614999720 ; , s. 3-14
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Although work-life is changing, and production is modernized, workrelated musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are still frequent, inducing very large costs for companies and societies all over the world. Ergonomists and other work health consultants work to make organizations sustainable. In their work to prevent WMSDs it is important to identify risks in a reliable way, to prioritize risks, and then to perform interventions (participatory interventions have shown to more often be successful), so that the risks and the disorders may be reduced. Most interventions concerns the environment and work methods, but also individual work technique, e.g. lifting technique and habitual work postures may be in focus. Today, risks are most often assessed by observation. However, observational methods generally have low reliability, i.e. low agreement between different observers for the same job task. There is also a low inter-method reliability, i.e. when the same work is assessed with different methods different risk levels are often obtained. There are now validated technical methods that may be used by practitioners. But, user-interfaces needs to be improved, and today's inexpensive electronic devices should be utilized to a higher degree, in the development of tools, in collaboration with practitioners. New methods should be attractive, easy and time efficient to use. The results of these methods will be objective and should increase the reliability in risk assessments of work tasks and jobs.
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