Workshop

Ergonomic Work Design and Prevention

of Work-Related Musculoskeletal
Disorders (MSDs)
Prevention of MSDs in Practice
Dr. Rolf Ellegast

XIX. World Congress on Saftety and Health at Work

September 11-15, 2011, Istanbul

Prevention of Work-Related MSDs

Reduction of work load/exposure by
ergonomic design of work equipment and work places,
e.g. by using lifting aids
health-oriented organisation of working processes
Improvement of individual pre-conditions, e.g. by
individual training to build muscle, behavioural training,
e.g. back exercises

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Examples
Ergonomic Design of Equipment/Tools

Grinding in a shipyard

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Examples
Ergonomic Design of Equipment/Tools
Classes of risk - 4 OWAS* risk categories
(as percentage of working time):
1,4%

4,7%

9,1%

84,8%

Class 1: No intervention required

Class 2: Corrective action should be taken during next regular review
Class 3: Corrective action should be taken as soon as possible
Class 4: Corrective action should be taken immediately
*

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OVAKO-Working-Posture-Analysing-System

Examples
Ergonomic Design of Equipment/Tools

Ergonomic Redesign of the grinding tool

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Examples
Ergonomic Design of Equipment/Tools

before:

1,4%

4,7%

0%

after:

84,8%

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6,2%

9,1%

93,8%

Examples
Ergonomic Design of Equipment/Tools

Lower extremeties

Grinding in a shipyard: Quantification of work load reduction

Gehen
walking

after
erg.
Schleifer
before
konv.
Schleifer

0,9

Knien
kneeling

90,3

Hocken
squatting

6,1
2,1

Stehen
standing

4,2

gebeugt und tordiert

5,1

Bent forward & twisted

36,7

1,9
2,3

tordiert
twisted

Trunk

56,4

3,5

gebeugt
bent forward

84,8

gerade
neutral

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98,1

7,9

20

40
60
80
Anteil anofArbeitszeit
(%)
Percentage
working time

100

Use of supporting tools

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Use of supporting tools

Brick laying machine

Source: Rehme, Bau BG

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Use of supporting tools

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Use of supporting tools

Example: Removal men (BG Verkehr)
Use of a shoulder strap for big material

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Use of supporting tools

Example: Cleaning of sewage ducts
before:
Manual lifting of the duct cover

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after:
Use of a lifting aid
(magnetic pick-up tool)

Use of supporting tools

Example: Wheel changing (busses)
before:
manual assembling

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after:
Use of a hydraulic jack

Use of handling aids

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Luggage service at the airport

Use of lifting aids

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Results luggage service

Impact on the work organisation handled luggage

Number of
handled
luggage per
Anzahl
Gepckstcke
\ hhour

Abgefertigtes
Gepck
handled luggage
500

abgefertigt
ohne Vaculex
Without lifting
aid

450

abgefertigt
mit Vaculex
With lifting
aid

400

With lifting aid,

manually handled

davon manuell gehoben

350
300
250
200
150

292

100

230 => -22%

50
0
P01

P02

P03

P04

P05

Versuchsperson

Subjects

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P06

P09

P10

Bellyloader

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Results Bellyloader
Average duration of luggage handling (bellyloader)
Unloading: -45%
Mittlere Handhabungsdauer pro Gepckstck in Sekunden
Loading: -53%
Average duration of luggage handling [s]
duration
of luggage handling
[s]
Handhabungsdauer
[s]

2,00
1,80

ohne
PowerStow
without
PowerStow

1,60

with
PowerStow
mit
PowerStow

1,40
1,20

1,52
1,27

1,00
0,80
0,60
0,40
0,20

n = 475

n = 373

n = 336

n = 383

0,00
Entladung
Unloading

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0,72

0,70

Beladung
Loading

Results Bellyloader
Proportion of knee-straining postures (bellyloader)
100,0

percentage
time
Zeitanteilof
[%]

90,0
80,0
70,0
loading (with
PowerStow)
Beladung
mit PowerStow

60,0

loading (without
PowerStow)
Beladung
ohne PowerStow

50,0

unloadingmit
(with
PowerStow)
Entladung
PowerStow

40,0

unloadingohne
(without
PowerStow)
Entladung
PowerStow

30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
Kriechen
crawling

Hocken
squatting

Knien
sitting
Fersensitz
on

heels

kneeling
Knien mit
Absttzung
(supported)

Haltung
Postures

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Knien
kneeling
ohne
Summe:
total
Absttzung
Kniebelastende
(unsupported)
Haltungen

Experimental Technologies
in Luggage Handling

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Workplace Design

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Warehouse Working

before:
unfavourable working heights leading to awkward postures when taking
and scanning goods
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Warehouse Working

after:
Modification of working heights leading to better (upright) postures when taking
and scanning goods
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Warehouse Working
Trunk inclination
after

percentage of time

before

angular categories []

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Examples of Prevention
Ergonomic Workplace Design

Sewing Workplace

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Ergonomic Archetyp
of a Sewing Workplace

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Features

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Quick change between sitting

and standing

Individually adjustable arm

rests

Variety of adjustment
possibilities

Features

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Extension of leg and foot space

Chooseable position of pedals

Comparison: Before and After

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Comparison: Before and After

Angle of trunk bending []

Trunk bending

after
(sitting)

before
(sitting)

Number of measurement
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after
(standing)

Comparison: Before and After

Angle of forearm rotation []

Rotation of forearm (pronation/supination)

after
(sitting)

after
(standing)

left arm
right arm
before
(sitting)

Number of measurement
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Instruction for Action: BGI 804-2

Practical hints for designing
Workplaces,
Working environment,
Work organisation
and
Best practice-examples of ergonomic
workplace-design

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Implementation and transferability since 2004

The redesigned sewing workplace was installed in more than 30

German enterprises .
Redesigning of 2 up to 160 workplaces per enterprise.
Deployment in
Automobile industry,
Toys industry,
Textile industry,
Furniture industry and
sheltered workshops.
This approach can principally be transfered to other workplaces or
industries (e.g. assembly workplaces).

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Humanitarian and Economic Advantages

Example Fa. MEWA: Mending of working clothes
Before:

After:

Ergonomic redesign of 40 work places

Costs: 1.500 per work place (total: appr. 60.000 )
Decrease of sick leaves by 16 %
Increase of productivity by appr. 15 %
The project will pay for itself within a few months!

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Pushing and pulling trolleys aboard aircrafts*

Starting point:
Service tasks are increasingly

necessary on short flights during

ascent and descent phases.
Flight attendants complain of high
physical workload from manoeuvring
trolleys in these phases of flight and
MSD in general.
High interest in analysing pushing

and pulling tasks aboard aircrafts.

Project partners:

*U. Glitsch, HJ Ottersbach, R. Ellegast, M. Jger, K. Schaub et al., Untersuchung der

Belastungen von Flugbegleiterinnen und Flugbegleitern beim Ziehen und Schieben von
Trolleys in Flugeugen, BIA-Report 5/2004, HVBG, Sankt Augustin, 2004
http://www.hvbg.de/d/bia/pub/rep/rep04/bia0504.html

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Example: Stewardesses

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Laboratory study (flight attendants)

setup:

adjustable ramp (12 m)

CUELA motion analysis in

combination with 3D force
measurements (handles on trolley and
GRF at start)

study protocol:

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25 subjects (flight attendants)

trolley types: full-size, half-size,

with variable masses:
Full-size (FS)

: 90, 65, 40 kg

Half-size (HS)

: 60, 45, 30 kg

handling: pushing, pulling

floor gradient:

No. of trials incl. 3 repetitions: 144

8, 5, 2, 0

Laboratory study (flight attendants): results

compression forces L5/S1, calculated with
biomechanical model The Dortmunder, (Jger et al. 1992)
Pulling

4000

4000

3000

3000

Compression force [N]

Compression force [N]

Pushing

2000

1000

2000

Gradient
0

1000

2
5

0
30

40

45

60

Mass [kg]

65

90

8
30

40

45

60

65

90

Mass [kg]
Half-size

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Research project: Flight attendants

Recommendations for

Work organisation

Trolley design

Manual handling of the trolley, training

http://www.hvbg.de/d/bia/pub/rep/rep04/bia0504.html
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Examples of Prevention
Ergonomic Workplace Design
Example: Crane operator in a waste incineration plant
Initial point:

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Crane operators in a waste-to-energy-plant

reported about complaints in the neck and
shoulders.

Obiously identical crane operatorworkplaces in two plants (P1 and P2)

regarding seat, equipment, work
organisation and duration of shift,

but only complaints in P1

Crane Operator Workplace

Waste-to-Energy-Plant

Waste

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Crane Operator Workplace

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0
-

-3
0

-2 -20
0
--1 10
0
0
0
1
10 0
2
20 0
3
30 0
4
40 0
5
50 0
6
60 0
7
70 0
8
80 0
90 90
10 100
0

-1
10
>
11
0

-3

<

Anteil an Arbeitszeit
Percentage
of working(%)
time

Crane Operator Workplace

Measurements: Bending of cervical spine in P1 and P2
35%

30%

MHKW
P1 1

P2 2
MHKW

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Winkelbereich []
()
angular categories

Position of crane operator cabine

P 1:

Mll-Anlieferung

Preventive Measure:

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P 2:

Mll-Anlieferung

Installation of a new seat

Before
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after

Features of the new memory seat

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Comparison: before - after intervention

Cervical spine flexion angle []

Seat new

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Seat old

Comparison: before - after intervention

Trunk inclination angle []

Seat new

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Seat old

Individual Behaviour

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Individual Behaviour

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Maintenance of electricity wires

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Improvement of individual pre-conditions

Example: Project RehaBau
Ergonomic Training
Aims:

Ergonomic design at construction

sites

Manuell material handling

techniques

Working with handling aids

motivation and ergonomic

techniques

Senes of self of ergonomic

techniques

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Improvement of individual pre-conditions

Example: Project RehaBau
Medical Training

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Intensive medical care

Muscle/muscle strength training
Sports/gymnastics, stress relaxation
Training in health care, nutrition,
physiology