Biomechanical analysis of risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders during repetitive lifting task in construction workers

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) represent major health issues for construction workers yet risk factors associated with repetitive lifting tasks remain unexplored. This study evaluates the effects of lifting weights and postures on spinal biomechanics (i.e. muscle activity and muscle fatigue) during a simulated repetitive lifting task undertaken within a strictly controlled laboratory experimental environment. Twenty healthy male participants performed simulated repetitive lifting tasks with three different lifting weights using either a stoop (n = 10) or a squat (n = 10) lifting posture until subjective fatigue (a point in time at which the participant cannot continue lifting further). Spinal biomechanics during repetitive lifting tasks were measured by surface electromyography (sEMG). Results revealed that (1) increased lifting weights significantly increased sEMG activity and muscle fatigue of the biceps brachii (BB), brachioradialis (BR), lumbar erector spinae (LES), and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles but not the rectus femoris (RF) muscle; (2) sEMG activity and muscle fatigue rate of the LES muscle were higher than all other muscles; (3) a significant difference of sEMG activity of the RF and MG muscles was observed between lifting postures, however no significant difference of muscle fatigue was apparent (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that risk factors such as lifting weights, repetitions and lifting postures may alleviate the risk of developing WMSDs. However, future research is required to investigate the effectiveness of using ergonomic interventions (such as using team lifting and adjustable lift equipment) in reducing WMSDs risks in construction workers. This work represents the first laboratory-based simulated testing conducted to investigate work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) primarily caused by repetitive lifting tasks and manual handling. Cumulatively, the results and ensuing discussion offer insight into how these risks can be measured and mitigated

Workplace stress management

Sustainability encapsulates not only ecological and socio-economic dimensions, but also those dimensions focused on developing the quality of life of every human being (Di Fabio, 2017). As the global rise of work-place or work-related stress is now recognised for its interconnectedness with and impacts on other aspects of health such as depression and mortality and sustainable development more broadly, such as poverty, stress has become a significant sustainable development challenge (ILO, 2016; HSE, 2015; EU OSHA, 2014). Indeed, stress can be understood in a variety of ways, including biological or physiological stress (in terms of the pressures placed on the material body), experiential (in the sense of how those demands are perceived and made sense of), and a combination of these. In particular, work-related stress is the response people have when presented with work contexts, demands, and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities. Therefore, stress management encompasses a range of activities that are deployed by individuals, teams and organisations to manage the experience and impacts of stressors (ibid), and therefore has a role in the mitigation of the wider sustainable development impacts aforementioned