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Effect of Scaffold End Frame Carrying Strategies on Worker Stepping Response, Postural Stability, and Perceived Task Difficulty

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, hhsiao{at}cdc.gov

Mathew Hause

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia

John R. Powers, Jr

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia

Tsui-Ying Kau

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia

Scott Hendricks

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia

Peter I. Simeonov

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia

Objective: This study determined the most favorable strategy for carrying scaffold end frames while minimizing the risk of injuries from being struck by an object, falling, and overexertion. Background: Scaffold erectors are at risk of high exposure to the aforementioned hazards associated with the dynamic human-scaffolding interface and work environments. Identifying an optimal work strategy can help reduce risk of injuries to the worker. Method: Three carrying methods, four types of work surfaces, two weights of scaffold frames, and three directions of stepping movement were tested in a laboratory with 18 construction workers. Results: The effects of carrying method on postural instability and task difficulty rating were significant for handling the 22-kg end frame. Response time, postural instability, and perceived task difficulty rating were significantly reduced when the 9-kg end frame was used as compared with the 22-kg frame. Conclusion: The symmetric side-carrying method was the best option for handling 22-kg scaffold end frames. A 9-kg end frame (e.g., made of reinforced lightweight materials) has the potential to reduce injury risk among scaffold handlers during their scaffold erection and dismantling jobs. Application: Scaffold erectors may want to adopt the symmetric side-carrying method as the primary technique for handling the 22-kg scaffold end frame, which is currently the one most used in the industry.

Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Vol. 50, No. 1, 27-36 (2008)
DOI: 10.1518/001872008X250548


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