Abstract
Recently, many studies have reported the fact that an excessively accumulated psychological and physical burden induced from physical labor conducted routinely in home and industry can be one of main reasons of musculoskeletal disorders in the working population. This fact makes increase interests in studies to reduce a risk of musculoskeletal disorders through grafting ergonomic considerations on working environment. However, there are currently limited methodologies in quantitative evaluations of new ergonomic suggestions to reduce a risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The current study is therefore performed to evaluate quantitatively effects of a design of washing machine as a new ergonomic suggestion onto prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, through application of a biomechanical evaluation methodology. For this, three-dimensional motion analysis by using musculoskeletal models with Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), which has been generally used for a simple evaluation of a degree of harmfulness of the human body at specific working postures to be considered, was performed. The results of REBA did not give us enough information and their results were somewhat simple and inaccurate, but the results of the three-dimensional motion analysis give us enough information such as alteration of main muscle forces and joint moments required during washing work. All results showed that the main muscle strengths and joint moments were decreased effectively for reduction of a risk of musculoskeletal disorders during the washing work with newly designed washing machine evaluated in the current study, compared with those generated during the washing work with general washing machine. From these results, it can be concluded that a risk of the musculoskeletal disorders, which may be induced by a repetitive washing work, may be reduced through using the washing machine designed ergonomically and newly. Also, it is thought that if our ergonomic design can be applied for improvement of working environment in lifting and laying works conducted repeatedly for a treatment work of goods, which have a strong resemblance to the behaviors generated frequently during the washing work, a possibility of occurrence of the musculoskeletal disorders by the lifting and laying works may be reduced highly.
