A comparison of different postures for scaffold end-frame disassembly

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
• Construction Safety Engineering
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Overexertion and falls are leading causes of nonfatal injuries in scaffold workers.
• Current scaffold end-frame disassembly techniques may pose significant injury risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most favorable scaffold end-frame disassembly techniques.
• To evaluate the slip potential associated with different disassembly postures.
• To reduce the incidence of scaffold-related injuries.

Main Methods:

• Assessed whole-body isometric strength capability and required coefficient of friction (RCOF).
• Studied seven typical postures during scaffold end-frame disassembly with 46 male construction workers.
• Utilized analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare biomechanical forces.

Main Results:

• Significant differences (p < 0.05) in isometric forces (334.4-676.3 N) were observed across the seven postures.
• Three disassembly postures induced considerable biomechanical stress.
• The symmetric front-lift method with hands at knuckle height was identified as the most favorable posture.

Conclusions:

• The symmetric front-lift posture minimizes overexertion risk, accommodating at least 93% of the male construction worker population.
• This posture yields a static RCOF below 0.2, indicating a low likelihood of slips during disassembly.