Laboratory evaluation of belt usage with apple buckets

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Ergonomics
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Migrant and seasonal orchard harvest workers face significant musculoskeletal strain.
• This strain is primarily due to carrying heavy loads and maintaining awkward postures.
• An innovative ergonomic hip belt was developed to mitigate this strain by redistributing weight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an ergonomic hip belt in reducing muscle exertion and shoulder pressure.
• To assess the intervention's impact in both standing erect and flexed postures relevant to orchard work.

Main Methods:

• Electromyography (EMG) measured muscle exertion in four key back and shoulder muscles.
• A surface pressure sensor (PS) quantified shoulder surface pressure.
• Ten laboratory volunteers participated in controlled intervention and control conditions.

Main Results:

• The hip belt intervention significantly reduced muscle activity in the flexed posture (45 degrees).
• A significant reduction in muscle exertion was also observed in the erect posture (0 degrees) for some measures.
• Shoulder discomfort correlated with deep shoulder EMG and shoulder surface pressure.

Conclusions:

• The ergonomic hip belt effectively reduces muscle activity in postures common during orchard harvesting.
• This intervention shows promise for mitigating musculoskeletal strain in agricultural workers.
• Further research may explore long-term effects and broader applicability.