Field evaluation of a modified intervention for overhead drilling
David Rempel1, Demetra Star, Alan Barr
1Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California 94804, USA. david.rempel@ucsf.edu
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
|January 23, 2010
Summary
A new overhead drilling device significantly reduces physical strain and fatigue for construction workers. This ergonomic intervention improves usability and lowers forces, decreasing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders during demanding tasks.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Ergonomics
- Construction Engineering
Background:
- Overhead drilling is physically demanding, causing musculoskeletal disorders due to high forces and non-neutral postures.
- Previous interventions for overhead drilling had poor usability ratings, hindering adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a new intervention device for overhead drilling using a participatory approach.
- To compare the usability, fatigue, and biomechanical outcomes of the new device against the conventional method.
Main Methods:
- A participatory intervention model was used, incorporating feedback from construction workers (N=13) to design a new device.
- A second group of workers (N=23) evaluated the new device's usability and fatigue during regular overhead drilling.
- Objective measures included hand forces, shoulder/wrist postures, and head extension; subjective measures included fatigue ratings.
Main Results:
- The new intervention device showed significantly better usability in 4 out of 12 ratings.
- Subjective shoulder fatigue was significantly reduced (1.1 vs. 3.3 on a 0-5 scale).
- Objective measures revealed drastically reduced mean hand forces (26 N vs. 245 N) and less time in non-neutral shoulder postures (21% vs. 40%).
Conclusions:
- The new intervention device for overhead drilling demonstrates improved usability and reduced subjective fatigue.
- Biomechanical improvements, including reduced hand forces and better shoulder posture, contribute to decreased fatigue.
- The device offers a promising solution for mitigating the physical demands and health risks associated with overhead drilling.
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