Ergonomic assessment of musculoskeletal discomfort of iron workers in highway construction

The purpose of this study is to ergonomically evaluate the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injuries of the iron workers in highway construction. Two specific job duties are analyzed: (1) tying the vertical, pier support systems, and (2) tying rebar on a horizontal bridge deck.

Eleven right-handed male subjects participated in this study. The eleven rodworkers (5 pier tiers and 6 deck tiers) were recruited from a heavy and highway/bridge building project.

The ergonomic assessment tools included the BodyMap instrument for measuring potential ergonomic concerns, and a handgrip dynamometer for measuring the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and applied grip force of the rebar-tying tasks.

This study suggests that there is a significant risk for injury and musculoskeletal disorders among iron workers performing these designated tasks. Findings also show that the ergonomic issues of greatest concern are the discomforts in the lower back and right wrist/hand of the rodworkers.

The ergonomic assessment techniques could assist the early identification of work-related musculoskeletal concerns and help prioritize jobs for intervention in the construction field.