An endurance training programme for frequent manual carrying tasks

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Ergonomics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Frequent industrial carrying tasks pose risks to new employees.
• Assessing and improving physical endurance is crucial for workplace safety and productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a short training program in enhancing the endurance time of new employees performing industrial carrying tasks.
• To determine if training impacts job demand perception.
• To identify limiting factors in frequent carrying tasks.

Main Methods:

• A training program of 2.5 weeks was implemented for new employees.
• Endurance time was measured as the maximum duration to carry a 20 kg load over 4 m, 8 times/min.
• Job demand perception was assessed alongside endurance time.

Main Results:

• Endurance time nearly doubled (increased by almost 100%) after an 8-session training program.
• Training improved endurance time without increasing the perception of job demands.
• Overall body fatigue was identified as a potential limiting factor.

Conclusions:

• Short-term training programs can significantly enhance physical endurance for industrial carrying tasks.
• Improving endurance capacity may not necessarily increase perceived workload.
• Addressing overall body fatigue is key to optimizing performance in repetitive carrying tasks.