Kneeling trunk kinematics during simulated sloped roof shingle installation

Trunk musculoskeletal disorders are common among residential roofers. Addressing this problem requires a better understanding of the movements required to complete working tasks, such as affixing shingles on a sloped residential roof. We analyzed the extent to which the trunk kinematics during a shingling process are altered due to different angles of roof slope. Eight male subjects completed a kneeling shingle installation process on three differently sloped roof surfaces. The magnitude of the trunk kinematics was significantly influenced by both slope and task phase of the shingling process, depending on the metric. The results unequivocally point to roof slope and task phase as significant factors altering trunk kinematics. However, extension of the results to roofing workers should be done carefully, depending on the degree to which the study protocol represents the natural setting. Future studies on shingle installation in residential roofing should absolutely consider capturing a wider array of shingling procedures in order to encapsulate all the possible methods that are used due to the lack of a standardized procedure.