Track: Human Factors and Ergonomics Competition

Abstract

Wall construction tasks involve awkward and repetitive body movements that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and injuries. Working at different heights can affect the risk of MSDs. However, the effect of different working heights on body postures like bending and twisting has not been fully explored. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of working heights on bending and twisting postures during wall construction tasks. Twelve male participants (age: 21.83±1.27 years) performed simulated bricklaying tasks with four different working heights (0 cm, 47 cm, 107 cm, and 142 cm) in a laboratory environment. Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors were used to collect data on participants’ actual body movements. Inverse dynamics simulation was conducted to estimate posture angles. Statistical tests (ANOVA) were conducted to determine the significance of differences in postural angles across the working heights. Research findings indicated that (i) the bricklaying (task-B) task significantly increased trunk bending angles compared to the mortar spreading (task-A) task (p = 0.001), while twisting angles were insignificant across the task types (p = 0.05); (ii) increasing working heights significantly reduced both bending (p < 0.001), and twisting angles (p = 0.001) during the task-A; (iii) moreover, working heights significantly influenced bending angles (p = 0.001), while twisting angles were not affected (p = 0.471) during task-B. In summary, increasing working heights significantly affects both bending and twisting postures during wall constructions. These findings highlight the importance of working heights in wall construction tasks to prevent MSDs risks and injuries.