Surface Electromyography-Assisted Ergonomic Analysis in a Newspaper Printing Plant: A Case Study
This case study reports on the use of surface electromyography (SEMG) evaluation in a work environment, including production, to show a relationship between muscle dysfunction and specific job tasks and their injury potential. The results show that SEMG can help identify discordant muscle activity as part of an ergonomic evaluation. Such an evaluation leads to improvement in muscle function through SEMG-guided worker/workplace retraining.Abstract
Worker cleaning as usual, with one arm and hand controlling the cleaning rag and the other arm and hand simultaneously controlling the inch-safe buttons in the control panel. For the arm to control the inch-safe buttons, it needed to be abducted to 90° or more and externally rotated beyond the coronal plane of the body.
Worker cleaning after ergonomic intervention with body mechanics training, in which the worker was instructed to lean one arm on the lower cylinder (in front of the worker) while the other arm cleaned. The inch-safe buttons would be controlled after each cleaning, not during the cleaning.
Worker using a rag soaked in solution to clean the cylinders. He sometimes stabilized himself by placing the noncleaning hand on the lower cylinder, whereas at other times, he used that hand to press the inch-safe buttons on the control panel.
Worker using tool after brief instructions in proper mechanics. The employee was instructed to start cleaning the cylinder at one end and then move the tool the entire length of the cylinder. He was to avoid quick back-and-forth motions covering only small sections of the cylinder each time. He was then to go fully in the other direction, stopping to clean the tool head and to reapply the solution.
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