Ergonomic Comparison of Upright and Backpack Vacuums
The cleaning profession involves many repetitive tasks, which put workers at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders. One primary source of ergonomic problems that workers listed was the vacuum cleaner. The purpose of this study was to compare the two common vacuum cleaner models, the upright vacuum cleaner (UVC) and the backpack vacuum cleaner (BPVC). Twelve subjects were asked to perform three realistic tasks (vacuuming with no obstacles, vacuuming under an object and vacuuming around a corner) with both models, while lumbar spine movement and EMG activity were evaluated. The results showed advantages and disadvantages for each model. According to the probability of low back disorder risk (PLBDR) model, the results for the BPVC showed a larger risk for back injury. However, in the majority of cases, the BPVC showed less EMG activity.
Julia Koerber Fadi A. Fathallah
Occupational Biomechanics LaboratoryDepartment of Biological and Agricultural EngineeringUniversity Occupational Biomechanics Laboratory Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Universit
国际会议
17th World Congress on Ergonomics(第十七届国际人类工效学大会)
北京
英文
1-6
2009-08-09（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）