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The goal of this project was to examine the physical, psychosocial and personal risk factors that may contribute to occupational low back pain. Methods. A six-month prospective study was conducted in 9 furniture distribution cente...
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The goal of this project was to examine the physical, psychosocial and personal risk factors that may contribute to occupational low back pain. Methods. A six-month prospective study was conducted in 9 furniture distribution centers. Sixteen psychosocial risk factors were examined through a self-administered questionnaire. The physical demands of the job were evaluated by a certified professional ergonomist. The ergonomist used the American Industrial Hygiene Association Threshold Limit Value lifting guide to evaluate the jobs. Low back pain was measured using two self-report symptom measures and one objective functional performance measure. Employee evaluations were performed at baseline and six-month follow-up visits. The ergonomic evaluation was performed at baseline. Results. Three hundred and nine (309) of the initial 471 workers recruited completed the six-month follow-up. There were weak or insignificant correlations among the three outcome measures of low back pain. Correlation analysis showed that a greater number of psychosocial variables were associated with symptoms compared to biomechanical factors. The objective functional performance measure was correlated with a greater number physical demand measures compared to psychosocial variables. The regression analysis of change in objective functional performance illustrated the interaction of the physical and psychosocial demands. In the low physical demand jobs a high job satisfaction score (psychosocial measure) was protective of objective low back function. In the high physical demand jobs low back function deteriorated regardless of the job satisfaction scores. Classification and regression tree analysis as well as logistic regression, were used to examine categories of workers whose low back function 'got worse' or 'did not get worse' during the study. Psychosocial and personal factor models were developed for low, medium and high physical demands. The most significant psychosocial factor to the model was role conflict for low physical demands, job satisfaction for medium physical demand and unfairness from the boss for high physical demands. Logistic regression models were also constructed for the two pain symptom outcome measures using three categories of (1) stayed the same, (2) moderate symptoms and (3) stayed highly symptomatic. The knuckle to shoulder number of exertions above the threshold limit value was the major physical demands component and role conflict was the most important psychosocial predictor.
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This project addressed two National Occupational Research Agenda priority areas: occupational health services research and low back pain. Back pain among workers is an enormous medical, social, and economic burden in the United St...
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This project addressed two National Occupational Research Agenda priority areas: occupational health services research and low back pain. Back pain among workers is an enormous medical, social, and economic burden in the United States. Back disorders account for 27% of all disabling occupational injuries in the United States and the average direct cost of a low back injury claim is more than twice that of other occupational injury claims combined. Surgical interventions are responsible for nearly one-third of the health care costs for workers with back injury. There is a lack of consensus among physicians, however, about the appropriate use of surgical interventions that result in large regional variations in care. The primary goal of the study was to examine community differences in the rate and types of spinal surgery performed on injured workers using small area analysis. Small area analysis is a commonly employed method in health services research but there have been limited applications of this technique in occupational health research. Oregon, as well as a number of neighboring Western states, has been identified as having elevated rates of spine surgery compared to the rest of the nation and significant local variation exists among communities based on prior analyses of Medicare claims data. The study was designed to evaluate whether a similar pattern of local variation existed for workers' compensation claims and to evaluate factors contributing to observed variations including physician specialty, physician supply, source of payment, and the effect of managed care. This project piloted the use of an existing state database of workers' compensation medical payments.
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This study assessed the immediate effects of the U.S. Navy's Healthy Back Program in Changing knowledge about back injury prevention. The prevalence of back problems among incoming recruits and correlates of back pain also were ex...
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This study assessed the immediate effects of the U.S. Navy's Healthy Back Program in Changing knowledge about back injury prevention. The prevalence of back problems among incoming recruits and correlates of back pain also were examined. Intervention recruits (n = 1,772) received the Healthy Back Program presentation, then completed a questionnaire. Control subjects (n = 1,658) completed an identical questionnaire but received no presentation. Intervention recruits scored significantly higher on back knowledge (67%) than controls (50%). About 41% of all recruits had experienced a back problem, 27% reported at least one back program within the past year, and 11% reported back pain during recruit training. Lifting, sports participation, and bending were the leading causes of previous back problems. Better self-reported health and fitness were associated with fewer low back problems.
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The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is a three-event test including timed sit-up and push-up tests and a 2-mile timed run. Anecdotal reports suggesting that the sit-up event may contribute to back or neck injury led to this inve...
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The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is a three-event test including timed sit-up and push-up tests and a 2-mile timed run. Anecdotal reports suggesting that the sit-up event may contribute to back or neck injury led to this investigation of the only known historical data on sit-up related injuries. This case series analysis describes all sit-up related injuries among active duty soldiers that occurred between 1980 and 1998 and were reported to the US army Safety Center (N = 57). Of these, 86% occurred to young men, 88% occurred on duty, and 98% occurred on a military installation. Approximately 80% of the injuries affected the back or neck. Nearly half occurred during the APFT (44%), and approximately 75% of the soldiers who sustained sit-up related injuries experienced an immediate onset of symptoms. Twelve percent of the soldiers in our case series who experienced a sit-up related injury also had a prior injury, most typically of the back, neck, or shoulder. Notwithstanding the limitations of these data, this report confirms what is known in a general sense about sit- up related injuries and offers direction for further research.
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This bulletin summarizes the results of a survey of workers in blue-collar occupations who injured their backs while lifting, placing, lowering, carrying, or holding objects. The findings of this survey, which was conducted by the...
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This bulletin summarizes the results of a survey of workers in blue-collar occupations who injured their backs while lifting, placing, lowering, carrying, or holding objects. The findings of this survey, which was conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics during 1980, will assist the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in developing safety standards, compliance strategy, and training programs for reducing work-related injuries.
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Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are at a significantly greater risk of death and injury at work than the general population. Annually, 12.7 out of every 100,000 EMTs die in the line of duty; a rate more than twice the nationa...
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Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are at a significantly greater risk of death and injury at work than the general population. Annually, 12.7 out of every 100,000 EMTs die in the line of duty; a rate more than twice the national workplace average. On the job illnesses, back sprains, needle sticks, and other non-fatal injuries affect between 3.0 and 8.1 out of every 100 EMTs nationwide. The annual rate of non-fatal injuries has reached epidemic proportions in some EMS agencies, where the rate has risen to over 34%. There is reason to believe that partner familiarity and teamwork are associated with injury. In some agencies, EMTs may work with more than 50 different partners annually and have limited exposure to other partners in the agency. In these situations, EMTs may have never trained together and work with a limited understanding of their partner's expertise. Prior research in aviation link this type of configuration to accidents, errors, and poor teamwork engagement. Similar research in EMS does not exist. We hypothesize that fatal and non-fatal EMT injuries occur more frequently among less familiar partners and among partners that fail to engage in positive teamwork behaviors such as frequent communication. We seek to accomplish the following aims: We aim to 1) examine the relationship between partner familiarity and fatal and non-fatal injuries among EMTs. For this aim, we will access a master database of employee shift records and OSHA 300 injury logs from the nation's largest ambulance corporation (www.AMR.net). A sample size of 500 EMTs gives over 99% power to detect an odds ratio of injury of 2.0 for a 1- standard deviation change in familiarity. Aim 2): To examine the relationship between partner familiarity and EMT perceptions of teamwork. Aim 3): Examine the relationship between partner familiarity, perceptions of teamwork, and injuries. We have a unique opportunity to make a significant contribution to the literature and impact the industry by establishing benchmarking data and answer questions previously unanswered in the published literature. We will use this study's findings to develop an R01 application to test the effectiveness of injury and safety programs conditioned on the relationships between partner miliarity, teamwork, and injury.
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The Atlas provided a standardized list of selected, commonly used tests andmeasurements which may be helpful to researchers conducting scientific and clinical studies related to low back musculoskeletal injuries. Each of the 23/te...
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The Atlas provided a standardized list of selected, commonly used tests andmeasurements which may be helpful to researchers conducting scientific and clinical studies related to low back musculoskeletal injuries. Each of the 23/tests/measures was described, including purpose, instruments required, contraindications, starting position of the patient, starting position of the examiner, procedure, order of assessments, timing, rest periods, actions to take if a patient cannot attain or maintain the position, indications to discontinue the test, position in which to leave the patient, and common errors. A photograph of each test/measure was provided. Instruments used for these tests/measures were described. A recording form was provided to assist in obtaining reproducible results. A glossary of terms was included.
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Back injuries account for 30 percent of the injuries to firefighters. Firefighters are in the high-risk job series for back injuries--the number one type of civilian personnel injury. This aid contains three items. The first is 'B...
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Back injuries account for 30 percent of the injuries to firefighters. Firefighters are in the high-risk job series for back injuries--the number one type of civilian personnel injury. This aid contains three items. The first is 'Back Injury Avoidance Ideas for Fire Chiefs'. This item presents several practical back injury prevention ideas for consideration by supervisory personnel in the fire prevention and protection organization. The second item is a poster series to be used to aid employee skill development and to present key points designed to motivate use of back injury prevention skills. The final item is a suggested back injury prevention lesson plan intended to be integrated in existing firefighter training programs. These items are back injury prevention aids, not a back injury prevention program. Effective use of the ideas outlined in these aids coupled with the involvement of supervisors and individual firefighters can dramatically reduce the risk of back injuries.
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Lengthening of the spine in microgravity has been shown to occur during exposure to microgravity (and possibly fractional gravity) and may lead to Intervertebral Disc (IVD) damage or any detrimental change to the IVD such as protr...
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Lengthening of the spine in microgravity has been shown to occur during exposure to microgravity (and possibly fractional gravity) and may lead to Intervertebral Disc (IVD) damage or any detrimental change to the IVD such as protrusion, herniation, degeneration or tear (more research is required to determine whether biochemical changes occur). Muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and postural disturbances associated with exposure to microgravity may also be contributors. There has been a relatively high occurrence rate of herniated IVD (5.34 events per 1000 person-yrs) observed in astronauts post-flight. Although there appears to be a correlation between IVD damage and spaceflight, a causal relationship has yet to be definitively established.
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On October 24, 2006, NIOSH received an HHE request from management at Yorktowne Cabinets, Inc. to evaluate potential ergonomic hazards at the Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania mill and the Red Lion, Pennsylvania assembly plant. Continued ...
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On October 24, 2006, NIOSH received an HHE request from management at Yorktowne Cabinets, Inc. to evaluate potential ergonomic hazards at the Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania mill and the Red Lion, Pennsylvania assembly plant. Continued workers compensation claims for MSDs despite attempts by management to control injuries prompted the request. On December 4-8, 2006, NIOSH investigators conducted site visits. On December 4, 2006, NIOSH investigators held an opening conference with management, employee, and union representatives. NIOSH ergonomists performed walk-through surveys of the work areas at both facilities to observe the typical job tasks. The NIOSH physician conducted confidential medical interviews and reviewed OSHAs Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and workers compensation data. NIOSH investigators held closing conferences at each facility and provided preliminary recommendations to those who attended. NIOSH investigators found that workers are exposed to a combination of risk factors for MSDs involving the upper extremities and low back. Work tasks requiring highly repetitive motions, extreme and awkward postures, and forceful exertions for upper extremities; and heavy lifting, bending, and twisting for low back were observed. Workstation and tool designs that place workers at risk for MSDs include low work heights, nonadjustable workstations, heavy tools, and excess vibration exposure.
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