Title: Factors affecting spine loading in a box lifting task: a digital human modelling study

Authors: Osama T. Al Meanazel; Abd Al-Rahman S. Al-Shudiefat; Hesham Ahmad Al-Momani; Faisal Aqlan

Addresses: Industrial Engineering Department, The Hashemite University, Jordan ' Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, The Hashemite University, Jordan ' Industrial Engineering Department, The Hashemite University, Jordan ' Industrial Engineering Department, Penn State Eri, The Behrend College, USA

Abstract: This paper presents a digital human modelling (DHM) study of a box-lifting task considering human physical characteristics (i.e., gender and percentile) and task requirements (i.e., posture and force). Two response variables are considered: compression force on L4/L5 and the tension on right/left Latissimus Dorsi muscle. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyse the data. Results showed that lower back compression force is positively correlated with Latissimus Dorsi muscle tension (r = 0.94). Moreover, the 95th percentile male in standing position experienced the highest compression force on the lower back; however, both males and females had similar muscle tension.

Keywords: lower back disorders; lifting; manual material handling; MMH; digital human modelling; DHM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2021.112872

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2021 Vol.37 No.2, pp.168 - 178

Received: 26 Mar 2019
Accepted: 12 Jun 2019
Published online: 08 Feb 2021 *

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