The automated Hettinger test in the diagnosis and prevention of repetition strain injuries.
The Hettinger test measures changes in skin temperature following vibration of the hand. The test was evaluated on 67 people from light manufacturing and office jobs, and was found to separate the groups of known repetition injured and known repetition uninjured, with 90% accuracy. The high accuracy of the test in diagnosis suggests that physiological factors are very important in the development of these injuries. The test appears to measure a constitutional factor rather than or in addition to injury symptoms, as it identified healed as well as current injuries. The test score of individuals appears to identify their relative susceptibility to injury. Highly susceptible individuals are injured on jobs that are safe for most people. Such people need far more careful treatment than more robust individuals, and may require susceptibility reduction procedures in addition to job redesign. Attention given to susceptibility identification and reduction may yield substantial benefits in reducing injuries from repetitive work.
Brown
D A
DA
36 Waimea Rd, Lindfield, NSW 2070 Australia.
Coyle
I R
IR
Beaumont
P E
PE