title: Detecting within- and between-day manifestations of neuromuscular fatigue at work: an exploratory study.
abstract: Cumulative neuromuscular fatigue may result from exposure to physically demanding work, such as repetitive and/or sustained work with insufficient recovery. The aims of this exploratory study were to develop a battery of field usable fatigue measures and to document hand/arm fatigue in physically demanding work over multiple workdays and after a weekend break. Sixteen plumbers were observed for five days and measures of handgrip force, variability, tremor and discomfort were obtained pre-, mid- and post-shift. This exploratory study demonstrated increasing fatigue of the hand/arm over the day and persistent fatigue from Tuesday to Friday, and that a number of the measures did not return to baseline values following a weekend break. The findings provide preliminary evidence of cumulative fatigue in residential plumbing and insight into neuromuscular fatigue measurement. However, further work is needed to develop and refine a set of fatigue measures to detect neuromuscular fatigue at the workplace.
  Cumulative fatigue has been linked to long-term health outcomes, including work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This paper presents findings from a physically demanding job (i.e. plumbing) revealing persistent fatigue over the work shift(s) and insufficient recovery after a weekend break, and provides insight into fatigue measurement at the workplace.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Kinesiology , University of Waterloo , Ontario , Canada.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yung
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.forename: Darnell M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012498:Sanitary Engineering; D013997:Time Factors; D014202:Tremor / Q000175:diagnosis; D017132:Workplace
keywords: construction; discomfort; fatigue; plumbing; tremor