title: An electromyographic and kinematic comparison between an extendable conveyor system and an articulating belt conveyor used for truck loading and unloading tasks.
abstract: Many retail distribution centers (DCs) manually load and unload boxes into or out of trailers and shipping containers. This study investigated whether an articulating belt conveyor with a height adjustable platform, positioned at the end of an extendable conveyor, significantly reduces shoulder and back muscle loading and the spine kinematics associated with these tasks. Electromyographic and kinematic data were collected from eight volunteer employees as trailers at a shoe DC were unloaded and from nine volunteer employees as trailers at an apparel DC were loaded. Participants in this repeated measures study handled boxes with a conventional powered extendable conveyor system and with the articulating belt conveyor positioned at the end of the extendable conveyor. Bilaterally the normalized activation levels of the erector spinae and anterior deltoid muscles were reduced when loading and unloading boxes with the articulating belt conveyor. Spine movement speeds were also reduced with the articulating conveyor.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Systems Engineering, The Ohio State University, United States; Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University, United States; Institute for Ergonomics, The Ohio State University, United States. Electronic address: Lavender.1@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lavender
authors.affiliation: Integrated Systems Engineering, The Ohio State University, United States.
authors.forename: Shasank
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagavarapu
authors.affiliation: Integrated Systems Engineering, The Ohio State University, United States; Institute for Ergonomics, The Ohio State University, United States.
authors.forename: W Gary
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Allread
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D057645:Deltoid Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009068:Movement; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D016272:Occupational Health; D064170:Paraspinal Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D014186:Transportation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Conveyor systems; Distribution centers; Musculoskeletal disorders