title: Non-powered hand tool improvement research for prevention of work-related problems: a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In lower-middle-income countries, most of the work is performed manually using non-ergonomic hand tools which results in work-related health problems. Using hand tools designed in line with ergonomic principles may play an important role in reducing work-related health concerns significantly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scientific databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost) and e-publishers were searched for articles from 1985 to 2015 using the following keywords: 'hand tool', 'ergonomics', 'usability' and 'design'. After applying selection criteria to 614 articles, 58 articles related to the physical design of hand tools were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen articles were related to hand tool improvement in the manufacturing sector. Musculoskeletal disorders were found to be the most frequently occurring work-related health problems. Most of the articles focused on product and qualitative variables for improvement in hand tools, while few articles considered human and task variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Literature shows that hand tool improvement studies have been given less importance in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. However, some work of significance is reported in the agriculture sectors of these countries. Hence, it is concluded that ergonomic intervention in hand tools is much needed for those industries which employ traditional methods of working.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , Malaviya National Institute of Technology , India.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4355-7744
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , Malaviya National Institute of Technology , India.|b Department of Mechanical Engineering , Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology , India.
authors.forename: Manoj Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sain
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , Malaviya National Institute of Technology , India.
authors.forename: Makkhan Lal
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8216-0929
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , Malaviya National Institute of Technology , India.
authors.forename: Govind Sharan
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Dangayach
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , Malaviya National Institute of Technology , India.
authors.forename: Awadhesh Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bhardwaj
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D003906:Developing Countries; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods*; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: design; ergonomics; hand tool; lower-middle-income countries; work-related health problems