Citation

Ciriello VM, McGorry RW, Martin SE. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 2001; 27(1): 1-8.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate horizontal and vertical components of maximum acceptable initial and sustained forces while performing push cart tasks on high and low coefficient of friction (COF) floors. Eight male industrial workers performed two sessions of 120 push cart tasks on a high COF floor and one session of 120 push cart tasks on a low COF floor. Each push cart task was 7.6 m long and initiated once a minute. A psychophysical methodology was employed, whereby the subjects were asked to select a workload they could sustain for 8 h without "straining themselves or without becoming unusually tired, weakened, overheated or out of breath". The results revealed maximum acceptable weights of the push cart tasks on the low COF floor were significantly lower (31%) than the maximum acceptable weights on the high COF floor. That coincided with a significant reduction in the initial and sustained horizontal forces of push (41% and 38%, respectively) on a low COF floor. Push durations on the low COF floor were also longer (62%) than on the high COF floor. Vertical forces and ratios of the vertical to horizontal forces were not significantly different comparing both floors. Calculated slip potential and probability of slipping was borne out by the observation of repeated slipping by the subjects during pushing on the low COF floor. Ergonomic strategies should include the maintenance of sufficient COF on floors to maximize the psychophysical pushing capabilities of the industrial worker.Relevance to industryJobs are often redesigned to eliminate lifting and to include pushing. This article emphasizes the need to maintain floors with appropriate COF to take advantage of the maximum acceptable pushing capabilities of the industrial worker.