Citation

Li Z, Chang CC, DiDomenico A, Qi C, Chiu SL. Ergonomics 2015; 58(9): 1581-1588.

Affiliation

Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing , 100084 , China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00140139.2015.1015620

PMID

25679262

Abstract

The flexible wooden boards are still being used on the scaffolds at some construction worksites in China. We examined if the board dimension, acclimation phase, and construction work experience influence workers' walking strategies on these boards. Among 40 construction workers recruited, half of them had more than one year of construction work experience. The participants' body sway and the gait adjustments were captured and analyzed. Our analysis showed the width and thickness of the boards had significant effects on walking speed. There is a significant interaction between construction experience and board width on stride width whereas the interaction between construction experience and acclimation phase affects step length and walking speed. The body sway at the C6/C7 and L5/S1 locations are significantly affected by most of the factors. We also found that once the participants acclimated to the board condition, the sway variability increased.

Language: en