NIOSH Releases Report to Help OHS Practitioners
The resource will help them conduct posture assessments in the workplace.
NIOSH released a new resource to help occupational safety and health practitioners conduct improved posture assessments in the workplace, which can assist with the prevention and control of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
The report describes a research-based approach for assessing torso and arm posture; discusses enhancements that include the benefits of digital video, computer software, training, and the use of visual cues; and provides general guidelines for the video recording and analysis of workers' posture.
NIOSH also included a list of tips for recording and analyzing posture, which include: record the task from multiple views and encourage the worker to avoid loose-fitting clothing; if possible, have one of those views be perpendicular to the plane of the joint movement; zoom in on limb segments so that the joint of interest is as large as possible in the camera's field of view.