Practitioner 's Summary : Currently , there is inconsistent evidence for recommending job rotation as a strategy for preventing musculoskeletal complaints .
The aim of this systematic review was to summarise evidence on the effects of job rotation on musculoskeletal complaints , exposures related to musculoskeletal complaints and sustainable working life parameters .
Variability in mechanical exposure within and between individuals performing a highly constrained industrial work task
Data on exposure variability is an important remedy for design ing and interpreting studies of occupational ergonomics . The present study aim ed at retrieving the within- and between-subjects variance of several mechanical exposure parameters in a repeated , short-cycle task . Seven experienced operators repeatedly secured joints using two types of h and -held nutrunners . The joints were placed in three different locations on a rack , simulating automotive assembly . Bilateral muscle activity from the upper trapezius and the lower arm extensors , as well as head and upper arm inclination was continuously monitored . Exposure levels and their variance components were assessed in several data subsets using ANOVA . The results were interpreted in terms of statistical precision and power , and discussed as markers of important ergonomic qualities . A substantial exposure variability was found within and between subjects in all joint locations and for both tools . For mixed work across tools and locations , the necessary number of subjects to arrive at a group mean exposure with 95 % confidence limits corresponding to ± 10 % of the mean ranged between 8 and 158 , with posture recordings tending to require smaller population s than muscle activity recordings . Within-subject variance increased 2- to 37-fold , depending on exposure parameter , when work was ‘ enlarged ’ from securings with a specified location and tool to a mix of all locations and tools . Systematic differences between subjects in variability and responsiveness to ‘ work enlargement ’ indicated individualized motor control strategies . The results illustrate the importance of exposure variability data to the design of proper measurement strategies . They also suggest that the sizes of exposure variability per se can be interpreted as operational indices of what is thought to be important ergonomic risk indicators , such as the ‘ sameness ’ of repeated operations and the allowance for flexible working techniques
Practitioner 's Summary : Currently , there is inconsistent evidence for recommending job rotation as a strategy for preventing musculoskeletal complaints .
The aim of this systematic review was to summarise evidence on the effects of job rotation on musculoskeletal complaints , exposures related to musculoskeletal complaints and sustainable working life parameters .