Compendium of physical ergonomics exposures to hand, shoulder, and low back during routine janitorial activities

Abstract

Janitorial services are an essential part to keep workplaces functional. Janitors consider the job labor intensive, and that workload is increasing in recent years. The most impacted body parts are hand/wrist, shoulder, and back in this population. This paper reports a compendium of physical ergonomics exposure assessment using three observational methods. The composite Strain Index (COSI) for hand/wrist, Manual Task Risk Assessment (ManTRA) for shoulder, and Recommended Cumulative Recovery Allowance (RCRA) for shoulder and back, were chosen for their capability to capture the complex and dynamic nature of all tasks performed in a janitorial job. Forty-six unique cleaning task-location-tool combinations received assessments, and the risk scores from the three methods are compiled into a compendium. This information can help practitioners to estimate the risk for a job, or designers to plan jobs for a team of janitors so the risks can be mitigated with careful task assignments.