Muscular fatigue and maximum endurance time assessment for male and female industrial workers

• Published in: International journal of industrial ergonomics Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 292 - 297
• Main Authors: Zhang, Zhanwu, Li, Kai Way, Zhang, Wei, Ma, Liang, Chen, Zhenguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2014; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Correlation analysis; Ergonomics; Fatigue; Maximum endurance time; Muscular fatigue; Muscular system; Pushing; Theoretical model; China; Yantai China; China, People's Rep., Shandong Prov., Shandong Peninsula, Yantai; China, People's Rep; Maximum endurance time; Theoretical model; Pushing; Muscular fatigue
• ISSN: 0169-8141; 1872-8219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2012.08.006

A single arm pushing experiment was conducted in an electronic factory in Yantai, China to assess muscular fatigue using the theoretical models of muscular strength and maximum endurance time (MET) developed by Ma et al. (2009). Seventy seven workers, including 38 males and 39 females, participated in the study. The muscular strength of pushing was measured after the subject pushed a stick, with a force of 2.5 kgf, for 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 min. Fatigue rate was determined based on a regression approach. In addition to the theoretical model, the MET for such a pushing task was also determined using four empirical models in the literature. The results indicated that females were more resistant to muscular fatigue than males in the pushing task. The results of the muscular strength prediction show that the predictability of the muscular strength model is acceptable. The prediction errors for muscular strength for female subjects were significantly lower than those of the male subjects. The predicted MET using the theoretical model, with a group constant k, was highly correlated with those using the empirical models compared in the current study. Muscular fatigue is common on workplace. Assessment of muscular fatigue is helpful not only in providing reasonable work-rest design but also in reducing musculoskeletal injures for workers performing physical works. ► Females were more resistant to muscular fatigue than males in the pushing task. ► Prediction errors for females were lower than those of the male subjects. ► Body mass index is not a significant factor affecting fatigue rate.