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Objective: Federal Region X is an administrative region in the northwestern United States comprised of the states of Alaska (AK), Idaho (ID), Oregon (OR), and Washington (WA). Quantifying the number of workers in this region exposed to harmful circumstances in the workplace, and projected changes over time will help to inform priorities for occupational health training, risk reduction, and research., Methods: State data for WA, ID, OR, and AK were used to estimate number of workers by occupation, in 2014 and 2024. These data were merged with a Canadian job-exposure matrix (CANJEM) which characterizes chemical exposures, and O*NET, which ranks occupations with particular physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial exposures., Results: Of the exposures considered, psychosocial and ergonomic exposures were the most prevalent among the regional workforce, though traditional chemical exposures are still common and increasing., Conclusions: Exposure surveillance will inform prioritization of risk reduction strategies, ultimately leading to a decrease in occupational injury and illness. Findings from this analysis will help to prioritize occupational health training and research in the region., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Professional cleaning has emerged as a new industry in Taiwan in the past few years. However, information about the workload and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among these workers is still limited. This study investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomforts and the characteristics of musculoskeletal activities of cleaning workers in Taiwan., Methods: Face-to-face interviews to collect basic information and to administer the Chinese version of the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire were conducted on 180 cleaners. Biaxial electrogoniometers and electromyography were used to characterize the motion and forceful exertion of 56 cleaners during work., Results: Nearly 90% of the participants reported musculoskeletal discomfort in at least one body part due to work. Of the nine body parts examined, hand/wrist (41.7%), shoulder (41.1%), low back (37.8%), and elbow (33.3%) were most frequently reported to exhibit discomfort. Additionally, time pressure as a psychosocial risk factor was found to be associated with discomfort in several body parts. Measurements of electrogoniometry showed that wrists of many cleaners were frequently held in extreme angles of ulnar/radial deviation, leading to an increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Motion repetitiveness and force output during mopping and sweeping tasks were considered less influential in developing hand/wrist discomfort., Conclusions: Cleaners in Taiwan are a high-risk group for developing MSDs, and solutions are needed to avoid extreme motion angles of the wrists when performing cleaning tasks. Moreover, both psychosocial stress and the welfare of this group of workers deserve immediate attention from management and the government., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: This study evaluated the effects of a combination of three ergonomic measures designed to reduce the risk of low back complaints among gypsum bricklayers. The measures focused on optimizing working height and reducing carrying distances., Methods: A within-subjects (N = 10) controlled field study was used to compare the effects of working with the ergonomic measures with those of working with conventional working methods at the worksite during the course of a full working day. Productivity, work demands, and workload were assessed., Results: No effects were found on productivity, total work time, duration of tasks, duration of carrying, or energetic or biomechanical workload. However, the duration and frequency of working between knee and hip height during a working day increased by 25% and 15%, respectively, due to the ergonomic measures. During the finishing task, the duration and frequency of working below knee level decreased significantly by 4 min and 71 times, respectively., Conclusion: The limited impact of the ergonomic measures argues for additional measures to reduce the risk of low back complaints., (2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)