A knowledge-based equation of daily work exposure

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish a predictive equation that expresses the daily work exposure as a function of variables that define complex work tasks. The equation was verified with data reported in reviewed publications. The ScienceDirect, PubMed, and ProQuest databases were searched using keywords related to variables that characterize intermittent tasks and those that describe muscle fatigue resulting from these tasks. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to focus on task characteristics and study participants. The primary criterion for accepting studies was a quantitative definition of the tasks performed, specifically concerning the level of force exerted over a specified period. Only studies involving healthy individuals aged 18–70 years that reported voluntary muscle contractions were deemed eligible. The adjustment of the prediction equation was based on the assumptions that for the same values of variables that characterize work, the exposure calculated by the equation is equivalent to musculoskeletal load, and that the level of musculoskeletal load at a given time determines the experimentally measured decrease in force capabilities. Thirty-seven datasets of independent variables (those that define work tasks) and dependent variable relevant to the decrease in force capabilities were accepted to establish the equation. Based on the comparison of dependent data from experimental studies with data obtained from calculations using independent variables, the equation that provided the best fit was identified. The correlation between the calculations and experimental results was found to be 0.72. The equation distinguishes work tasks by considering variables such as relative force, time of task, mean exposure, and the similarity of tasks performed throughout the daily work. It provides a tool for determining the work exposure associated with a specific set of tasks, which may cover the entire work shift or only parts of it.