Biomechanical Modelling of Manual Material Handling Tasks: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

In a developing country like India where industrial tasks are labour-intensive, involving Manual Material Handling (MMH) in many situations; workload measurement in terms of Newtonian anthropometry and physiological parameters is important to identify unduly heavy tasks, to evaluate traditional work methods, and to arrive at more efficient methods of work. In jobs which require prolonged manual labour like construction jobs, assessment of cardiovascular capacity may be used to determine a worker's level of fitness for work. To tackle the issues as mentioned, various approaches, such as biomechanical, physiological and physical evaluations may be used for proper quantification and minimization of risks of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) associated with different types of material handling tasks in order to reduce fatigue and physical stress. Among all evaluations, biomechanical evaluation deals with the study of the physical interaction of workers with their tools, machines, and materials so as to enhance the worker's performance while minimizing the risk of MSDs. In this context, studies of various biomechanical models (static and dynamic) are required to be studied. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the concepts of static and dynamic models as applicable for MMH task is presented. Starting with various types of static and dynamic models, the issues on occupational risk assessment related to various manual handling tasks are discussed progressively. The distinctiveness of the models are highlighted. Finally, based on the critical appraisal of the existing approaches, future research directions on various models of biomechanical evaluation are delineated.