Abstract
The winegrape industry suffers from high incidence rates of work related musculoskeletaldisorders (MSDs). Pruning of dormant vines requires long periods of highly repetitive and physicallydemanding work that increases risk for MSDs. The purpose of this study is to quantify risk factorsassociated with the development of musculoskeletal injuries to the wrist and lower back whilepruning five commonly used winegrape trellis systems. Eleven subjects (10 male, 1 female)participated in this study. Subjects performed a simulated pruning task as wrist and trunk posturesand psychophysical data were gathered. The results showed significant differences among the trellissystems. Compared to the other systems, the vertical shoot positioned (VSP) was determined to bemost optimal in terms of decreasing relative MSD risk. These results will assist vineyards inselecting suitable trellis systems that may improve worker health.
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