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Biomedical subjects

I Kuorinka

Publications and source records attributed to I Kuorinka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Manual handling in warehouses: the illusion of correct working postures.

Results from a study on load handling in two warehouses are presented. The loads were mainly handled with the back bent and in twisted postures. The so-called 'correct lifting' method was rare. The dimensional constraints of storing systems and the influence of the environment and load characteristics on handling strategies are described. As a conclusion, it is proposed that training in lifting skills should be replaced by training in manual handling in general, and by ergonomic improvements.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1994

Participation in workplace design with reference to low back pain: a case for the improvement of the police patrol car.

Thirty Canadian police officers, divided into six groups, participated in the redesign of the interior of the patrol car. Three of the groups consisted of individuals having a history of low back disease. The effect of participating in a design process on the characteristics of the final design and on the perception of the low back pain was studied in a semi-experimental setting. The participants developed a strong commitment to the participatory design process, which was reflected in their productions. The differences between participants with and without a history of a low back disease was not marked. The former tended to stress posture-related elements in their analysis and design.

Automobiles↗
PubMed1991

Prevalence of epicondylitis and elbow pain in the meat-processing industry.

To determine the etiologic role of strenuous manual tasks in relation to epicondylitis, three clinical cross-sectional examinations were performed on meatcutters (N = 102), sausage makers (N = 125), packers (N = 150), and workers in nonstrenuous tasks (N = 332). The workers in strenuous jobs reported elbow symptoms 1.6-1.8 times as often as those in nonstrenuous jobs. Female sausage makers also showed epicondylar tenderness more often than the women in nonstrenuous jobs. In all the cross-sectional examinations combined, seven cases (0.8%) of epicondylitis were detected in both the strenuous and nonstrenuous jobs. A control for the possible sources of bias (leaving the company, changing task, being on sick leave) did not suggest a marked loss of potential cases of epicondylitis. A major role of strenuous tasks in the etiology of epicondylitis was not shown. However, because the number of clinical cases was small, the power of the study was low.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Restitution of EMG spectrum after muscular fatigue.

Restitution of the EMG spectrum was studied in upper limb muscles. The subjects performed isometric and isotonic exercises until they refused because of fatigue. Force levels varied from 15 to 60% MVC. The mean frequency was used as an indicator of the modification of the spectrum. Restitution of the EMG spectrum was studied by recording for 10 min after the end of the fatigue experiment at intervals of 1 to 3 minutes. Recovery was rapid at the beginning, levelling off to a plateau in 2 to 5 min. The change was more regular in isometric experiments than in kinetic ones, although interindividual differences were large in both cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms.

Standardised questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms in an ergonomic or occupational health context are presented. The questions are forced choice variants and may be either self-administered or used in interviews. They concentrate on symptoms most often encountered in an occupational setting. The reliability of the questionnaires has been shown to be acceptable. Specific characteristics of work strain are reflected in the frequency of responses to the questionnaires.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Arduousness of work, career, and disability pensioning of Finnish iron ore miners.

The career and work arduousness of a population of retired iron ore miners and their contemporaries who continued to work were investigated to find out what aspects of work history were associated with disability pensioning. The retired group had entered the mining industry at a more advanced age than the referents. The retired miners had also started at more strenuous tasks. Later they changed to lighter tasks, but were less often promoted in their career. The risk of early retirement seems thus to be related to the essential indicators of one's progress in the mining vocation.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Reliability of a vibration test in screening for predisposition to tenosynovitis.

The reliability of a vibration test has been studied in terms of its feasibility for screening for predisposition to tenosynovitis in an occupational health setting. In a worker population with a high prevalence of tenosynovitis the specificity and sensitivity of the method in the best cases were 68% and 50%, respectively. In an apparently healthy population there were significant interindividual differences; but in successive trials the same individual could have index values indicating both a predisposition and a lack of predisposition for tenosynovitis. The index value seems to be dependent on the temperature of the test room. It was concluded, in contrast to earlier results, that the vibration test is, of no value in screening for a predisposition to tenosynovitis in an occupational health setting.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Firefighters' reaction to alarm, an ECG and heart rate study.

Firemen's reaction to alarm was investigated with a pulse rate and ECG analysis. The frame of reference was the psychophysiological alarm reaction and its relation to psychosomatic diseases. ECG and pulse rate measurements were recorded continuously from 22 first-string firemen. According to an exercise stress test, the subjects were healthy, but not more fit than a sedentary population. High pulse rates occurred during the alarm due to vigorous movement to the trucks. No anticipatory pulse rate rise occurred as the firemen approached the fire. Non-pathological ECG deviations were found 13 subjects although no abnormalities were found in the same subjects during exercise test. Different firefighting practices, environment, selection, and training might explain the differences between the findings of the present investigation and those of other recent studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Psychological and biochemical strain in firemen's work.

Mental load and strain in the work of firemen and fire alarm center operators were studied in a group of 260 fireman and 6 female full-time operators from three fire brigades. The firemen proved to be satisfied with their work, and signs of chronic psychological problems were uncommon. Situational work load and related strain may, however, be extreme during active operations. A large proportion (42%) of the firemen suffered from strain after the 24-h long daily work period. Those who had recently worked as paramedics in the ambulance service or in the alarm center were under more strain than ordinary fire fighters. Biochemical stress indicators revealed a high activation of firemen at the alarm center. The difference found between firemen and full-time female operators may be due to a variation in the adaptive functions of the two sexes.

17-Ketosteroids↗
PubMed1979

Occupational rheumatic diseases and upper limb strain in manual jobs in a light mechanical industry.

The prevalence of occupational rheumatic diseases and the relation of the diseases to some specific work load factors were investigated. Ninety-three workers from a light mechanical industry were given a clinical, epidemiologic examination. General work methods were analyzed, and cycle time, mode of control, and the number of pieces handled/time unit were registered. The prevalence of tension neck was 61.3% and that of muscle-tendon syndrome 18.3%. The prevalences of other ailments were insignificant. The number of muscle-tendon symptoms correlated with the number of pieces handled. No other work load factors displayed a statistically significant relationship to the diseases. Tension neck had no relation to the weight/height index.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Prevalence of tenosynovitis and other injuries of the upper extremities in repetitive work.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the prevalence of soft tissue disorders in the neck, arms and hands between packers doing repetitive work and shop assistants with variable tasks. One hundred and fifty-two female assembly-line packers in a food production factory and 133 female shop assistants were interviewed about their symptoms and given a clinical examination of the neck and upper extremities. The number of cases of tension neck, cervical syndrome, scalenus syndrome, and humeral epicondylitis did not differ significantly between the two groups. The prevalence of tenosynovitis and humeral tendinitis was significantly higher for the assembly-line packers. The packing work consisted of static muscle work by the arms, grasping and maximal extensions of the fingers, and lateral deviations of the wrists. The movements numbered up to 25,000/workday. A relationship between some work load factors and some disorders of the upper extremities is probable.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗
PubMed1977

Correcting working postures in industry: A practical method for analysis.

A practical method for identifying and evaluating poor working postures, ie, the Ovako Working Posture Analysing System (OWAS), is presented. The method consists of two parts. The first is an observational technique for evaluating working postures. It can be used by work-study engineers in their daily routine and it gives reliable results after a short training period. The second part of the method is a set of criteria for the redesign of working methods and places. The criteria are based on evaluations made by experienced workers and ergonomics experts. They take into consideration factors such as health and safety, but the main emphasis is placed on the discomfort caused by the working postures. The method has been extensively used in the steel company which participated in its development. Complete production lines have already been redesigned on the basis of information gathered from OWAS, the result being more comfortable workplaces as well as a positive effect on production quality.

Journal Article↗