Validitet av observationsbaserade mätningar av armarbetsställningar hos pappersbruksarbetare
ObservationInclinometryVisibilityPostureValidityObservationInklinometriSynlighetArbetsställningValiditet
Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate if inclinometer estimates of arm posture during paper mill work differed between periods of different arm visibility. The aim was also to identify strategies for and difficulties in assessing body-visibility on video. Methods: The study consisted of two parts, where part 1 aimed to investigate the validity of observation-based assessment of arm posture during paper mill work. Study 2 was a survey among people with experience in assessing the posture of paper mill workers from video. Results: The total time for the right upper arm visibility indicates that it was on average visible in 54%, partly visible 15 % and not visible 31%. Visibility categories (visible, partly visible, not visible) did not significant differ on average in repeated measurements. Inclinometerestimates for arm angle did not significant differ between periods of varying degrees of visibility of the right upper arm (visible, partly visible, not visible) on video. There are no significantly differences in inclinometer estimate of arm angles if the calculation is done with or without periods when the right arm is partly visible or not visible on video. Observers describes observation as being quite easy to pretty difficult. It was difficult because they could not always see the worker and the video have not always satisfactory quality. Conclusions: In total the results suggest that no important information is lost at observation, even if the right arm is not always visible. Observation-based assessment of arm angle could be an alternative to inclinometer measurements in paper mill work, despite the fact that the assessment can not be made for the entire work-shift because the staff can not always be observed. The method´s suitability depends of course also on its measurement accuracy and costs.