Assessment of balance in manual materials handling

The management of balance during handling has rarely been studied, with most effort being focused on the floor - shoe interface. The goal of this study was to identify the factors involved in balance difficulties in manual handling by documenting the handlers' points of view. From two extensive series of previously conducted interviews, the comments related to balance were analyzed using thematic content analyses. Comments on balance involved 24 different themes which were grouped under 8 categories. The results emphasized that experts' view of balance is of a systemic nature, which explains the diversity of themes they discussed in relation to balance. Foot positioning and gait was the category most frequently discussed, revealing that more attention should be paid to its role in handling.