Wrist movements among females in a repetitive, non-forceful work

Wrist positions and movements were measured and a physical examination was conducted in 12 female operators in an industrial quality-control work. The handled products are of very low weight, thus, the work can be considered as non-forceful. The work was highly repetitive; 0.54 Hz for the right wrist/hand and 0.41 Hz for the left. The angular velocities were also high; for the right wrist/hand median value was 30degrees/s and peak value 108degrees/s, for the left wrist/hand 24degrees/s and 88degrees/s, respectively. The frequency of musculoskeletal disorders was high, especially for the right wrist/hand. Although the work was non-forceful and there were minor extreme positions in the wrists, the results are consistent with reported exposure-response relations in other high-risk jobs. Thus, the repetitiveness and the high velocities are the likely causes for the high prevalence of disorders in the wrists/hands among the operators. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.