Bottled water handling: A case study through biomechanical analysis

There are numerous physical hazards present in bottled water delivery operations that may contribute to acute and chronic soft tissue injuries. This chapter summarizes ergonomic analyses of joint loading considerations (e.g., forces and moments) while handling bottled water during delivery operations. Field survey videos of bottled water handling tasks were collected. The joint loading, joint strength limits, and L5/S1 compressive force for each individual task were estimated by using the VidLiTeC (TM) software analysis system. A simplified biomechanical model for lateral bending moments estimated at the hip joint while carrying the bottled water was also used. The results of this biomechanical analysis show how design changes to minimize overhead reaching and bending while lowering bottles from the delivery truck can reduce joint loading. Carrying one bottle on the shoulder versus hand carrying can also reduce lateral bending moment at each hip.