Performance and effectiveness of a passive back-support exoskeleton in manual material handling tasks in the construction industry

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a leading contributor to workplace injuries in the construction industry, with the low back being the most affected body part. Recent developments have led to the introduction of exoskeletons on industrial job sites as a means to mitigate the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Due to the newness of industrial exoskeletons, the successful application of this technology in the construction industry requires a thorough evaluation of different aspects of its adoption, especially user acceptance, to ensure a successful and effective uptake. As manual material handling tasks are the most common cause of low back injuries, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of using exoskeletons when adopting different postures during dynamic and static manual material handling tasks. An experiment was carried out and data reflecting Rate of Perceived Exertion, Level of Discomfort, overall fit and comfort, effectiveness, and interference levels were collected. Overall, the participants perceived the exoskeleton suit as effective, with discomfort being reduced in the low back and most other body parts. However, the results indicated the importance of considering the specific task at hand (e.g., dynamic vs static manual material handling) and the posture adopted (e.g., squatting vs stooping) when evaluating and selecting an exoskeleton for construction tasks. Also, the results show differences between male and female participants in most usability and effectiveness responses. In conclusion, passive exoskeletons have the potential to be adopted to reduce the rate of WMSDs in construction. However, proper training and supervision are required on the postures adopted by the workers, based on the specific characteristics of the task carried out. Also, different results from male and female responses show that different exoskeletons, or an exoskeleton with two different designs, may lead to higher efficiency than using one exoskeleton for both groups.