LOAD ON THE LAW BACK OF TEACHERS IN NURSERY SCHOOLS

In order to evaluate the load on the low back of teachers in nursery s chools, basic activity, working posture, child-lifting, and desk-lifti ng were analyzed for eight nursery teachers using video recording. The trunk inclination angle (TIA) was also measured continuously during f ull workshifts for 20 nursery teachers using an inclination monitor. T he nursery teachers in the 0-1 (year) age class more often adopted low working postures, ''sitting on the floor'' and ''kneeling,'' while te achers in the 4-5 age class more frequently adopted high working postu res, ''standing'' and ''sitting on a chair.'' The mean of TIA among al l subjects was 20 degrees. The time spent at a TIA of more than 20 deg rees represented 43% of the workshift, The mean and time distribution of TIA did not differ between the age classes. The frequency of trunk- lifting from severe bending forward (TIA > 45 degrees) was 86 times/ho ur on average. The frequency of trunk-lifting was highest in the 0-1 a ge class. The number of times of child-lifting was 46 in the 0-1 age c lass, while it was 1 in the 4-5 age class.