Experimental appraisal of a manual task evaluator

As cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities have gained increas ing attention, methods to quantify the associated workplace risk factors ha ve been developed. This paper reviews some of the current workplace analysi s techniques, and highlights the current need for better field measurement systems. This need has led to the development of a field measurement tool: the manual task evaluator (MTE). Results of a laboratory experiment and a f ield experiment using the MTE are presented. In the laboratory experiment, subjects performed a cutting task using a knife. Average peak torque levels , as measured by the system, were found to vary significantly as a function of the material being cut and the technique used to perform the cut. In th e field experiment (at two poultry processing plants) similar cutting tasks were evaluated. Task- and person-related factors were found to influence t he power required to perform the task. These studies demonstrate the utilit y of the MTE.