Technological intervention to eliminate back injury risks for nailing

"Ergonomics" is derived from the Greek words "ergon," meaning work, and "no mos," meaning natural laws. Thus, one can interpret ergonomics as the "natu ral laws of work." As documented in the literature, ergonomics has long bee n ignored by management and workers in construction alike. Unfortunately, a sore back in the evening is not always the effect of healthy hard work at the jobsite made apparent by the staggering cost of workers' compensation. Occupational back injuries result in more lost workdays than any other illn ess, secondly only to the common cold. In addition, manufacturers of constr uction tools have started to redesign their products because of liability c oncerns. This paper describes an effort that considers the health epidemic of back injuries as an opportunity. The basic premise is to apply the "natu ral laws of work" in a scientific manner to reach and treat the root of the problem and not its symptoms. Pneumatic nailing of subfloors is used to ex plain that back pain and the risk of back injuries for the average construc tion worker can be decreased, while at the same time maintaining short-term productivity and increasing long-term productivity.