Lifting strategies of expert and novice workers during a repetitive palletizing task

• We examine the difference between expert and novice workers.
• The workers had to transfer 24 boxes of 15 kg from one pallet to another.
• The experts bent less their lumbar spine and are closer to the box.
• Expertise had very small effects on the back loading variables.
• An ergonomic intervention should not only focus on workers' training.

Thirty manual material handlers (15 experts and 15 novices) were invited to perform series of box transfers under conditions similar to those of large distribution centers. The objective of the present study was to verify whether multiple box transfers leading to fatigue would also lead to differences between expert and novice workers in joint motions and in back loading variables (L5/S1 moments). The task consisted in transferring 24 15-kg boxes from one pallet to another (4 layers of boxes; 6 boxes/layer: 3 in the front row, 3 in the back) at a self-determined pace and then at an imposed pace of 9 lifts/min for a total of 240 lifts. The underlying idea was to set a challenging task that would force the experts to use their skills. Full-body 3D kinematic data were collected as well as external foot forces. A dynamic 3D linked segment model was used to estimate the net moments at L5/S1. The results clearly show that the experts bent their lumbar spine less (10° less) and were closer (4 cm) to the box than novice workers. Knee flexions were similar in both groups except when the box was lifted from ground level (expert ≈ 71°, novice ≈ 48°). The peak resultant moment was not statistically different (expert = 168 Nm, novice = 184 Nm) although experts had lower values on average than novices when lifting heights (and deposit heights) of the boxes increased. Therefore, experts differed from novice workers mostly in the posture-related variables. These differences are especially important to consider when the box is located on the ground, as the back posture and back loading are then at their greatest magnitude and could have a major impact on the distribution of internal forces on the spine.