ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on two common uses of physical strength assessment in ergonomics : worker selection and placement and job design. It aims to familiarize the reader with the four most common techniques of strength assessment used in ergonomics and to describe the proper applications of these techniques in the attempt to control work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. The chapter discusses four types of strength testing: isometric, isoinertial, psychophysical, and isokinetic. It contains four parts, one for each of the four strength measurement techniques listed above. Each part describes the strength measurement technique and reviews the relevant published data. Equipment considerations and testing protocols are described, and the utility of the tests in the context of ergonomics are also evaluated. Finally, each part concludes with a discussion of the measurement technique with regard to the Criteria for Physical Assessment in Worker Selection.