ABSTRACT
Higher incidences of manual handling injuries have been identified in older adults compared to a younger population (Mackey et al., 2007, Sluiter and Frings-Dresen, 2007). Increased risk of injury may stem from a reduction in the functional capacity of older workers, which may lead to an inability to meet the physiological demands of repetitive manual handling activities (Mackey et al., 2007). However, to date, there has been few, if any, studies comparing the physiological and subjective responses of young and middle-aged workers involved in repetitive manual handling tasks. An understanding of differences in physiological and subjective responses in these groups of workers may provide an insight into potential mechanisms of fatigue-related injury within the ageing workforce.
