Physical stress

Physical strain makes many occupations less attractive to young people today and existing workforces are increasingly being eliminated for such jobs due to the ageing process. For optimised processes and to increase the attractiveness of the respective jobs, employers face a huge challenge. One possible solution to reduce the physical strain is exoskeletons. They provide targeted support for the back and joints during heavy, continuous and unergonomic movements. The musculoskeletal system is relieved individually for the respective activity. As a result, the attractiveness of the workplace, the satisfaction of the employees and the quality and efficiency of the work process increase.

Content:

• The exoskeleton in industry and many other sectors
• Load handling
• Working in constrained postures

The exoskeleton in industry and many other sectors

The exoskeleton is a support system that can reduce physical strain in many work areas. Especially in industry, a variety of different stressful movements occur in forced and unergonomic postures. These unergonomic movements include, for example:

• Lifting too heavy - boxes, parcels, production material, tools, etc.
• Excessive long-term, constant stress, e.g. from carrying heavy tools.
• Work in forced positions, e.g. overhead in assembly lines
• Long-term stress on sensitive body parts of the knees, lower back and shoulder area  

Physical stress also occurs in many other occupational fields beyond industry, where inefficient work processes - because they are too stressful and therefore quickly fatiguing - lead to impaired workflows. These include, for example, the skilled trades and, in particular, nursing. Especially when caring for the elderly, employees often have to move heavy loads in particularly unergonomic postures.

Physical strain occurs in numerous industries and is a major problem, especially with the increasing average age of the workforce. Exoskeletons can optimise processes in industry, crafts and numerous other fields of employment and prevent problems.

The use of exoskeletons can alleviate all these problems. The support systems relieve fatiguing movements and distribute the loads more evenly to the individual body regions. This can increase the overall satisfaction of employees and their work efficiency.

Load handling

There are numerous aids for load handling. Many automation processes and simple manual aids, such as lifting or rolling carts, can make work easier. However, especially in complex industrial processes, not everything can always be automated because individual human performance is not or not yet replaceable. Exoskeletons address a different part of the problem. They do not replace human performance, but optimise it. The handling of loads can be supported in a way that is individually targeted to the work in question.

Example: If loads have to be lifted frequently overhead, this puts strain on the shoulder apparatus. Symptoms of fatigue set in quickly, thus reducing the quality of work and increasing muscular fatigue. An exoskeleton supports the physical force effect and makes lifting much easier.

Depending on the work process, an exoskeleton can also be individually adapted. This applies to the intensity of the force effect as well as the orientation of the support. It may be important to support the shoulders - but when lifting from the floor, supporting the back may be more important. If preceded by an appropriate risk assessment by the employer, the support system can be optimally adapted to the needs and the load handling at the workplace can be optimised.

Working in constrained postures

Forced postures are a particularly big problem because the human body is not even made for many movements that occur in modern work processes. These include physical stresses such as working overhead. For example, in the automotive sector, work is done on the underbody of vehicles that are above the workers. The work is made even more difficult by lifting tools. However, the weight to be lifted can be specifically counteracted with an exoskeleton.

Other forced postures are heel sitting, kneeling or squatting. Working in the forward bend of the trunk is particularly stressful. In many forms of unnatural postures, physical support with an exoskeleton can relieve the strain and improve the quality of work as well as the satisfaction of the employees.

Summary

In industry, crafts, logistics, care and many other sectors, physical strain is a problem that challenges employees and employers at the same time. The quality of work, efficiency and satisfaction of employees can be improved by exoskeletons. On the one hand, this counters increasing staff shortages and leads to cost optimisation of processes, which can ultimately also amortise the investments.

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