Abstract
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders is a serious problem affecting the construction workforce. Pipe workers are subjected to forward bending tasks that cause back injuries. Recent advancements in wearable robotic technologies have led to a growing interest in the use of back-support exoskeletons as a potential solution to reduce the occurrences of back injuries. However, without the willingness of workers to use exoskeletons, the intervention will not be successful in the industry. This study conducted a user assessment of a commercially available passive back-support exoskeleton for pipework in terms of usability, level of perceived discomfort, and subjective perception of the benefits, barriers to adoption, and design modifications. Fourteen pipe workers performed their regular work tasks using a passive back-support exoskeleton and provided feedback on their experience with the device. The results indicate that the exoskeleton is easy to use () and did not affect workers’ productivity (). Participants reported willingness to use the exoskeleton but raised concerns about the compatibility of the exoskeleton with the safety harness. Reduced perceived discomfort was observed in the lower back. However, there was an increase in discomfort at the chest (20%), thigh (73%), and shoulder (250%). There was a strong correlation () between discomfort at the chest, thigh, shoulder, and upper arm and workers’ perception of usability of the exoskeleton. Health benefits such as reduction in stress in the back muscle were reported. Discomfort was experienced while using the exoskeleton in confined spaces. Design modifications, such as the integration of the safety harness and the tool strap with the exoskeleton, were identified. The findings are expected to inspire studies in the area of human-wearable robot interaction and task-specific applications of exoskeletons for construction work.
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Data Availability Statement
Data, models, and code generated or used during the study are available upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Construction Industry Research Affiliates Program and Allan Myers.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 149 • Issue 5 • May 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 6, 2022
Accepted: Dec 5, 2022
Published online: Feb 16, 2023
Published in print: May 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jul 16, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Automation and robotics
- Business management
- Correlation
- Employees
- Employment
- Engineering fundamentals
- Industries
- Infrastructure
- Labor
- Mathematics
- Occupational safety
- Organizations
- Personnel management
- Pipeline systems
- Pipes
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Safety
- Statistics
- Systems engineering
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