Abstract

There is little specific evidence regarding material handlers living with permanent low back injuries. This lack of evidence means that almost no tools exist to assess the risk of material handling work that are adapted to the personal, physical and psychological characteristics of the population with chronic low back pain.

Existing tools often rely on data from the analysis of populations without low back pain, in limited handling situations that are not very representative of the diversity of such jobs.

This research project aims to develop a reference tool that is adapted to cases of material handlers with chronic low back pain. It will be a “decision support” tool, complementing existing handling standards. The tool will make recommendations to guide the return to work or adaptation of the workstation and will address maximum safe handling capacity for workers with chronic low back pain who face temporary restrictions or functional limitations.