An ergonomic assessment of the airline baggage handler

51It was out of this necessity for definitive proof for the effectiveness ofweightlifting belts as a means to prevent lumbar injury that this study was realized.3.6.2 ExperimentThis study evaluated the effectiveness of weightlifting or back belts on material handling,but more specifically on baggage handlers. The sample population consisted of 642baggage handlers working across four airport stations over a span of eight months. The642 subjects were broken up into four treatment groups. One group was given aweightlifting belt and told to use it. Another group was given the weightlifting belt alongwith an instructive class on how to incorporate the belt with lifting tasks. A third groupwas given a one hour training class on lifting, and the last group was given nothing; notgiven any back support or a training class. In this experiment it was hypothesized thatbaggage handlers with the training class and weightlifting belt should fair better thanthose with just the weightlifting belt, being least likely to suffer a lumbar injury due tolifting.The weightlifting/back-belt used in this experiment was the Back Safety SystemBelt, model SS-6. This belt is a loose one that does not attach to the trousers of thewearer. It measures approximately 150mm across its center, narrowing down to about100 mm at both of its ends. This belt also came in varying of sizes. The belt is adjustedby a belt buckle and double back with Velcro on one of its sides. This belt was chosenover three other types of belts: the airbelt, spandex belt, and the leather belts, based on anearlier mini study of Fleet service clerks performed in Austin Texas.