Publication Abstract
Influence of Occupational Footwear on Muscle Activity during a Simulated Workload
Luginsland, L. A., Chander, H., Wade, C., Garner, J. C., Eason, J. D., Wilson, S. J., Gdovin, J. R., Hill, C. M., Knight, A., & Carruth, D. W. (2017). Influence of Occupational Footwear on Muscle Activity during a Simulated Workload. Proceedings of the American Society of Biomechanics Annual Conference. Boulder, CO. 1003-1004.
Abstract
Falls in the work place are a major economic
burden. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a
total of 4,679 workplace fatalities, and a total of
316,650 non-fatal workplace injuries that were due
to falls in 2014. Moreover, the leading event or
exposure for occupational injuries and illness were
workload overexertion [1]. Previous literature has
suggested that occupational footwear can cause
balance decrements [2,3,4], as can occupational
workloads [3,4]. Occupational footwear, while
designed primarily for safety, may not provide
proper ankle and foot support and predispose the
body to postural control decrements, particularly
when exposed to extended durations of an
occupational workload. Thus, the purpose of this
study was to examine differences in muscle
activation levels of the lower extremities while
wearing different types of occupational footwear
during a simulated extended duration occupational
workload. The current footwear are standard
footwear of the construction and manufacturing
industry, and include the Work Boot (WB) (mass:
0.39 ± 0.06 kg; boot shaft height: 18.5 cm), Tactical
Boot (TB) (mass 0.53 ± 0.08 kg; boot shaft height:
16.5 cm) and Low Top Shoes (LT) (mass: 0.89 ± 0.05
kg; boot shaft height: 9.5 cm).