Postural stress in vehicle assembly operations

Frame-by-frame analysis of video recordings was used to provide information about the postural configurations during a task, and the duration of task elements. A high level of postural and temporal detail was achieved by combining computer and video aids, in the OBSERVER Video Tape Analysis system for Windows (VTA) [1]. Analyses of tasks in a European vehicle assembly plant recorded the angular deviation from neutral occurring during each subtask, for each joint simultaneously. The data generated identified the joints and subtasks associated with awkward postures. The computerised video techniques gave highly detailed analyses of assembly tasks quickly and easily, enabling extensive studies.