SIMULATION AND EVALUATION OF WORK CONDITIONS OF HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL USING DHM TOOLS AND MOTION CAPTURE SYSTEMS

Abstract: Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) are a common occupational health problem among healthcare workers. The emergence of new technologies such as motion capture offers a new approach to the study of the work conditions. This research studies the situation of nurses and surgeons both through the use of motion capture and traditional manual modelling of digital manikins. The research has been carried out through the study of six tasks, four of which performed by nurses and two by surgeons. Tasks have been selected after a literature review and interviews with surgeons and nurses. The six tasks have been evaluated using two software: Jack Tecnomatix, whose input was manual modelling of manikins following observational techniques; and IPS IMMA, whose input was motion capture files captured through Xsens Motion Trackers Awinda and processed with MVN Analyze. Results indicated that the tasks analysed were potentially harmful to workers, being the trunk and upper limb regions the ones that comprised higher levels of risk.