Global Journal of Researches in Engineering, G: Industrial Engineering, Volume 23 Issue 2

Table 3.7: The p Values between Males and Females are Listed for Task#2 at Pose#1 Table 3.8: The p Values between Males and Females are Listed for Task#2 at Pose#2 Tables 3.9 and 3.10 present the results of the correlation coefficient analysis. The variable body height remains highly correlated with spinal forces, particularly at Pose#1 when subjects flexed their upper body to lift luggage from the floor. Moreover, body weight and trunk flexion also show a correlation with the exerted spinal forces at both poses. Other variables do not show a high correlation with spinal forces. The tables list all the R values for the correlations. Table 3.9: The Cross-Correlation between Variables at Pose#1 in Task#2 is Listed. T2_P1 is used to Represent Task#2 at Pose#1 Table 3.10: The cross-correlation between variables at Pose#2 in Task#2 is listed. T2_P2 is used to represent Task#2 at Pose#2 IV. D iscussion In this study, we have effectively evaluated the spinal forces exerted on the lower back of aircraft attendants by integrating advanced motion-tracking techniques with Virtual Reality (VR). This integration was also combined with the Siemens ergonomics software, which allows us to assess the risk of injuryaccurately. During Task#1, which involved opening and closing the passenger door, we found a significant difference in the compressive and A/P shear forces on the spine at two specific poses. As the difference between the two poses was noticeable, we observed significant variations in nearly all the joints. In the gender comparison, we observed a significant difference in the compressive force at both poses, which could be attributed to trunk flexion. On average, male participants demonstrated approximately 7 degrees more trunk flexion than female participants. Furthermore, since the average body weight of males was considerably higher than females, the additional trunk flexion likely resulted in greater compressive force on the L4/L5 spinal disc for males [23,24]. Conversely, females, who had relatively lighter body weight and slight trunk extension at both poses, experienced a significant decrease in the exerted spinal forces. Our study confirms the positive correlation (R=0.69) between compressive force and body weight. To minimize the risk of injury, it is essential to maintain a neutral trunk position. At pose#2, the p-value for the right shoulder flexion joint was less than 0.05, indicating a significant difference between male and female participants in their ability to close the passenger door with a fixed handle position. Because of the significant difference in body height between genders, male participants may need to increase their right shoulder flexion when they have relatively higher trunk flexion than females to close the door. Additionally, in Task#1, a moderate correlation was observed between the right hip and spinal forces, which only occurred at pose#2. Although this correlation was not strong enough in this study, other studies [25,26] have shown that large hip flexion during the push or pull tasks can lead to a significant spinal force, which may increase the risk of lower back injury. Therefore, it is essential to avoid large movements of hip joints to eliminate the risk of injury. It is important to note that a hand force of 140N was used in Task#1 for safety reasons [21,22] to determine the spinal forces. Assuming a friction coefficient of 1.0, the weight of the passenger door was © 2023 Global Journals Global Journal of Researches in Engineering Volume XxXIII Issue II Version I 9 Year 2023 ( ) G Evaluating the Risk of Injury for Aircraft Attendants using Virtual Reality and Advanced Motion Tracking System Integrated with Ergonomics Analysis