Biomechanical requirements of meat cutting tasks: A pilot study quantifying tasks sustainability and assistance required at the wrist

The meat processing industry is particularly affected by distal upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. This pilot study aims at proposing a methodology able to quantify biomechanical requirements of meat cutting tasks at butchers' dominant wrist and, when necessary, at estimating the assistance needed to reach sustainability. Six professional butchers repeatedly cut pieces of pork. Joint angles were recorded using a motion capture system, cutting forces using an instrumented knife. Sustainability was computed by the maximal acceptable effort method. Assistance requirements were computed for isolated stressful exertions and for overall work cycle sustainability. Five butchers exceeded the sustainability threshold for wrist flexion. Ulnar or radial deviation torques were excessive for 2 and 3 of them, respectively. Extension torques were sustainable. The peak assistive torque for isolated exertions was at most 1.1Nm, 1.6Nm and 1.1Nm, and the percentage of assistance for overall sustainability was at most 60%, 56% and 56% for wrist flexion, ulnar and radial deviation, respectively.