Table 2

 Group means and maximum values of job exposure according to occupation and hand dominance; percentage of daily working hours with arm elevation to different extents, percentage of daily working hours with uninterrupted periods of arm elevation above 90°, and shoulder torque indices*

Assessed exposuresMachinistsCar mechanicsHouse painters
Dominant n = 26Non-dominant n = 26Dominant n = 23Non-dominant n = 22Dominant n = 23Non-dominant n = 24
*The measurements were performed for both shoulders simultaneously. Differences in the number of dominant and non-dominant shoulders were due to technical limitations.
% time >30°, mean (max)32.0(60.5)31.6(55.1)35.8(50.6)33.8(48.1)39.8(60.6)33.4(52.9)
% time >60°, mean (max)5.7(20.6)7.0(15.0)10.0(16.7)11.2(18.9)16.1(32.8)11.4(24.5)
% time >90°, mean (max)1.6(9.0)2.1(7.5)4.7(9.2)5.2(12.0)9.0(21.9)5.0(10.1)
% time >90° at least 5 s, mean (max)0.9(2.8)1.6(7.0)3.4(6.8)4.0(9.7)5.9(16.8)3.2(7.7)
% time >90° at least 10 s, mean (max)0.7(2.5)1.6(6.7)2.5(4.7)3.0(7.5)3.2(8.9)2.1(6.1)
% time >90° at least 20 s, mean (max)0.5(2.3)1.4(6.3)1.3(2.5)1.8(4.4)1.0(3.2)1.1(3.9)
Torque index, mean (max)4.0(5.9)7.6(11.5)7.5(12.4)4.4(5.9)4.0(5.7)