the efforts in the forearm during the use of anti-vibration gloves in simulated work tasks

the objective of this article is to analyze the levels of forearm muscular contraction associated with the use of anti-vibration gloves, in which the contraction levels with gloves and without gloves are compared. two different vibrating tools – a bosch compact duty multi-cutter and a bosch rotary hammer carrying an ø20 mm bit – were used in a simulated work environment. standard operations were performed by each subject (n = 14) in an 80 × 40 mm pine bar (cross-sectional cuts with the multi-cutter) and on a concrete slab 2 × 2 m, 70 mm thick (20 mm holes with the rotary hammer). the forearm muscular efforts were measured by surface electromyography (emg) in four different muscles: the flexor digitorum superficialis (fds), flexor carpi ulnaris (fcu), extensor carpi radialis longus (ecrl) and extensor carpi ulnaris (ecu). for the flexor muscles (fds and fcu), a decrease tendency (p > 0.05) in the measured emg was observed when the operations are performed with gloves relative to the bare hand (a reduction of 5–23% in the percentage of maximum voluntary exertion (%mve)). for the extensor muscles (ecu), a tendency toward increased (p > 0.05) muscular contraction was observed when the operations were performed with gloves (an increase of 3–20% in the %mve). no such tendency was found in the ecrl muscle. the ecu was the muscle with the highest %mve for 10 and 11 operators (n = 14), during the operations, respectively, with the multi-cutter and the rotary hammer. as a final conclusion from the study, anti-vibration gloves may increase forearm fatigue in the posterior forearm (ecu muscle) and decrease forearm fatigue in the fds muscle during operations with the above-mentioned tools.