In two 1994 NIOSH publications, Workplace Use of Back Belts - Review and
Recommendations (94-122) and Back Belts - Do They Prevent Injury (Pub.
No. 94-127), NIOSH concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend
the use of back belts as a back injury prevention measure. Since then, NIOSH
conducted a large epidemiologic study and two laboratory evaluations to determine
more conclusively the effects of back belt use. They do not provide evidence
to change NIOSH's earlier conclusions.
To examine the effects of back belt use on back injuries in the workplace, a large, prospective cohort study was conducted among material handlers in a retail setting. Controlling for multiple individual risk factors, this study found that elastic support back belt use was not associated with reduced incidence of back injury claims or low back pain (Wassell, et al., Journal of the American Medical Association, 284 ( 21), December 6, 2000).
Two laboratory evaluations examined the physiological and human motion effects
of the same belt as used in the prospective cohort study. A laboratory evaluation
of the physiological effects of belt use found a significant reduction in mean
oxygen consumption, but no significant effect on heart rate, blood pressure,
or breathing rate (Bobick, et al., Applied Ergonomics, 32(6), 2001).
An evaluation of the effects of the elastic back belt on human body motion during
box-lifting tasks found that use of the belt significantly reduced the distance
of forward spine bending and the velocities of forward-and-backward-spine-bending
among subjects in the laboratory setting (Giorcelli, et al., Spine, 26(16),
August 15, 2001). Unlike the epidemiologic study, these laboratory evaluations
did not examine the association between back belt use and the outcomes of back
injury or back pain.
In summary, recently completed research found that belt use reduced spine bending
in laboratory trials. However, elastic support back belt use among retail material-handlers
was not associated with reduced back injuries or back pain.