Introduction of ‘Load Safety Guide’ : An Examination of Back Pain Prevention Measures in the Handling of Stockpiled Goods During Disaster

Transporting disaster stockpiled goods is one of the basic tasks in disaster response. The handling of these goods carries a risk of developing acute lower back pain. Once someone suffers from back pain, it becomes difficult for them to perform various tasks, potentially leading to a shortage of personnel in disaster response and increasing the workload of colleagues who need to assist them. This study aims to prevent back pain during the transport of stockpiled goods by designing a 'Load Safety Guide.' This guide includes (1) adding a label to the stockpiled goods that displays the contents, quantity, expiry date, total weight, and a symbol indicating the risk level of heavy items, and (2) displaying posters at the storage locations explaining the meaning of these symbols and providing cautionary advice. The effectiveness of this Load Safety Guide was tested. The results showed that when the Load Safety Guide was used, there was a stronger tendency for individuals to voluntarily adopt postures that reduce the strain on the lower back, confirming its effectiveness as a preventative measure against back pain.