職業用外骨骼的類別及潛在優點與風險

Literature review on types of occupational exoskeletons, potential benefits, and risks

在我國勞工保險職業病給付中，肌肉骨骼傷病所佔比例甚高。隨著勞動力的高齡化，中高齡及高齡勞工因體能及適應力的下降，可能使其在職場上會面臨更高的風險。近年來，各國開始將外骨骼（Exoskeletons）應用在重體力負荷之職業，以降低體力需求之工作門檻；然而外骨骼的技術及相關研究尚未成熟，因此本研究搜尋職業用外骨骼使用相關之文獻，目的在統整歸納職業用外骨骼的使用的潛在優缺點與風險管理措施。結果發現職業用外骨骼確實能降低勞工在工作時的肌肉負荷，並減少整體的肌肉疲勞；然而外骨骼可能造成之風險包含：電池洩漏出腐蝕性材料、動力外骨骼超出使用者關節的正常運動範圍時可能發生肌肉拉傷、不良的外骨骼設計可能導致胸部壓力與脊椎負荷增加，以及可能因作業時間增加導致其他危害之暴露時間增加等風險。目前主要外骨骼應用之國際標準包括：國際標準組織（International Organization for Standardization, ISO）13482:2014以及美國材料與試驗協會（American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM）所成立之F48外骨骼與動力工作服委員會（Committee F48 on Exoskeletons and Exosuits）所制定的標準。職業用外骨骼的使用，可以輔助勞工之活動，尤其是重體力勞動之行業的需求性可能更高；但為維護職場上的安全，雇主不應將外骨骼視為提升勞工工作績效的工具。此外，目前仍未確認外骨骼之使用是否真的能防止肌肉骨骼傷病，因此仍需有更多及長期的研究加以佐證。

Musculoskeletal injuries account for a very high proportion of Taiwan’s occupational injury and disease benefits. With the aging of the labor force, middle-aged and elderly workers may face higher risks in the workplace due to the decline in physical fitness and adaptability. In recent years, various countries have begun to apply exoskeletons in different occupations with heavy physical loads to reduce the threshold for work requiring physical strength. However, the technology and related research of exoskeletons are not yet mature. Hence, this study searched for the literature on the use of occupational exoskeletons, including the recent development of exoskeletons and the currently established preventive standards. It summarized and aimed to explore the potential benefits, disadvantage of exoskeletons for occupational use and the risk management measures applied in the workplace. From the literature, it was found that occupational exoskeletons can indeed reduce muscle activity and reduce overall muscle fatigue during work. However, exoskeletons may pose risks, including: batteries leaking corrosive materials and muscle strains can occur when powered exoskeletons are outside the normal range of motion of the user's joints, and more. Currently, the international standards mainly used in exoskeletons include International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 13482:2014 and the F48 Exoskeleton and Power System established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Committee. Occupational exoskeletons can assist workers in their work activities, especially in industries requiring heavy manual labor. However, to maintain workplace safety, employers should not regard exoskeletons as a tool to improve labor performance. In addition, it is still unclear whether using exoskeletons can prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Therefore, more and longer-term studies are still needed.