Assessing forestry-related musculoskeletal symptoms in specific body areas

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study is to determine and analyze the prevalence among forestry workers of self-reported musculoskeletal disorder symptoms (MSSs) in specific areas of the body. The Standardized Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) was used, which was specifically modified and adapted for the assessment of lower back, neck, and shoulder symptoms. The questionnaire was completed by 100 professional forestry workers, who were divided into four groups according to their distinct work duties. Almost 50% of the participants reported that they had experienced some kind of problem in their lower back, neck or shoulder at least once during their entire professional life. The results also show that forestry workers who perform motor-manual felling with chainsaws and skidding with the use of mules present the highest frequency of complaints in the lower back and shoulder. An additional finding is that the increase in the length of work experience is positively associated with a reduction in the occurrence of symptoms in the three examined body parts; in other words, the longer the work experience, the more proper and efficient the execution of timber harvesting tasks and duties, since these job skills are acquired only through experience in Greece. More generally, the factor years of experience has been found to constitute the most important parameter in explaining the variations in the musculoskeletal symptoms among forestry workers.