Assessment of Occupational Hazards Contributing to Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder of Filipino Pedicab Drivers

Abstract

Pedicab is a composite of bicycle and side car. Pedicab has a high potential of being used as a sustainable transportation to improve air quality and congestion management in the city. Hence, improving the conditions of pedicab is vital. While there had been ergonomic improvements on the passenger sidecar, there had been none for the driver. Pedicab drivers usually come from below poverty-line families. The physical, physiological and psychological exertions of pedicab drivers pose as occupational hazards that develop certain risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Hence, the focus of the study was to assess occupational hazards causing work-related musculoskeletal disorder for pedicab drivers. The study was based on the results of a survey based on the standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Thirty-five side car drivers were interviewed. All respondents were male around 40 years old; all work every day for 11.5hours a day for around 9 years. Majority of the respondents (62.9%) claimed that given the opportunity, they would work other jobs. While the working area of the side car drivers were established as flood-prone, uneven, and uphill; around 54.3% of the respondents stated that their working condition was tolerable but the rest admitted they hated it. It was found out that 45.7% of the respondents were already experiencing back pain. There had been several occurrences of head ache (8.57%), neck pain (14.3%), leg cramps (8.57%), elbow/forearm (2.86%), thigh (2.86%) and legs numbness (2.86%). The data indicated that the posture poses a very high risk and change must be implemented immediately.