Load Lifting and the Risk of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Cabin Crews

Abstract

Lifting and loading passengers’ hand-carry luggage into the overhead compartment in the flight cabin is one of the tasks performed by the cabin crews. The hand-carry luggage weight varies and can be up to 10 kg. The task involved load lifting over the head, awkward posture and repetitive that could lead to the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Hence, further investigation of those factors stimulates this study. An industrial survey was conducted and WMSDs symptom data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Rapid Upper Limb (RULA) assessment was performed to analyse the posture during the load lifting task. The results of the industrial survey indicated that 88.3% of the workers experienced WMSD symptoms in various regions of the body. The highest symptoms reported at lower back (80.0%), followed by the neck (68.0%) and shoulder (59.0%). The result is supported with the result of RULA with final score 7, which indicated the load lifting task performed involved awkward posture, needs changes and further improvement should be immediately implemented. In conclusion, the cabin crews exposed to the risks of WMSDs and the results of this study can be used as references by the aviation industry to mitigate WMSDs issues among the cabin crews specifically and contribute to the improvement of the society well-being generally.