Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and exposure to Ergonomic risk factors among handicraft workers.

Muhammad Atif Qureshi,Muhammad Salman Bashir,Wajeeha Mahmood,Sarah Ehsan

doi:10.12669/pjms.37.2.749

Abstract

Objective:To determine the association of Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and Exposure to Ergonomic risk factors among handicraft workers.Methods:This cross-sectional survey was conducted in a 12 weeks’ duration i.e. from November 2018 till January 2019. Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to determine the frequency of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. Postural analysis was done using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Data was collected from 100 Handicraft workers and the type of work included Art work (n=18), Ada Work (n=7), botanical arrangement (n=11), Textile, fashion designing and stitching (n=38), Fine arts (n=20), embroidery and knitting (n=6).Results:The frequency distribution of Rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) score for exposure to risk factors showed that 47 participants were at a high risk and required implementation of change. Most of the participants (n=35) reported pain in neck and shoulder (n=29). The chi square test for association between pain in upper extremity and exposure to risk factors showed that only wrist pain had statistically significant association with overall RULA score (p-value<0.05).Conclusion:The study concluded that neck and shoulder are more frequently affected among handicraft workers. The frequency of workers who were at high ergonomic risk and required implementation of change in working conditions was high.

Highlights

The industrial safety is an important concern for the productivity of any small- or large-scale industry
The chi square test for association between pain in upper extremity and exposure to risk factors showed that only wrist pain had statistically significant association with overall Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) score i.e. exposure to ergonomic risk factors (p-value
The results showed that pain in neck and shoulder was prevalent among the workers

Summary

Introduction

The industrial safety is an important concern for the productivity of any small- or large-scale industry. The small-scale industries that involve intensive manual labor and long working hours in awkward postures put the workers at a risk of developing health related issues. There is a large gap between knowledge and actual practice of proper ergonomics in Pakistan. Most of the employees do not follow ergonomic principles at workplace because there is lack of formal training on workplace ergonomics and the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.[1]. In Indo-Pak subcontinent, a large number of informal sector workers are involved in small scale industries either in trades or manufacturing.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion