Upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in hospital workers

Abstract

Seventy-six women who worked in a hospital were surveyed for symptoms and signs of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. The investigation was originally intended to study the effects of repetitive manual work that was performed by a group of garment assembly workers. Hospital workers were selected as the referent group on the assumption that they were unexposed to ergonomic stressors. However, the study showed that the prevalence of shoulder, wrist, and hand pain in these workers was sufficiently high (32%) to require that this assumption be reexamined. The hospital workers that were affected the most were employed in the nursing field and in manual work, i.e., food preparation, serving, and laundry. The women with upper limb pain were older and had been employed somewhat longer in hospital work than those without pain. Several jobs were observed to identify possible occupational risk factors for cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs). In addition to repetitive motion, these factors included forceful manual exertions and awkward postures required by work station design and layout.