ABSTRACT
@#The medical manufacturing industry is currently one of the sectors with great potential growth in Malaysia, which offers numerous job opportunities to local and foreign workers. The growing proportion of workers in this industry means that a large number of workers are potentially exposed to ergonomic risk factors at the workplace, which may consequently affect their health. Thus, this study was carried out is to investigate the ergonomic risk factors and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among male workers in a medical manufacturing company in northern Malaysia. Eight industrial workers (n = 8) were recruited from two Plastic Technology (PT) departments to participate in this study. Observations were made by recording the participants performing two tasks (manual lifting of containers and bags of chemicals) using a video camera at the PT1 and PT3 departments. The participants’ personal information and their job-related characteristics were first collected using a demographic questionnaire. Next, the Cornell Musculoskeletal and Hand Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was used to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among workers while Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC) were used to assess the most common risk factors during the lifting operations. The results showed that the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among the male workers at the medical manufacturing company was at the lower back (83.17%), upper back (4.38%), right shoulder (3.49%), and left shoulder (3.49%). Based on the results of the MAC, 100% of the participants were at high risk of injury from postures in the vertical lift zones, torso twisting, and sideways bending. In addition, 87.5 and 62.5% of the participants were at high risk of injury based on their hand distance from the lower back and grip on the load, respectively. The results of this study can serve as a guideline to implement interventional ergonomics programmes at the workplace and improve the musculoskeletal health of workers in the medical manufacturing industry in Malaysia.
ABSTRACT
Most studies have examined the association of ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal discomfort in developed countries. Meanwhile the data are still lacking in developing countries such as Malaysia. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between risk factors and musculoskeletal discomfort among manual material handling workers in Malaysian automotive industries. A total of211 manual material handling workers from automotive industries completed a set of questionnaire on the individual, physical and environmental factors and the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort. The Chi-Square test and logistics regression analysis were used to determine the relationship of the risk factors and musculoskeletal. The findings highlighted that job tenure was significantly correlated with musculoskeletal discomfort among the workers (OR=2.33-5.56). The most significant physical risk factor that was associated with musculoskeletal discomfort was bending the trunk forward slightly, hands above knee level, which was significantly related to lower back discomfort (OR=5.13, 95%CI=1.56-16.8), thigh discomfort (OR=5.1, 95%CI=1.01-25.53) and wrist discomfort (OR=3.65, 95%CI=1.06-12.53). Twisting of the trunk (over 45o) and bending sideways were significantly associated to lower back discomfort (OR=4.04, 95%CI=1.44-14.44), and thigh discomfort (OR=4.3, 95%CI=1.29-8.50). The findings also highlighted that environmental factors was associated with musculoskeletal discomfort (p < 0.05. Musculoskeletal discomfort can be reduced by lowering work-related risk factors among automotive manual material handling workers, particularly by focusing on significant factors, including job tenure, bending or twisting postures and environmental factors.
ABSTRACT
Substantial studies reported musculoskeletal disorders among the working population in the developed country, however, a limited number of studies were conducted in Malaysia. The objective of this cross sectional study was to determine the physical activity risk factors for low back pain among automotive workers in Selangor. Modified Risk Factors Questionnaire (RFQ) was used to assess physical activity with the occurrence of low back pain. The significant physical activities associated with the 12 months point prevalence are lifting weight (<5 kg and 11-23 kg) and climbing stairs, not using any mechanical lifting aid, and postures (extreme bending, pushing and pulling, standing, kneeling, and bending and twisting). These findings indicate that the occupational risk factors mainly the physical demands were significant risk for low back pain among manual material handling (MMH) workers. Work task and workstation design should be regularly evaluated and corrective measures need to be taken. In addition, proper lifting technique and occupational safety and health promotion program should be emphasized among MMH workers.
ABSTRACT
It is well known that low back pain among working population is a global problem throughout the world. However, the current situation of occupational low back pain in Malaysia is still vague due to limited number of studies conducted locally. A cross sectional study was conducted among three automotive industry workers in Selangor, Malaysia from October 2010 to April 2011. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain among automotive industry workers performing manual material handling tasks using self-administered questionnaire survey. A modified Standardised Nordic Questionnaire was used to assess low back pain problem, to obtain personal and psychosocial risk factors information. The prevalence of low back pain showed increment in the point prevalence of 57.9%, 49.5%, and 35.1 % for 12 months, one month, and of 7 days respectively. Working hour, frequency of overtime, stress at work, work pace, and faster movement were found to be significantly associated with the 12 months prevalence for low back pain. This finding indicates that psychosocial risk factors are associated to the occurrence of low back pain.
Subject(s)
Low Back Pain , Industry , Occupational Diseases , MalaysiaABSTRACT
A movimentação manual de cargas (MMC) nas unidades de beneficiamento de tomates (UB) é a atividade laboral mais freqüente nas etapas do processo de beneficiamento. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar, sob a ótica da ergonomia, as tarefas de MMC em seis UB de tomate de mesa do Estado de São Paulo. Foi aplicado o método da análise ergonômica do trabalho (AET) para conhecimento dos problemas associados à carga laboral. Nos postos de trabalho onde a MMC foi predominante, aplicou-se o método da equação do National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) para determinar o Limite de Peso Recomendado e o método do Diagrama das Áreas Dolorosas para identificar as áreas do corpo dos trabalhadores que apresentam desconforto. Em todas os casos estudados, o peso real da carga movimentada manualmente superou o limite de peso recomendado pelo NIOSH.
The manual material handling (MMH) is the most frequent labor activity in tomato packing houses. The main goal of this paper was to analyze, under an ergonomic point of view, the MMH tasks in six fresh tomato packing houses. The ergonomic work analyses method was applied for an overall approach of work activities. The NIOSH equation was applied to calculate the recommended weight limit and a Body Discomfort Diagram was used to identify the painful body workers areas. In all cases, the actual load overcame the recommended weight limits by NIOSH.
ABSTRACT
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the manufacturing welding metal company. The questionnaire survey was performed on 361 workers to investigate the status of low back pain(LBP), and 101 lifting jobs were ergonomically analyzed to evaluate the relationship between LBP and the exposure. Questionnaire survey was performed repeatedly for reliability test and the information in the questionnaire was compared to the absence record for validity test. There were significant differences in tenure and job titles between groups with LBP and without LBP, but not in general characteristics such as age, tenure, marriage status, blood pressure and liver function test. One hundred and one lifting jobs were analyzed by the physiological, psychophysical and biomechanical ergonomic methods. In logistic regression analysis, the lumbar disc compression force and the lifting frequency were the risk factors of the LBP. As the weight load over the action limit was the risk factor in the group of sudden LBP onset, so were the vertebral disc compression force and lifting frequency in the group of insidious LBP onset. Therefore the author concluded that ergonomic analysis may be a useful preventive tool of the LBP. Further prospective epidemiological study will be needed to identify the risk factors of LBP by the ergonomic method.