scholarly journals Most common ergonomic injuries among healthcare workers

Author(s):  
Shada M. Alharbi ◽  
Abdullah K. Alghanem ◽  
Hanan A. Alessa ◽  
Raghad S. Aldoobi ◽  
Fatimah A. Busayli ◽  
...  

In the different healthcare settings, evidence shows that healthcare workers can be exposed to various work-related hazards, which might be ergonomics, biological, psychological, and physical hazards. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are frequently reported among the different healthcare workers, and estimates indicate that surgeons are the most commonly affected. Disorders and injuries related to the backbone, shoulders, wrist, and knees are mainly reported by healthcare workers as relevant ergonomic hazards. In the present literature review, we have discussed the commonest ergonomics that have been reported in the literature among healthcare workers. Musculoskeletal disorders as back, knee, and wrist pain are the most frequently reported among the different settings. We have also assessed the different reasons that might attribute to the development of such events, and increased workload and working hours, in addition to the harmful postures are the main reasons that have been reported in the literature. Each clinical and surgical setting might be associated with significant risk factors over others, and therefore, specific interventions should be applied within these settings to enhance satisfaction among healthcare workers. Healthcare authorities are mainly responsible to achieve this. However, further epidemiological investigations are still needed to adequately plan the righteous interventional programs.

Author(s):  
Revati V. Mulay ◽  
Anand Gangwal ◽  
Ashok K. Shyam ◽  
Parag K. Sancheti

Background: Flight attendants are the cabin crew members working in different commercial airlines. Their main job is to ensure safety and comfort of all the passengers. They are exposed to certain ergonomic stressors like long standing, irregular working hours and working in confined spaces and thus are likely to experience work related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence and risk factors for work related musculoskeletal disorders in flight attendants.Methods: A survey-based study was performed. Self-made questionnaire was used and was validated by 3 experts in the Physiotherapy field. Workplace stress scale was also used to determine the level of mental stress that they experience. Informed consent was taken by each flight attendant participating in the study. Questionnaire was given to flight attendants working for different airlines like Spice Jet, Air India and Jet Airways. Hard copy of the questionnaire and online forms of the questionnaire were used to complete the data collection.Results: A total of 82% flight attendants reported to have work related pain in one or more body regions. Pain was commonly reported in feet and ankle, lower back and neck. Common risk factors were lack of rest breaks, prolonged standing/long working hours, wearing heels and mental stress.Conclusions: Thus, the study shows high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in flight attendants.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Yentis ◽  
◽  
K. Asanati ◽  
C.R. Bailey ◽  
R. Hampton ◽  
...  

3Association of Anaesthetists | Better musculoskeletal health for anaesthetistsSummaryWork-related musculoskeletal disorders are very common amongst healthcare workers, and there is evidence that anaesthetists are at greater risk of upper limb disorders than other groups. This guidance aims to bring together advice and recommendations from a variety of sources in order to inform and support anaesthetists at work, in an attempt to reduce the prevalence and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the exacerbation of pre-existing disorders. Mechanical and psychosocial risk factors for work-associated musculoskeletal disorders are summarised, along with general principles for achieving better musculoskeletal health and practices specific to areas of the body most at risk. These include recommended exercises and stretches during sedentary work.RecommendationsAttention must be paid by both employers and anaesthetists to the physical and psychological risk factors that may lead to development and/or exacerbation of musculoskeletal disorders. This requires ongoing risk assessments and adherence to published standards of health and safety at work, including training. Such a programme is best achieved as part of a multidisciplinary approach.What other guidelines are available on this topic? There are many sources of guidance on health and safety in the workplace, across many sectors, much of which is of relevance to anaesthetists. There is no readily accessible guidance specifically aimed at the anaesthetic workplace.Why was this guideline developed?This guidance was developed as part of a wider piece of work by the Association of Anaesthetists based around ergonomics of the anaesthetic workplace, as a result of the increased reported incidence of musculoskeletal disorders amongst anaesthetists. It aims to draw on existing guidance and present a summary of advice relevant to anaesthetists and their practice.How and why does this publication differ from existing guidelines?This guidance summarises other advice and recommendations, and focuses on factors relevant to the anaesthetic workplace


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-70
Author(s):  
Karwan Mahmood Khudhir ◽  
Kochar Khasraw Saleh ◽  
Muhammed Saeed Qadir ◽  
Kochr Ali Mahmood ◽  
Ahmad Azuhairi Ariffin

Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) represent one of the leading causes of occupational injury and disability among the professional nursing, due to the number and variety of risk factors associated with the work environment. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and its association with ergonomic risk factors. A self-administered questionnaire and observational method was used to collect information from 420 individuals and then the data were computerized and analyzed by using SPSS version 21. The overall prevalence of WRMSDs among Ranya and Qaladiza districts nurses was 74%. The neck pain was the most prevalent site of WRMSDs (48.4%) compared to other body parts. Logistic regression analysis indicated that significant risk factors for WRMSDs symptoms were older nurses aged >39.5 years old (OR=3.076, 95% CI: 1.200, 7.884), medium RULA risk level (OR= 255.096, 95% CI: 24.078, 2702.681), very high RULA risk level (OR=151.675, 95% CI: 17.536, 1311.891), low RULA risk level (OR=9.277, 95% CI: 1.064, 80.893). Prevention strategies and health education which emphasizes on psychosocial risk factors and how to improve working conditions should be introduced.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-35
Author(s):  
Muhammad Hammad Haleem ◽  
Ikram Ali ◽  
Savera Khan ◽  
Abdullah Jehangir ◽  
Irfan Ullah

Introduction: Physical therapists are required to perform tasks that predispose them to developing work related musculoskeletal disorders. The physical therapists personal and professional life can be affected by work related musculoskeletal disorders. High level evidence is lacking regarding work related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to combine information on prevalence, risk factors and the consequences of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in physical therapists. Material & Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines.Three members independently searched the databases PubMed and other online sources including google scholar for relevant data from July 2014 to September 2020. Cross-sectional studies published in English language which reported work related musculoskeletal disorders in physical therapists were included. Studies involving physical therapy students and internees, having insufficient information about past or current work-related musculoskeletal disorders, sample size of physical therapists less than 50 and not published in peer reviewed journals were excluded. Results: Twenty one articles were included in current systematic review. The 1-year prevalence of workrelated musculoskeletal disorders among physical therapists ranged from 38.5% to 97.6%. The low back was the commonest affected body part. Treating large number of patients and manual therapy were the leading risk factors for developing work related musculoskeletal disorders. The most common consequences were modifying treatment techniques and reducing work hours. Conclusion: Prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders are high among physical therapists. The nature of physical therapy job presents significant risk factors which can lead to work related musculoskeletal disorders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 371-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanpatchaya Sirisawasd ◽  
Sasitorn Taptagaporn ◽  
Chaweewon Boonshuyar ◽  
Poramet Earde

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in order to ascertain the occupation with the highest susceptibility to WMSD in the health sector. This paper will also review the effective interventions which have been used to prevent WMSDs among HCWs. Design/methodology/approach This study is a literature review of 11 papers related to the prevalence and risk factors of WMSDs and 12 papers about the interventions being used to prevent WMSDs among HCWs. The papers were retrieved from respectable databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar and E-Thesis. Findings Nurses belong to the major group of HCWs who had the highest prevalence of WMSDs compared with other health professionals and other hospital workers. Although there are several interventions being commonly used to prevent WMSD risk factors, some interventions were unsuccessful in the prevention of WMSDs in healthcare tasks. Therefore, it is necessary that future research focuses on the tasks of HCWs that are WMSD risk factors and tries to innovate or redesign ergonomic workstations to prevent those risk factors. Originality/value The expected benefit of this study is to motivate ergonomists to provide appropriate and innovative interventions to ensure health and safety for nurses and other HCWs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Pavlovic-Veselinovic

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are becoming a major problem in world economy. There is many and various risk factors that contribute to their development. Repetitive work is one of the most important risk factor. In this paper is described the body's response to repetitive strain, existing methods for evaluation/ quantification of repetition as risk factor for musculoskeletal disorders. The author proposes a new multidimensional scale for rating the level of risk of repetitive work, which may be useful in the risk assessment of the workplace. Key words: ergonomics, work related musculoskeletal disorders, risk assessment.


Author(s):  
Gh Halvani ◽  
H Fallah ◽  
R Jafari Nodoushan ◽  
A Haji hosseini ◽  
H Fallah zadeh ◽  
...  

Introduction: The condition of work in handloom weaving industries cause musculoskeletal (MSDS) disorders which are the most prevailing professional problem among weavers. The aim of this research was to determine ergonomic risk factors in the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders. Method: The present study was done through descriptive cross-section method to assess the risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the weavers. Our data collection tools were: demographic questionnaire, job Nordic questionnaire and body map prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders to decide the rate of symptoms. Then, we took film from handloom weavers while wearing to know the condition of their bodies. After reviewing the films, the posture marks was assigned to each duty using the Ergo Intelligence software. At the end, data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA and T-test using SPSS ver.20. Results: The results showed that the most frequent incidence of pain in different organs of the body during last year belonged to neck and shoulder. The average OCRA was 3.65.This indicated that most of the handloom weavers (64.4%) are at high risk. Conclusion: According to the re According to the results of OCRA indices, weavers are at high risk for musculoskeletal injuries, indicating their poor working environment and working conditions, indicating the need for corrective actions.


Author(s):  
Ninica Howard ◽  
Stephen Bao ◽  
Jia-Hua Lin

Background According to Washington State workers’ compensation data, construction as an industry ranked first in its compensable claims rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) injuries (Anderson, Adams, Bonauto, Howard, & Silverstein, 2015). Many current physical job assessment tools available for ergonomics practitioners to evaluate work-related musculoskeletal disorder risks of the back, shoulder, hand/wrist and knee are mostly of general purposes. This project sought to identify risk factors pertinent to given industries. The construction industry is used as an example in this demonstration. Approach Four hundred thirty-six construction employees from sixteen companies in the State of Washington were observed and evaluated using commonly used exposure assessment tools: Washington State Checklists (Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 2004a, b), Strain Index (Moore & Garg, 1995), American Congress of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Lifting Threshold Limit Values (ACGIH, 2005), Liberty Mutual Manual Materials Handling Guidelines (Snook & Ciriello, 1991), Quick Ergonomics Checklist (David et al, 2005; David et al, 2008), and the European Union Vibration Directives (EU, 2002). The physical risk factors that were evaluated are those that have been associated with WMSDs. These risk factors included: awkward postures of the back, shoulder, hand/wrist; lifting; pushing, pulling, carrying; high hand forces (pinching, griping); highly repetitive motions of the hand/wrist; repeated impacts of the hand or knee; vibration (whole body, hand); and any specific tasks with potential WMSD risks but were otherwise not covered in any of the common assessment tools. Following the results of the exposure assessments, a comprehensive physical job evaluation checklist was created by retaining items sensitive to differentiate levels of risks within jobs in the construction industry. From our job evaluations, WMSD risk factors may not be the same between industry groups and as such, industry-specific tools may simplify the evaluation process by focusing on unique exposures. The final Physical Job Evaluation Checklist is currently presented in the form of a spreadsheet available for download and use ( www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Wmsd/WMSD2010.asp ). Accompanying reference guide is also available to provide instructions how data fields can be obtained or measured. The user can print out a paper form first, record the assessment at a job site, then enter the necessary data into the spreadsheet. The algorithm then generates all the evaluation reports and highlight areas that should receive attention. The goals are to raise general awareness of industry-specific physical factors that contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), and help identify specific aspects of the job that pose a risk for back, shoulder, hand/wrist and knee injury common in the construction industry. Using the Physical Job Evaluation Checklists can help prioritize injury prevention efforts by identifying the jobs, or the aspects of the job that pose the greatest risk of injury. It is also possible to evaluate the impact that proposed jobsite changes have on WMSD risk (before and after exposures). And finally, it is possible to compare exposures between workers performing the same or different tasks. Limitation Due to the study design, the Physical Job Evaluation Checklist IS NOT intended to predict the occurrence of WMSDs or to provide guidance or suggestions on how to mitigate exposure to risk factors of WMSDs.


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