Ergonomics Awareness, Working Posture and Muscle Fatigue among Industry Workers and their Relationship with Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) Symptoms: A Case Study
Keywords:
Electromyography, Posture, Sustained loadAbstract
Ergonomic awareness in the industry is deemed to be low and that the increasing trend involving musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) has been reported. This can be attributed to several factors which include the lack of training which focuses on ergonomics and its weak implementation in the manufacturing industry. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship of ergonomic awareness, postures and muscle fatigue with MSDs symptoms. The results have shown that there is no significant relationship between ergonomic awareness and the MSDs symptoms. However, there is strong significance between MSDs symptoms and muscle fatigue. REBA analysis has shown that all the workers have worked in unhealthy postures especially in the lower extremities. As conclusion, it is vital to educate the workers with the correct postures and ergonomic training to reduce the chance of muscular fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the long run.
References
PERKESO, 2017. Annual Report 2016, in: M.o.H. Resources, ed., Kuala Lumpur.
PERKESO, 2018. Annual Report 2017, in: M.o.H. Resources, ed., Kuala Lumpur.
DOSH, 2018. Occupational Accidents Statistics by Sector Until October 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/statistic-v/occupational-accidentstatistics/occupational-accident-2018/3255-occupational-accidents-statistics-by-sector-2018-investigated/file.
Rothmore P., Aylward P., Oakman J., Tappin D., Gray J., and Karnon J., 2017. The stage of change approach for implementing ergonomics advice–Translating research into practice, Applied ergonomics, 59, 225-233.
Charles L.E., Ma C.C., Burchfiel C.M., and Dong R.G., 2018. Vibration and ergonomic exposures associated with musculoskeletal disorders of the shoulder and neck, Safety and Health at Work, 9, 125-132.
Harrington S.S. and Walker B.L., 2004. The effects of ergonomics training on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of teleworkers, Journal of safety research, 35, 13-22.
Oladeinde B., Ekejindu I., Omoregie R., and Aguh O., 2015. Awareness and knowledge of ergonomics among Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria, Annals of medical and health sciences research, 5, 423-427.
Straker L., Abbott R.A., Heiden M., Mathiassen S.E., and Toomingas A., 2013. Sit–stand desks in call centres: Associations of use and ergonomics awareness with sedentary behavior, Applied ergonomics, 44, 517-522.
Ryan B., Wilson J.R., Sharples S., Morrisroe G., and Clarke T., 2009. Developing a rail ergonomics questionnaire (REQUEST), Applied ergonomics, 40, 216-229.
Sirat R.M., Rohani J.M., Ahmad N., Shaharoun A.M., and Haroun H., 2018. Education Level, Working Experience and Training Effect on Ergonomics Awareness and Practices in Malaysia, International Journal of Engineering and Technology, 7, 12-17.
Mustafa S.A., Kamaruddin S., Othman Z., and Mokhtar M., 2009. Ergonomics awareness and identifying frequently used ergonomics programs in manufacturing industries using quality function deployment, American journal of scientific research 3, 51-66.
Shikdar A.A. and Sawaqed N.M., 2003. Worker productivity, and occupational health and safety issues in selected industries, Computers & industrial engineering, 45, 563-572.
Sekaran U. and Bougie R., 2016. Research methods for business: A skill building approach, John Wiley & Sons.
Cifrek M., Medved V., Tonković S., and Ostojić S., 2009. Surface EMG based muscle fatigue evaluation in biomechanics, Clinical biomechanics, 24, 327-340.
Grant K.A., Habes D.J., and Putz-Anderson V., 1994. Psychophysical and EMG correlates of force exertion in manual work, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 13, 31-39.
Li X., Komeili A., Gül M., and El-Rich M., 2017. A framework for evaluating muscle activity during repetitive manual material handling in construction manufacturing, Automation in Construction, 79, 39-48.
Luttmann A., Jäger M., and Laurig W., 2000. Electromyographical indication of muscular fatigue in occupational field studies, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 25, 645- 660.
Konrad P., 2005. The abc of emg, A practical introduction to kinesiological electromyography, 1, 30-35.
Hedge A., Morimoto S., and Mccrobie D., 1999. Effects of keyboard tray geometry on upper body posture and comfort, Ergonomics, 42, 1333-1349.
Chua Y., 2008. Kaedah dan Statistik Penyelidikan : Asas Statistik Penyelidikan – Buku 3 (Research Method and Statistic: Basic Research Statistic – Book 3), Malaysia: McGraw Hill Education.
Chua Y., 2006. Kaedah dan Statistik Penyelidikan : Asas Statistik Penyelidikan – Buku 2 (Research Method and Statistic: Basic Research Statistic – Book 2), Malaysia: McGraw-Hill Education.
Anwar J., Haznita A.H.N., Johari K.M., Haryani H.M., Norzita N., and Aishah A.J., 2019. Assessment of prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among welders in the shipyard industry in Malaysia, in: E3S Web of Conferences, EDP Sciences, p. 03001.
Fazi H.B.M., Mohamed N.M.Z.B.N., and Basri A.Q.B., 2019. Risks assessment at automotive manufacturing company and ergonomic working condition, in: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, IOP Publishing, p. 012106.
Ansari N. and Sheikh M., 2014. Evaluation of work Posture by RULA and REBA: A Case Study, IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, 11, 18-23.
Hellig T., Rick V., Mertens A., Nitsch V., and Brandl C., 2019. Investigation of observational methods assessing workload of static working postures based on surface electromyography, Work, 62. 185-195.
Daneshmandi H., Choobineh A., Ghaem H., AlhamM. d, and Fakherpour A., 2017. The effect of musculoskeletal problems on fatigue and productivity of office personnel: a cross-sectional study, Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene, 58, E252.
Chavalitsakulchai P. and Shahnavaz H., 1991. Musculoskeletal discomfort and feeling of fatigue among female professional workers: The need for ergonomics consideration, Journal of human ergology, 20, 257-264.
Halim I., Omar A.R., Saman A.M., and Othman I., 2011. A review on health effects associated with prolonged standing in the industrial workplaces, IJRRAS, 8, 14-21.
Waters T.R. and Dick R.B., 2015. Evidence of health risks associated with prolonged standing at work and intervention effectiveness, Rehabilitation Nursing, 40, 148-165.
Alghadir A., Zafar H., and Iqbal Z.A., 2015. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia, Journal of physical therapy science, 27, 1107-1112.
Meijsen P. and Knibbe H.J., 2007. Prolonged standing in the OR: a Dutch research study, Aorn Journal, 86, 399-414
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright of articles that appear in Jurnal Mekanikal belongs exclusively to Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Penerbit UTM Press). This copyright covers the rights to reproduce the article, including reprints, electronic reproductions or any other reproductions of similar nature.