Musculoskeletal disorders in industrial workers of Delhi

To study the musculoskeletal disorders in industrial workers in Delhi, 631 workers from 60 factories representing small and medium-sized enterprises located in Delhi were interviewed. Many (59.4%) of the workers had musculoskeletal disorders. Tailors, those working near furnaces, cooks, workers in buffing, checking and assembly work, and those working with chemicals had the most joint complaints. Cervical pain was more frequent in tailoring and packing work, whereas lumbar pain was more common in buffing, operators working on presses, those using hand and power tools, and those lifting heavy manual loads. Contract workers had less musculoskeletal morbidity than regular and temporary workers. Skilled workers also had less morbidity. Workers experiencing more job satisfaction reported fewer musculoskeletal disorders. The high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in workers needs urgent attention from the health and labor sectors. An ergonomic approach to prevention should be considered. The current manual load handling limits prescribed in the Indian Factory Rules potentially expose workers to back stress. It is also inappropriate to have separate load-lifting limits for men and women. Research is urgently required to determine the safe load handling limits for the Indian working population based on ergonomic principles. Until internationally acceptable safe limits are established, back pain should be a notifiable disease in India.