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Musculoskeletal symptoms among truck assembly workers
1Mediscreen, Pennine Acute NHS Trust, HQ, Westhulme Avenue, Oldham OL1 2PN, UK. tok.hussain@pat.nhs.uk
Background:
Concerns were raised about the possibility of a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in a truck assembly plant.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in a group of truck assembly workers.
Method:
A cross-sectional study of 461 truck assembly workers was carried out using a modified version of the Nordic questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12). Employees were further subdivided into three distinct occupational subgroups: skilled line workers (252), bench subassembly workers (108) and material handlers (101). Responses were analysed according to occupational subgroup.
Results:
Seventy per cent of 461 truck assembly workers responded to the questionnaires. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents had been troubled with musculoskeletal symptoms in the last 12 months. The commonest musculoskeletal symptoms were from the lower back (65%), neck (60%) and shoulders (57%). Musculoskeletal symptoms were related to age, length of service, occupational subgroup and GHQ12 score.
Conclusion:
There was a high reported prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in this group of truck assembly workers, with a differing pattern of symptom reporting depending on occupational subgroup. Risk reduction recommendations were made to the site management. A further study investigating the relationship between symptoms and specific hazards is planned.
