The use of the Nordic questionnaire in an industrial setting: a case study

The aims of this study were to identify: (1) whether patterns of reported injury are differentially affected by the structure of the interview and qualifications of the interviewer; and (2) whether the Nordic Questionnaire is sensitive enough to identify different patterns of reported injuries across two different workstations. To accomplish this the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was administered by both a physiotherapist and an ergonomist to two similar but separate workstations of a manufacturing plant. Analysis of the injury-reporting frequencies produced results indicating increased reporting to the ergonomist in two of five upper limb and trunk body regions considered at one workstation and in one region at the other. Differences in reporting frequencies between workstations were also found. Physical demands analyses performed in each area confirmed that differing job requirements existed in the two workstations under consideration. Early identification of potential job-specific injuries by an in-house ergonomist can initiate appropriate intervention strategies prior to the onset of chronic injuries.