Occupational musculoskeletal disorders management using Fuzzy TOPSIS Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART)

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Ergonomics
• Industrial Engineering

Background:

• Occupational disorders and ergonomic problems necessitate robust evaluation methods.
• Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approaches, like Fuzzy TOPSIS, offer solutions for complex workplace assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk factors in an Iranian manufacturing company.
• To prioritize corrective actions using the Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) integrated with Fuzzy TOPSIS.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 240 employees across seven shops.
• 13 tasks were analyzed using the ART method and demographic questionnaires.
• Fuzzy TOPSIS was applied to prioritize shops based on ergonomic control needs.

Main Results:

• ART analysis revealed 74.6% of tasks posed a high risk of MSD.
• The Production shop was identified as the highest priority for MSD control interventions based on Fuzzy TOPSIS-ART results.

Conclusions:

• Fuzzy prioritization methods like Fuzzy TOPSIS-ART are effective for managing limited resources in ergonomic control.
• This approach helps control risks to the lowest reasonably practicable level (ALARP).