Musculoskeletal Disorders in Tyre Manufacturing Workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Ergonomics
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Tyre manufacturing involves repetitive tasks like lifting and awkward postures, increasing risk for WRMSDs.
• Workers in this industry face potential for elevated arm postures, heavy lifting, and trunk movements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of WRMSDs among tyre manufacturing employees.
• Assessing musculoskeletal health in a high-risk industrial setting.

Main Methods:

• Observational study of 99 tyre workers, excluding those with recent trauma or surgery.
• Utilized the Nordic questionnaire, REBA analysis, hamstring flexibility (AKE test), and back extensor endurance (Sorenson test).

Main Results:

• Low back pain (36%) was the most common complaint, followed by shoulder and neck pain.
• REBA analysis indicated medium risk for TBR and PCR workers; hamstring tightness was prevalent.
• No statistical relationship was found between hamstring tightness, back muscle endurance, and low back pain (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Tyre workers exhibit multi-joint musculoskeletal involvement, with low back pain being a primary concern.
• Despite common hamstring tightness and reduced back muscle endurance, these factors were not significantly linked to low back pain in this cohort.