Evaluation of ergonomic posture risk and its relationship with workers' propensity for musculoskeletal disorders in...

Objectives. Metal fabrication workers are susceptible to various work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to their awkward posture. This study aimed to identify the association between ergonomic posture risk and the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted in metal fabrication workshops, including 132 workers. The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) was used to determine the prevalence of WMSDs, and posture assessment techniques (rapid upper limb assessment [RULA]) were applied to evaluate the ergonomic risk. Results. The NMQ revealed that 79.5% of participants had experienced pain/discomfort in the past year and 44.7% reported pain/discomfort in the previous 7 days. Musculoskeletal problems were most prevalent in the neck, shoulder and lower back joints (53, 40.9 and 50%, respectively). All individuals fell into RULA risk categories of moderate and high risk. Among the workers, 68.2% had high risk (RULA scores of >6) while 31.8% had medium risk (RULA scores of 5-6). A significant correlation was found between pain/discomfort in the neck and lower back joints and high RULA risk. Conclusion. This study found that, among metal fabrication workers, higher RULA scores were associated with a higher prevalence of MSDs, emphasizing the importance of ergonomic interventions focused on high-risk positions.