Affiliations: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Khaled A. Hafez, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: khafez@uj.edu.sa.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the major causes of disability and early retirement. Consequently, WMSDs cost businesses billions of dollars annually due to compensation claims and productivity loss. Automotive technicians are vulnerable to WMSDs due to the nature of their work, which exposes them to numerous WMSDs risk factors. OBJECTIVE:This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the WMSD cases among technicians and evaluate their postures while working in small automotive repair shops in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA). METHODS:The study employed a cross-sectional design. A self-administrated questionnaire and body parts discomfort survey were filled by thirty automotive technicians. A postural analysis technique was performed to assess the body postures that technicians adopt while performing the tasks, in order to estimate the associated risk of WMSD discomfort. RESULTS:Most automotive technicians suffer severe pain in the lower back, shoulders, neck, hands or wrists, and knees. The technicians related the pain to awkward body postures, heavy lifting, and sustained forceful movements. CONCLUSION:Automotive technicians are advised to level the height of the work surface as feasible, to work as close as possible to said work surface, and to avoid working with awkward body postures as much as possible.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, body postures, heavy lifting, ergonomics assessment
DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210522
Journal: Work, vol. 73, no. 4, pp. 1203-1216, 2022
