Musculoskeletal disorders and perceived physical work demands among offshore wind industry technicians across different turbine sizes: A cross-sectional study

Oestergaard, Anne Skov; Smidt, Trine Fernando; Søgaard, Karen; Sandal, Louise Fleng

doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2022.103278

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Even though WTs present as a relatively homogeneous population currently (predominantly male, young, and healthy population) [ 5 , 6 ], results from this study show that their preferences for exercise prescription are highly individual. For example, one WTs expressed that he “ … would have benefitted more from a team-based exercise structure, since I am not good at exercising on my own” and another one that “there should be an alternative, like going for a walk”.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure 2 shows an overview of the contents, intensities, and durations of the generic and individualized parts of the 1-h exercise program. The generic exercises for the work profile (first 20 min after warm-up) and all-round strength training exercises were proposed based on the identification of physical work demands and musculoskeletal disorder prevalence identified in our previous studies (full-body strength) and finally decided in collaboration with WTs (intervention mapping) [ 6 , 13 ]. Specifically, strength training exercises for the lower back, neck, shoulders, and knees were prioritized, as well as high-intensity aerobic interval exercise.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examples include remote work conditions, seasonal work, irregular work/leave schedules, long working shifts, and uncertainty in tasks dependent on weather conditions [ 4 – 9 ]. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among WTs has further been associated with the physical work demands offshore, specifically in terms of turbine type on location (size), the duration of work in awkward postures, and manual handling activities [ 6 , 10 ]. Objectively assessed physical work demands among WTs support the notion of substantial physical requirements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) in the offshore wind industry: a feasibility study with an adjusted conceptual model

Oestergaard

Sandal

Smidt

et al. 2022

Pilot Feasibility Stud

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Good physical health and capacity is a requirement for offshore wind service technicians (WTs) who have substantial physical work demands and are exposed to numerous health hazards. Workplace physical exercise has shown promise for improving physical health and work ability among various occupational groups. Therefore, we aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) among WTs in the offshore wind industry. Methods A within-subject design was used to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of IPET (one hour/week individualized exercise during working hours). The intervention period was 12 weeks, with the first eight weeks performed on site as supervised or partly supervised exercise during work hours and the last four weeks planned as home-administered exercise after the seasonal offshore service period. Three assessments, T1 (six months prior to intervention start), T2 (start of intervention) and T3 (end of intervention), of physical health and capacity (self-reported and objective measurements) were conducted and the period between T1 and T2 served as a within-subject control period. Primary outcome was feasibility measured as compliance, adherence, adverse events, and participant acceptability. Descriptive statistics were used to present feasibility outcomes. Preliminary efficacy was reported as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals for health and physical capacity outcomes between T1 and T2, between T2 and T3 and between T1 and T3. Results All WTs at the included wind farm (n=24, age: 40 years (SD±8)) participated in the study. No serious adverse events were reported. Compliance and adherence of 95 and 80% respectively, were reached in the eight-week supervised part, but were lower when exercise was home-administered (<20%). Acceptability was high for the supervised part, with 83% indicating that the exercise program worked well and 100% that exercise should be implemented as an integrated part of the working structure. Changes in physical capacity and health indicators, such as VO2max (ml O2/kg/min) at T1 (38.6 (SD±7.2)), T2 (44.1 (SD±9)) and T3 (45.8 (SD±6.5)), may indicate seasonal fluctuations as well as improvements from the intervention. Conclusion On-site Intelligent Physical Exercise Training during working hours was feasible and well received among WTs in the offshore wind industry. The proceeding of larger-scale evaluation and implementation is therefore recommended. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04995718). Retrospectively registered on August 6, 2021,

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) in the offshore wind industry: a feasibility study with an adjusted conceptual model

Oestergaard

Sandal

Smidt

et al. 2022

Pilot Feasibility Stud

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition, the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was filled by 150 office workers. 11 The questionnaire had different questions about body posture among computer users. The variables were age, gender, working hours, questions regarding their posture, and musculoskeletal pain.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional outcomes of poor ergonomic posture in university workers

Riaz¹,

Jawad²,

Nawaz³

et al. 2022

BioMedica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and Objectives: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are increasing due to poor posture adaptation. Increasing the use of technologies in the office settings is one of the main reasons behind muscle and soft tissue strains. The objective of the study was to determine the pattern of posture-related musculoskeletal pain in office workers. Methods: This observational study was conducted from 15th May, to 25th June, 2021. Data were collected by convenient sampling. The Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire on body postural habits was filled by 150 office workers from different universities of Lahore. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 25 was used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 79 (52.7%) male and 71 (43.7%) female participants, with a mean age of 35.7 ± 5.14 years. Majority (51.3%) of the subjects reported sitting tilted forward, while a few used backrests and footrests for support. Prolonged crossed legs and twisted spine posture were also adopted by many subjects. Neck, lower back, and shoulder were the most affected regions, with increased musculoskeletal pain reported over the last 12 months. Due to recurrent pain in the neck, shoulder, and upper back, difficulty in carrying out routine jobs, housework, and hobbies was reported by 38.7%, 34.7%, and 30% of the subjects, respectively. Conclusion: Failure to adopt a good ergonomic approach leads to frequent musculoskeletal pain and difficulty in carrying out routine office and household work.

show abstract

“…Musculoskeletal disorders are disorders of pain in the joints, muscles, bones, and ligaments in the body part (Sirisawasd et al, 2018). Musculoskeletal disorders are caused due to high physical work demands (Oestergaard et al, 2022). The disorder is influenced by age, especially in the elderly (Liu et al, 2022).…”

Section: Musculoskeletal Disorders (Msds)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Work Posture and Manual Handling on the Material Transport Activities of Indonesian Traditional Market Worker

Sukma

Kurnianingtyas

2022

IJIEEM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This research is about the observation of workers transporting sacks in a traditional market. The worker complained about pain in many body parts like the shoulders, waist, and arms, which are presented in the results of the Nordic Body Map questionnaire. This problem can be solved by massaging the body section to reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Because it is often get massaged, it makes the completion time of sack transport become longer. Work posture must be improved because too much pain piles up over long periods and can impact condition health and decrease productivity. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the working posture while doing manual handling. Evaluate work posture using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Manual Handling Assessment Chart (MAC Tool). As a result, work posture and manual handling have a higher level of risk of injury, so we need to investigate and implement change. The level of risk must be reduced to at least medium risk. Using auxiliaries can improve work posture, reduce health risks, reduce load sacks, and increase work productivity. The recommended outcome is adding a skid box to improve the value of REBA and manual material handling by providing a hand trolley cart.

show abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders and perceived physical work demands among offshore wind industry technicians across different turbine sizes: A cross-sectional study

Cited by 16 publications

References 33 publications

Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) in the offshore wind industry: a feasibility study with an adjusted conceptual model

Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) in the offshore wind industry: a feasibility study with an adjusted conceptual model

Functional outcomes of poor ergonomic posture in university workers

Analysis of Work Posture and Manual Handling on the Material Transport Activities of Indonesian Traditional Market Worker

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About