Risk factors for neck pain among forklift truck operators: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

BackgroundNo previous research has been performed into neck pain among forklift operators. This is a common complaint among these workers, who number around 150,000 in Sweden and six million in Europe. The aim of the study was to examine long-term exposure to unnatural neck positions among forklift operators as a risk factor for neck pain.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted of all eligible employees at a high-level warehouse. Forklift operators and office workers answered an 18-page questionnaire comprising questions about joint pain, work tasks, work postures and year of start for all items. By using person years in the exposed and less-exposed groups before start of neck pain we were able to calculate Incident Rate ratios for various exposures.ResultsForty nine percent of the forklift operators reported having experienced neck pain compared to 30 % of office workers. Being a forklift operator was associated with an increased risk of neck pain (OR = 5.1, 95% CI 1.4–18.2). Holding the head in an unnatural position resulted in significantly increased risks for neck pain, irrespective of type of position. The risks for neck pain remained after taking other ergonomic exposures and psychosocial aspects into consideration.ConclusionsThis is the first published study showing that forklift operators have an increased risk of neck pain. The results are therefore of significance for improving work schedules, the adjustment of work tasks for these workers and the design of the vehicles.

Lifestyle and subjective musculoskeletal symptoms in young male Japanese workers: A 16-year retrospective cohort study

“…Particularly, physical and work environment factors have been reported to increase such pain risk in workers. Important factors include: awkward posture ( Björck-van et al, 2008 , Costa and Vieira, 2010 , Flodin et al, 2018 ), computer monitor location ( Ye et al, 2017 ), heavy lifting/physical work ( Bernard, 1997 , Costa and Vieira, 2010 , Kawaguchi et al, 2017 ), high job strain ( Morken et al, 2003 , Hannan et al, 2005 ), and physically heavy workload ( Xu et al, 1997 , Costa and Vieira, 2010 ). Moreover, mental and physical stress ( Mäkelä et al, 1991 ) and computer use at work [e.g., mouse-use ( Jensen, 2003 ) and typing duration and speed ( Tittiranonda et al, 1999 )] are considered factors for neck pain.…”

Assessment of Spinal Range of Motion and Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Forklift Drivers. A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Some of the risk factors of MSDs for those individuals are repetitive trunk twisting, sideways trunk bending and rotation, exposure to whole-body vibrations [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ], neck flexion and rotation, especially during reverse driving [ 3 , 7 ], neck extension without support, and static sitting positions [ 8 ].…”

“…The most common body regions affected by MSDs in forklift drivers are the lumbar spine [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], cervical spine [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 ], shoulders, and forearms [ 8 , 9 ]. Other studies defend the necessity of high-quality epidemiologic research about forklift drivers’ injuries [ 10 ].…”

“…Throughout the workday, forklift drivers repeatedly rotate their necks and also bend to the side to get a better view when loading and unloading their vehicles [ 7 ]. Babapour et al explained that when forklift drivers are handling pallets of supplies, the work is performed on the right side of the driver’s cabin at different heights [ 12 ].…”

Assessing aberrant muscle activity patterns via the analysis of surface EMG data collected during a functional evaluation

“…Musculoskeletal disorders are typically associated with acute and chronic pain [4, 5]. Low back pain and neck-shoulder pain are among the most common complaints associated with musculoskeletal disorders [6–10]. These conditions are often accompanied by motor dysfunction, i.e.…”