The prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among loggers in Poland

Grzywiński, Witold; Wandycz, Artur; Tomczak, Arkadiusz; Jelonek, Tomasz

doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2015.07.003

Cited by 48 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…As shown by this study, the main postural problems are those related to the back, which was found to be bent and twisted in 67% of the observations, as well as to the legs, which were found with knees bent in 54% of the observations. Such postures may lead to symptoms such as pain localized in the lower and upper back and knees, respectively, which seem to be the most frequent among the forest operations workers [24,25]. However, one could expect different results for different operational layouts, with increased postural risk indexes as the time spent in making the cuts of tree felling and processing increases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Workload, Exposure to Noise, and Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Case Study of Motor-Manual Tree Feeling and Processing in Poplar Clear Cuts

Cheţa

Marcu

Borz

2018

Forests

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Abstract:Motor-manual tree felling and processing (MMTFP) is among the most used options in timber harvesting operations and it is formally known to be a heavy job exposing the workers to safety hazards and harmful factors. Nevertheless, both workload and exposure depend on many operational, organizational, and worker-related parameters. Few studies have evaluated the ergonomics of such operations and fewer have been carried out using an integrated approach able to collect and interpret data for more than one ergonomic parameter. This study evaluated the ergonomic conditions of task-based MMTFP operations in flatland poplar forests by the means of workload, exposure to noise, and risk of musculoskeletal disorders. A fully-automatic approach was used to collect and pair the heart rate and noise exposure data that was complemented by video recording to collect postural data. Workload experienced by the worker was evaluated in terms of heart rate reserve (%HRR), indicating a heavy load during the productive time (%HRR = 46%); exposure to noise was calculated at the task and study level, exceeding (LAeq = 97.15 dB(A); L EX,8h = 96.18 dB(A)) the acceptable limits; and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders was evaluated using the concepts and procedures of the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System, indicating a high postural risk index (PRI = 275), which can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). For more conclusive results, the research should be extended to cover the relevant variability factors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Workload, Exposure to Noise, and Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Case Study of Motor-Manual Tree Feeling and Processing in Poplar Clear Cuts

Cheţa

Marcu

Borz

2018

Forests

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“…According to the International Labor Organization, around 160 million work-related illnesses per year occur worldwide among which WMSDs feature prominently, with extensive occupational health and economic consequences [9]. The high incidence of WMSDs leads to serious social problems, including wage compensation, medical expenses, reduced productivity, in addition to workers' physical and psychological pain [10,11,12,13]. Economic losses due to WMSDs in Korea are estimated to be about 1.3 trillion won (1 billion USD), which amounts approximately to 0.3% of the country's gross national product [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture workers in Korea and preventative interventions

Kee

Haslam

2019

WOR

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BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are estimated to be the most common and frequent of all occupational diseases in agriculture in Korea, but the full extent of the problem has yet to be surveyed. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents the results of a survey investigating the extent of WMSDs among self-employed farmers in Korea. It also describes ergonomics based preventive interventions initiated by the Korean government. METHOID: The prevalence of WMSDs was surveyed among 358 farmers using a questionnaire adapted from the Nordic questionnaires, employing three case definitions. RESULTS: The results showed that the overall prevalence rates of WMSDs by case definition 1 (any symptoms), 2 (symptoms with a pain intensity of moderate or greater), and 3 (symptoms with a pain intensity of high or greater) were 97.2%, 83.2%, and 39.7% respectively and that the shoulder, knee and lower back disorder rates were higher than those of other body parts. Compared to the prevalence rates of WMSDs for workers in other industries in Korea as well as USA farmers, the overall rates for farmers in Korea were much higher. The interventions, which adopted a participatory approach involving government, farmers, ergonomics, technical and industrial hygiene experts, showed benefits in terms of work efficiency, safety and farmer satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The high WMSD symptom prevalence showed that agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in Korea, and the Korean government's interventions were effective and successful.

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“…The largest load occurs when felling trees with a chainsaw [8,10,11,12]. Studies show that the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders of chainsaw operators is very high [13,14,15,16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does body posture during tree felling influence the physiological load of a chainsaw operator?

Grzywiński¹,

Jelonek²,

Tomczak³

et al. 2017

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Does body posture during tree felling influence the physiological load of a chainsaw operator? Ann Agric Environ Med. 2017; 24(3): 401-405. doi: 10.5604/12321966.1235177 Abstract Introduction and Objectives. Holding determined body postures during work is connected with muscles activity. The more forced the posture, the larger the number of muscles taking an active part in holding and stabilizing the work posture. During logging, the greatest share of awkward (forced) working postures occurs in tree felling by chainsaw. Materials and Method. A group of 10 experienced fellers aged 47.5±7.3 (37 -59-years-old) was studied. Heart rate (HR) was measured during simulation of felling activity in 4 working postures: back bent forward with straight legs (stoop), back bent forward with bent legs (flexed-stoop), squat and kneeling on one knee (half-kneel). Results. The lowest value of HR was noticed for squatting -114.1 bpm, then for kneeling on one knee -116.3 bpm. HR during felling in a standing posture with straight legs amounted to 121.5 bpm and for standing with bent legs 125.3 bpm. For all studied postures the differences in average HR values were statistically significant at p<0.01. Conclusions. A working posture during tree felling by chainsaw has influence on the level of physiological workload of an operator. Standing bent forward body postures cause higher heart response than squatting and half-kneeling.

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The prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among loggers in Poland

Cited by 48 publications

References 29 publications

Workload, Exposure to Noise, and Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Case Study of Motor-Manual Tree Feeling and Processing in Poplar Clear Cuts

Workload, Exposure to Noise, and Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Case Study of Motor-Manual Tree Feeling and Processing in Poplar Clear Cuts

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture workers in Korea and preventative interventions

Does body posture during tree felling influence the physiological load of a chainsaw operator?

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