The workload of fishermen: a cross sectional survey among Danish commercial fishermen

Østergaard, Helle Thy; Jepsen, Jørgen Riis; Berg‐Beckhoff, Gabriele

doi:10.5603/imh.2016.0019

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The self-reported pain in the neck/shoulders/ /arms was fully or partly explained by their work situation by 93% of our sample. Our results are supported by other studies of fishers [6,32,33] and similar studies have also shown that perceived workload and musculoskeletal pain are closely linked to the occurrence of MSD [34]. Data from the Danish Working Environment Authority also shows that monotonous work postures and repetitive work increase the risk of developing pain in the musculoskeletal system [35].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Several ergonomic stressors at all stages of fishing dictated by some unpredictable factors such as weather conditions, as well as type of vessel, gear in use, crew size and level of experience are identified [5]. A Danish study concluded that despite positive developments in the physical work Mariann Sandsund et al, Musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in the commercial fishing fleet of Norway environment, fishers still experience heavy workloads and suboptimal ergonomic conditions [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in the commercial fishing fleet of Norway

Sandsund

Øren

Thorvaldsen

et al. 2019

International Maritime Health

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Background: Fishers exposed to unfavourable environmental conditions may suffer negative health effects. This study aimed to identify musculoskeletal symptoms in professional fishers in Norway using data from several sources; register data, telephone survey and questionnaire. Materials and methods: Professional fishers (n = 25,971) registered in the period 2008-2013 were selected by Statistics Norway (SSB). An age-and gender-matched control population (n = 77,913) was also selected. Outpatient consultation and hospitalisation data were received from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR). To obtain information about self-reported symptoms, 832 registered fishers on board Norwegian fishing vessels were interviewed by telephone, and a questionnaire was distributed to the crews of 5 trawlers (n = 153). Results: Data from NPR showed that fishers, compared to the control population, suffered significantly more acute incidents related to musculoskeletal disorders (5.4% vs. 4.8%, respectively), injuries to arms (11.3% vs. 9.8%), feet (8.4% vs. 8%), and back (0.9% vs. 0.7%). In the telephone survey, 61% and 43% reported that they performed monotonous work operations and heavy lifting often or very often, respectively. Thirty-three per cent had experienced pain in neck/shoulders/arms often or very often during the previous 12 months, and 93% believed this was fully or partly due to their work situation. The questionnaire among trawler crew members showed that 57% and 60% had experienced stiffness and/or pain in neck/ /shoulders and lower back/small of the back respectively during the previous 12 months. Conclusions: Data from the register study, telephone survey and questionnaire all confirmed that musculoskeletal problems are common among fishers and related to their work situation. However, 77% of the fishers in all vessel groups and on board the 5 trawlers reported their own health as being very good or good.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in the commercial fishing fleet of Norway

Sandsund

Øren

Thorvaldsen

et al. 2019

International Maritime Health

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“…The high prevalence of WMSDs in fisheries has been confirmed by several research studies [43][44][45][46]. A recent Danish study concluded that although there were improvements in working techniques, there were still no optimal ergonomic conditions in this sector, and workers on fishing vessels represent a professional cohort at high risk of WMSDs (e.g., pain in lower back, hands, or wrists) [47].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Occupational Exposure on Board Fishing Vessels: Risk Assessments of Biomechanical Overload, Noise and Vibrations among Worker on Fishing Vessels in Southern Italy

et al. 2019

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Sea fishing is one of the sectors with the highest risk of illness and work-related accidents. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the exposure of fishing workers to three major risks: biomechanical overload, noise, and whole-body vibrations. We used common methods and measurement tools in the field: observational video analysis, questionnaires, and direct measurement. Noise and vibrations levels were measured aboard five boats belonging to the main fishing communities of Southern Italy. The random sample consisted of 310 workers, of whom 108 agreed to complete a questionnaire to collect data on the perception of occupational risk and self-perception of health conditions. We found that fishermen had a high prevalence of osteoarticular pathologies (42%) and that the biomechanical overload risk is mainly related to handling manual loads. Furthermore, the results indicate that the levels of weekly noise exposure exceed the exposure limit value of 87 decibel A (dBA) for fishing workers, and that the most noisiest area is the engine room. Exposure levels to whole-body vibrations were below <0.5 m/s2. Knowledge on occupational hazards and health effects in the fisheries sector should be used to develop ship technology, raise awareness of the correct use of personal protective equipment, and improve health surveillance of these workers.

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“…This cross-sectional survey took place between February and April 2015 and addressed 2500 randomly selected active fishermen registered with the Danish AgriFish Agency [15]. The study was promoted through a leaflet and press release and questionnaires were mailed out to potential respondents.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and predictors of musculoskeletal pain among Danish fishermen – results from a cross-sectional survey

Berg‐Beckhoff

Østergaard

Jepsen

2016

J Occup Med Toxicol

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BackgroundFishermen work in a physically challenging work environment. The aim of this analysis was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of musculoskeletal pain among Danish fishermen.MethodA cross-sectional survey in a random sample of Danish fishermen was done with application of the Nordic questionnaire regarding musculoskeletal pain considering lower back, shoulders, hand neck, knee, upper back elbow, hip and feet. In total, 270 fishermen participated in the study (response rate: 28%). Workload, vessel type, skipper, duration of work, sideline occupation, days/weeks of fishing at sea, age, BMI and education were used as predictors for the overall musculoskeletal pain score (multiple linear regression) and for each single pain site (multinomial logistic regression).ResultsThe prevalence of pain was high for all musculoskeletal locations. Overall, more than 80% of the responding Danish fishermen reported low back pain, which in 37% lasted for a minimum of 30 days during the past year. In the multiple linear regression analysis, middle workload was associated with a 32% (95% CI: 19-46%) and high workload with 60% (95% CI: 46-73%) increased musculoskeletal pain score compared to low work load. Multinomial logistic regression models showed that workload was the only predictor for all pain sites, in particular regarding upper and lower limb pain.ConclusionAlthough changes were implemented to improve the fishermen’s work environment, the work continues to be physically demanding and impacting their musculoskeletal pain. Potential explanation for this unexpected result like increased work pressure and reduced financial attractiveness in small scale commercial fishery needs to be confirmed in future research.

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The workload of fishermen: a cross sectional survey among Danish commercial fishermen

Cited by 17 publications

References 13 publications

Musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in the commercial fishing fleet of Norway

Musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in the commercial fishing fleet of Norway

Occupational Exposure on Board Fishing Vessels: Risk Assessments of Biomechanical Overload, Noise and Vibrations among Worker on Fishing Vessels in Southern Italy

Prevalence and predictors of musculoskeletal pain among Danish fishermen – results from a cross-sectional survey

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