Prevalence of musculoskeletal problems in laboratory technicians

Musculoskeletal Pains among Phlebotomists in Outpatient Clinics: Prevalence and Association with Personal Factors and Ergonomic Analysis of the Workstation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems reported by phlebotomists, and the association of these problems with workstation characteristics and personal factors.

METHODS

Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to phlebotomists (n = 115; 65.2% response rate). In addition to the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, we asked respondents to provide sociodemographic data. An ergonomic score was used for the characterization of workstations.

RESULTS

Symptoms in at least 1 body area within a year were reported by 80.7% of the participants. The lower back, neck, and shoulders were the most common areas in which symptoms occurred (72.7%, 60.9%, and 59%, respectively); these were also the areas with the highest incidence of symptoms disrupting work. A logistic regression model for predicting pain within a year found adequate leg space as a significant component of the ergonomic score (P = .045, OR = 0.222), which was also a protective factor for neck pain disrupting work (P = .047, OR = 0.385).

CONCLUSIONS

Musculoskeletal problems among phlebotomists were high. Therefore, the positive effects of simple ergonomic measures should be confirmed in further research.

Biomechanical Exposure to Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors in Hospital Laboratories

Exposure to ergonomic risk factors has been reported for laboratory workers over decades. However, these exposures are not well characterized with respect to the type of laboratory or work organization. This study compared biomechanical exposure to upper extremity (UE) postures and hand activity levels (HALs) in general hospital laboratories by job, work, and laboratory type. The study used observational data gathered using a revised version of the Posture, Activity, Tools, and Handling (PATH) method, generating frequencies of categorized exposures. Eighteen workers were observed in 11 job titles (seven laboratories) in a single hospital by two investigators over a 7 month period. A taxonomy was constructed to categorize the extent to which the laboratory operations were automated. Overall, there were markedly high exposures to postural strain for the distal UE, especially wrist/forearm deviation (73% of observations), gross grasp (71%), and pinch grip (49%). For the HAL categories, 61% of the observations were in the moderate range (3.3–<6.7). Shoulders and elbows tended to remain in the neutral postural range. Posture frequencies were similar among the job categories studied and laboratory types. HAL was higher when the hand was in a pinch grip. Manual operations represented a higher proportion of work time than semi-automated or automated operations. Biomechanical exposure can be documented more extensively and diversely when using the revised PATH approach along with the taxonomy, with respect to exposure variables, such as the type of job, work, or organization in the industry including the hospital laboratories.

Study of the interrelationships between musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risk factors in occupational health and safety technicians

Objectives. The aim of this work is to examine the presence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the exposure to psychosocial risk in a sample of 399 occupational health and safety technicians (OHSTs), deepening the associations between both aspects. Methods. The standardized Nordic questionnaire and the Decore questionnaire were used. Different descriptive and correlational analyses and a multivariate analysis model were carried out. Results. In total, 77.17% of the participants affirmed having suffered some muscle ailments. The most critical psychosocial risk factors are those related to the rewards that the worker obtains for their work, with 54.7% of the technicians in a situation of alert or emergency. It is highlighted that the fact of not feeling professionally valued, working outside working hours, having musculoskeletal discomfort and perceiving a state of poor or fair health increase the global risk index (GRI) score. Conclusions. The study highlights the high exposure of OHSTs to both physical and psychosocial risk factors as well as the significant relationship between these variables. Furthermore, the predictive model shows the variables that best predict the probability of MSDs: gender, training in emerging risks, perceived health and exposure to psychosocial risk.

Self-Estimated Functional Inability because of Pain questionnaire for Brazilian workers with musculoskeletal pain: face and content validity

ABSTRACT Our study aimed to perform the face and content validity of Self-Estimated Functional Inability because of Pain (SEFIP) for workers, here called the SEFIP-work questionnaire. This is a questionnaire validity study. Our group previously translated and adapted the original version of the SEFIP, which was developed to investigate musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction to be applied to dancers (SEFIP-dance). However, due to the broad scope of the SEFIP-dance, we made changes and adaptations in the Brazilian Portuguese version of the SEFIP-dance to allow its use in workers. Therefore, face and content validity were performed for the development of the SEFIP-work based on opinions of committee of occupational disease and rehabilitation experts. After face and content validity, this SEFIP-work version was applied to 30 working individuals with musculoskeletal pain. The participants were native Brazilian Portuguese speakers aged 18 years and older. Thus, three changes were made to the questionnaire. All participants understood the SEFIP-work items and alternatives. The average total SEFIP-work score was 6.59 (SD=3.66), with the item “parte inferior das costas” (lower back) being the most marked (n=28; 93.33%), with an average score of 1.18 (SD=0.73). In conclusion, the Brazilian Portuguese version of SEFIP-work presents an acceptable level of understanding by workers in the investigation of musculoskeletal pain or discomfort.