Application of Ergonomic Approach in Assessing Musculoskeletal Disorders Risk Factors among Administrative Employees of Medical University

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) is a usual complaint among workers engaged in static work, tasks requiring repetitive motion, and prolonged computer work. The aims of the present study were to assess office work-associated ergonomic risk factors using ROSA method as well as to identify which office equipment is more conducive to musculoskeletal disorders in office workers.
Instruments and This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 163 employees of Fasa University of Medical Sciences (FUMS), Iran, in 2017. Data were collected by simple random sampling method. Demographic characteristics questionnaire, Standardized Nordic questionnaire (NMQ), and rapid office strain assessment (ROSA) checklist were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. All the statistical analyses was carried out using SPSS 20 software.
Findings: The majority of musculoskeletal disorders in the last 12 months had occurred in lower back (60. 7%), neck (50. 9%), and knee (48. 5%). Risk level for 137 participants (84. 04%) was at the notification area (Score 3 to 5) and for 26 participants (15. 95%) was at the need for ergonomic intervention area (score>5). Chair was identified as the major cause of pain in many parts of the body including elbows, lower back, knees, and legs. Various risk factors, such as office equipment, in the workplace, may contribute to MSDs in different body regions. Chair is the major cause of pain in many parts of the body.