Evaluation of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and risk assessment in the organs of sugar cane workers using the RULA method and providing a suitable solution

Sugarcane with 110,000 hectares is one of the most important agricultural-industrial products in the country. Currently, a significant part of the sugarcane production process, such as cuttings, planting and harvesting, is done manually. Musculoskeletal complications are among the most commonly occurring complications in cane and other traditional agricultural environments. Among the various problem found in agriculture mentioned above, a problem commonly reported in agricultural workers in particular farmers in a rural area is work-musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) in a different part of a body. A low level of knowledge about the correct condition of the body during work is one of the problems of farmers. Therefore, body status assessment methods are considered as the basis and basis for assessing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with work. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and risk assessment in the organs of sugarcane production workers in Khuzestan province. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 300 workers during the 2018-2019 crop year. The RULA method was used to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and to assess the risk of these disorders. Data analysis was performed by Ergo Intelligence-UEA software. According to the RULA method, the cuttings, planting and harvesting were 28.69%, 20.56%, and 52.34% of workers' postures, respectively, in the most critical group. The need for ergonomic interventions in the RULA method is felt in sugarcane fields. A high percentage of musculoskeletal disorders in workplaces occur due to awkward posture and non-ergonomic design of the work stations for lifting and carrying of materials. To avoid these injuries, jobs should be designed in a way that ergonomics risk factors are controlled properly. These interventions primarily involve changing the production process from manual to mechanized, and further changing the work postures by considering access to work and proposing the right tools for doing work.