The effect of three ergonomics interventions on body posture and musculoskeletal disorders among stuff of Isfahan Province Gas Company
Volume 5, Issue 4, Summer 2015, Pages 1-7
. Ehsanollah Habibi, . Shiva Soury
Abstract Background: Prevalence of work‑related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is high among
computer users. The study investigates the effect of three ergonomic interventions on the
incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among the staff of Isfahan Province Gas Company,
including training, sport, and installation of software. Materials and Methods: The study was
performed in the summer of 2013 on 75 (52 men, 23 women) Isfahan Province Gas Company
employees in three phases (phase 1: Evaluation of present situation, phase 2: Performing
interventions, and phase 3: Re‑evaluation). Participants were divided into three groups (training,
exercise, and software). The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and rapid upper
limb assessment (RULA) were used. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS software and
McNemar test, t‑test, and Chi‑square test. Results: Based on the evaluations, there was a
decrease in musculoskeletal symptoms among the trained group participants after they received
the training. McNemar test showed that the lower rate of pain in low back, neck, knee, and
wrist was significant (P < 0.05). The results obtained from the RULA method for evaluation
of posture showed an average 25 points decrease in the right side of the body and 20 points
decrease in the left side of the body in the group subjected to training. Based on t‑test, the
decrease was significant. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that majority of the participants
accepted interventions, which indicates that most of the people were unsatisfied with the work
settings and seeking improvement at the workplace. Overall, the findings show that training,
chair adjustment, and arrangement in workplace could decrease musculoskeletal disorders.