Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and Ergonomic Assessment of Working Posture in Wood-Cutting Operators
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V16N1.2026.157Keywords:
Body posture, MSDs, QEC, SMEs, Visual Analogue ScaleAbstract
The industrial sector, particularly at the furniture SME center, relied heavily on human labor but lacked adequate infrastructure, leading to high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among workers. A preliminary study showed that 93% of workers experienced back pain, while significant percentages reported shoulder pain (67%), lower back pain (47%), leg joint pain (40%), and overall body aches (40%). These preliminary findings underscored the urgent need to assess the ergonomic risks specifically faced by wood-cutting workers. This study aimed to assess ergonomic risks for wood-cutting workers using the Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method and to examine the correlation between self-reported MSDs and ergonomic risk levels. A total of 60 workers from the wood-cutting workstation were surveyed. The independent variable was the workers' pain levels, measured using a modified SNQ-VAS questionnaire, while the dependent variable was the exposure level to injury risks in specific body parts, assessed using the QEC questionnaire. Chi-Square and Fisher's exact analyses were employed to explore the relationship between these variables. Results indicated that 88.33% of workers experienced ergonomic risks at action level 4, necessitating urgent intervention. Significant correlations were found, with MSDs in the upper and lower backs showing strong associations with QEC exposure levels (χ² = 3.965, p = 0.047 for the upper back; χ² = 4.044, p = 0.044 for the lower back). Similarly, correlations were significant for right shoulder and wrist MSDs in relation to QEC levels (χ² = 4.127, p = 0.042; χ² = 3.860, p = 0.049, respectively), as well as for neck MSDs correlated with neck exposure levels (χ² = 29.492, p = 0.033). These findings called for immediate ergonomic improvements to enhance the health and safety of workers at the SME Center.
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