Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Grinders Working in Manufacturing Industry

Abstract

This study aims to assess the work related musculoskeletal discomfort in 94 subjects engaged in grinding task in manufacturing industry. All subjects who participated in this study were males with mean age (SD) of 34.26 (9.67) years and work experience in grinding job ranges from 01–27 years with a mean (SD) of 10.47(7.21). Most of the workers had an education below matriculation (81.9%), out of which 32.9% were devoid of education. These subjects were assessed for discomfort in 20 body regions using Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire (CMDQ). The highest discomfort detected was in wrists (15.47% (right) and 14.16% (left)), lower back (14.17%), forearms (9.32% (right) and 9.19 % (left)) followed by shoulders (5.93 (right) and 5.64% (left)), neck (5.53%), upper back (4.49%) and knees (3.17% (right) and 3.09% (left)). Discomfort was less observed in upper arms left and right (2% each), hips (1.56%) and least in left thigh, right thigh, lower leg left and right, foot left and right (0.7% each). It is concluded that, the subjective discomfort sensed by grinding workers is high in the upper body and it is a risk factor in developing serious musculoskeletal disorders.