Musculoskeletal Disorders in an Automotive Manufacturing Plant and the Outcomes of Ergonomics and Exercise Training in Workers Who Used Sick Leave

WOS: 000324665000008Objective: To evaluate the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in workers in an automotive manufacturing plant and the effectiveness of exercise and ergonomics training in those who used sick leave due to MSD. Materials and Methods: The workers were screened with a detailed questionnaire including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Those. who used sick leave in the previous 12 months were taken into a training program. Training on low back, neck and upper extremity pain, and office ergonomics were given in small groups by an interactive method using exercise materials and practice sessions. A self-assessment pain scale was applied before and after 6 months of training. Results: Six hundred eighty workers were screened. 44% reported that MSD affected their tasks and 3% declared that their jobs were changed. While low back pain was more frequent in blue-collars, neck pain was prevalent in white-collars. 70 workers (10.3%) had used sick leave. Following training, there were significant reduction in pain scores in both blue (p