The influence of body position at work on the occurrence of lumbar painful syndrome

U periodu od pet godina (1972-1976) u tri metalurška pogona željezare Zenica (Visoke peći sa aglomeracijom, Čeličane i Valjaonice) kod 846 radnika je dijagnosticiran lumbalni bolni sindrom (LBS). Prosječan broj zaposlenih radnika u neposrednoj proizvodnji u ovom periodu iznosio je 2871. Najčešći oblik u kome se manifestovao LBS je lumbago (45,6%), potom lumboišijalgija (33,1%), dok je lumbosakralna radikulopatija na trećem mjestu. Sva tri oblika oboljenja odraz su jedne te iste bolesti, tj. degeneracije i lezije intervertebralnog diska u lumbosakralnoj regiji. Uočena je značajna razlika učestalosti obolijevanja od LBS kod radnika koji različito vrijeme provode u pognutom položaju za vrijeme rada. Na osnovu hronometrije položaja tijela pri radu (stojeći, sjedeći, pognuti položaj i kretanje) i učestalosti obolijevanja konstatovana je korelacija između frekvencije obolijevanja i vremena provedenog u pognutom položaju. Konstatovana je statistički značajna razlika između grupa radnika koji rade u pognutom položaju do 100 min, od 100 do 150 min i preko 150 min i učestalosti obolijevanja (X2 = 107,55, P < 0,01). Kod radnika koji u toku osmočasovnog rada provedu u pognutnom položaju do 100 min obolijevanje od LBS se javlja u 9,89% slučajeva, u grupi radnika koji rade 100-150 min učestalost obolijevanja je 15,2%, a u grupi koji rade preko 150 min u sagnutom položaju učestalost obolijevanja iznosi 57,2%. Na osnovu ovih pokazatelja autor smatra da je učestalost pojave lumbalnog bolnog sindroma u direktnoj ovisnosti o pognutom položaju tijela uz faktor opterećenja prilikom rada.In a period of five years (1972-1976) lumbar painful syndrome was diagnosed in 846 workers from three metallurgical plants of the Zenica Iron and Steel Works (Blast Furnaces with an Ore Sintering Plant, Steel Works and Rolling Mills). The average number of workers employed in direct production was 2.871. Lumbago was the most frequent form of the lumbar painful syndrome (45.6%), followed by lumboischialgia (33.1%), and lumbosacral radiculopathy. All the three diseases were actually due to the degeneration and lesion of the intervertebral disc in the lumbosacral area. The workers who spent different lengths of time working in the bent body position showed significant differences in the rate of the disease. From body position chronometry at work (standing, sitting and bent position, moving) and the rate of the disease a correlation was found between the disease incidence and the time spent in the bent body position: the longer the bent position the more frequent the disease (X2 = 107.55, P < 0.01). The disease was diagnosed in 9.9 per cent of the workers working in the bent body position less than 100 minutes in an eight-hour period, in 15.2 per cent of those who worked in this position from 100 to 150 minutes and in 57.2 per cent of the workers who spent more than 150 minutes working in the bent body position. The author concludes that the incidence of the lumbar painful syndrome depends directly on the time spent in bent body position and on work load