The impact of the working environment on musculoskeletal structure of employees in gastroenterological endoscopic units

Pri kostno-mišičnih obolenjih, povezanih z delom, gre za okvare delov telesa in sicer mišic, sklepov, kit, vezi, živcev, kosti in perifernega krvnega obtoka, ki jih povzročijo ali poslabšajo predvsem delo in vplivi neposrednega okolja v katerem se delo izvaja. Zaposleni v endoskopskih enotah se morda ne zavedajo fizičnega tveganja, ki so mu izpostavljeni vsak dan zaradi ponavljajočih se gibov v delovnem procesu. Ponavljajoči gibi pri opravljanju endoskopskih preiskav povečujejo tveganje za nastanek kostno-mišičnih poškodb, ki lahko v končni fazi povzročijo trajne poškodbe in invalidnost. Tveganja za telesne poškodbe so povezana s trajanjem dela, silo ki je potrebna za dokončanje opravil, lokalnimi kontaktnimi obremenitvami in delovnimi položaji (drža). V magistrskem delu smo si zastavili cilj potrditi vpliv delovnega okolja na kostno mišično strukturo zaposlenih v gastroenterološki endoskopski enoti. Podatke raziskave smo pridobili z dvema raziskovalnima metodama v treh endoskopskih enotah: Diagnostičnem centru Bled, UKC Ljubljana – KOGE in v Splošni bolnišnici Novo mesto. Prva metoda je bila ergonomska opazovalna metoda RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) s pomočjo katere smo naredili oceno opazovanih zaposlenih v gastroenteroloških endoskopskih enotah. Druga metoda je bil strukturiran anketni vprašalnik, s katerim smo želeli od zaposlenih v gastroenteroloških endoskopskih enotah, v katerih smo izvajali opazovalno metodo, pridobiti povratne informacije o težavah, povezanih s kostno-mišičnimi obremenitvami. Raziskava je temeljila na štirih hipotezah.In work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD), the human body faces different kinds of injuries and disorders, for example injuries of muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones and peripheral vascular system. These are caused or deteriorated primarily by work and the effects of the immediate environment in which the work is being done. Employees of the endoscopic units may not be aware of the physical risks of the repetitive work processes they face every day. Repetitive movements during endoscopic examinations increase the risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders. These can ultimately cause permanent damage and disability. The risks for injuries are closely related to the duration of the work, the force required to complete the task, the local contact stresses and working positions (postures). In this Master thesis, we set ourselves a goal to confirm the impact of the working environment on musculoskeletal structure of employees in the gastroenterological endoscopic unit. We have received research data by two research methods carried out in three endoscopic units: in Diagnostični center Bled, in UKC Ljubljana – KOGE and in General Hospital Novo mesto. The first method was ergonomic observation method RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment) by means of which we have made an assessment of surveyed employees of gastroenterological endoscopic units. The second method was a structured questionnaire. By the questionnaire we wanted to receive feedback about the problems, related to musculoskeletal load from the employees in the units, included in the observation method. The study is based on four hypotheses