Musculoskeletal Disorders Symptoms among Taiwanese Bakery Workers

Yi-Lang Chen, Yan-Ting Zhong, Bang-Nan Liou and Chih-Chuan Yang
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Yi-Lang Chen: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 24301, Taiwan
Yan-Ting Zhong: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 24301, Taiwan
Bang-Nan Liou: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 24301, Taiwan
Chih-Chuan Yang: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei 24301, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: In this study, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was administered to a valid sample of 81 Taiwanese bakery workers to explore their discomfort or symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and identify the risk factors. Wrist postures were also examined during 3 typical dough operations (kneading, rolling, and rounding) by using an electrogoniometer. The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in any part of the body in the past year among the respondents was 93.0%, with the highest prevalence of 66.3% and 51.8% in the hands/wrists (right and left), followed by the prevalence of 50.6% and 45.8% in the shoulders (right and left) and the lower back (48.2%), respectively. The results also revealed that during the 3 dough processing operations, the workers’ wrist movements in specific operations were close to the recommended limits suggested in previous studies, especially the ulnar deviation and palm flexion of the right wrist during dough kneading and the radial deviation of the left wrist during dough rolling and rounding. The study findings can be used to explain why the bakers self-report a high proportion of wrist and shoulder disorders and can also serve as a reference for task rearrangement and redesign.

Keywords: bakery work; musculoskeletal disorders; Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ); risk factors; wrist movements (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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