Objective To evaluate the ergonomic load among automobile assembly workers and its correlation with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs).
Methods By a cross-sectional epidemiological survey, Musculoskeletal Injury Questionnaire and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) were utilized to assess the correlation between ergonomic load and WMSDs among male assembly workers in an automobile manufacturing enterprise in southern China.
Results A total of 192 questionnaires were distributed, and 184 valid questionnaires were returned with a valid response rate of 95.8%. The age of the respondents was (26.8±4.9) years, and the working age was (3.7±3.7) years. The incidence rates of WMSDs were as follows:neck (64.1%), trunk (62.0%), upper arm (51.6%), wrist (48.9%), forearm (30.4%), and leg (25.5%). The RULA score showed that 96.7% of the workers were exposed to ergonomic load at level 3 or above, and there was a significant difference in RULA score between different workshops (P < 0.05). The RULA scores were correlated with the incidence rates of WMSDs in neck or trunk (r=0.963, 0.974; P < 0.05).
Conclusion There is a correlation between ergonomic load and WMSDs. It is necessary to reduce ergonomic load and control occurrence of WMSDs as soon as possible.
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