Health Risk Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Pulp and Paper Production Industry

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytic study aimed to evaluate the health risk from exposure to hazards, according to ergonomics factor.The study was conducted in pulp and paper industry, including157 workers from pulp and paper production line by using the study tools of the structured questionnaire as well as the ergonomic risk assessment tool which was Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) for assessment according to the job appropriately. The flicker test was done by critical fusion frequency (CFF) for the visual fatigue examination.The health risk assessment (HRA) matrix to evaluate the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) risk by considering the probability and severity together.The probability was from the ergonomics risk, physical environment factors and chemical (odors).The severity was from the illness perception, visual fatigue, physical capacity/annual health result and injury statistic from accident.The study result revealed for the MSDs perception, found that there were three positions that workers can feel first were neck 66.24%, lower back 64.33% and shoulder 62.42%. The ergonomic risk assessment result by using 3 techniques revealed that, from the RULA most of the workers were in level 2 and 3 which is having a risk in the moderate and high level 30.43%. The result of the REBA technique shown that most of the workers were on level 4 of very high risk 56.36%. The last technique was ROSA have shown that most of the workers in moderate level 77.33%.The result for the visual fatigue test found that, workers have the visual fatigue 60.51%. When considering each data together to do the MSDs risk assessment found that, workers had MSDs risk in the acceptable level of 3.82% and has MSDs risk in moderate level to very high MSDs risk for 47.13%.

The result from this study revealed that almost every worker in the pulp and paper production line has a MSDs risk that might be effected to their musculoskeletal disease. The factory must have the measure to MSDs surveillance program, according to the body adverse effect part that was found in MSDs problem.