การประเมินความเสี่ยงทางอาชีวอนามัยต่อความผิดปกติทางระบบกระดูกโครงร่างและกล้ามเนื้อจากการสัมผัสปัจจัยทางการยศาสตร์ในการทำงานของเกษตรกรปลูกยางพารา

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to assess health risks on

musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The sample size of 316 Para rubber plant registered farmers in Ubon Ratchathani province was collected for data by an interviews, muscular discomfort assessment, and ergonomic risk assessment by rapid entire body assessment (REBA). The applied occupational health risk matrix was used to assess the MSDs risk according to working process of the rubber plant farmers. All rubber plant farmers had rubber tapping, and most of them had collected rubber latex/cup lump (95.56%), experience of rubber tapping more than 3 years (94.30%) and worked over 8 hours a day (61.08%). The muscular discomfort at high to very high level was reported on low back (22.52%), knee (16.14%), and hand/wrist (13.92%), respectively. The risk assessment matrix indicated that MSDs risk was found among all farmers on level 3 (high) to level 4 (very high). The MSDs risk according to working process indicated that the top three areas of high risk were lower back, knee, and hand or wrist, respectively of rubber tapping and collecting latex/ lump cup process. Moreover, the high risk on neck and shoulder pain were indicated from making rubber sheet process. These results suggest for the village health volunteers and health promotion hospital in the community to carry out the MSDs surveillance program. The provided training of ergonomics to prevent and reduce the risk from working postures and applying occupational health risk matrix for MSDs assessment and prevention among rubber plant farmers, and other kinds of plantation should be conducted.