Iran Occupational Health

  Background and aims

  Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most important causes of workers disabilities, increasing compensations and reducing productivity in developed and developing countries. This study was aimed to determine prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and assessment of them by using QEC and LUBA methods and comparison of results in a manufacturing company in Iran.

  Methods

  This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 115 operators in 15 working stations by using QEC and LUBA methods. The prevalence of MSDs was obtained by using Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). The data were analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficients.

  Results

  According to findings of NMQ, 81.4 percent of operators at least in one of nine parts of musculoskeletal system have pain since 12 months ago. Assessment with QEC and LUBA  revealed that 71.3 and 24.35 percent of operators respectively are in action level four.

  Conclusion

  According to the analysis, correlation between findings of NMQ and action levels in QEC is higher than LUBA action levels. Whereas LUBA just assess working postures, this method is not a suitable tool for evaluation of working stations that require repetitive carrying of loads, static posture and long time to do.