The prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among loggers in Poland

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2015.07.003Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to evaluate MSD symptoms in Polish loggers.

  • MSD symptoms of lower back, wrists/hands, upper back dominated.

  • Prevalence of lower back, neck, shoulders and knees symptoms was associated with age and work experience.

  • Association between the number of body regions with MSD symptoms and age and work experience was found.

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the occurrence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms (MSD) among loggers in Poland. As a diagnostic tool, a modified Nordic questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was completed by 353 professional loggers. The results showed the dominant MSD symptoms during the last twelve months to be those of the lower back (66.3%) and hands/wrists (left 50.1%, right 51.3%). A significant percentage of respondents also reported symptoms of the upper back (45.6%), shoulders (38.2% for each shoulder), and knees (left 36.0%, right 39.4%). Statistically significant relationships were found between the age of the subjects, the work experience, and the number of body regions in which MSD symptoms were reported during the last twelve months. These results show that education and recommendations to use safe working postures, techniques and organization of work with a chainsaw should still be improved.

Relevance to industry

This paper analyzes the prevalence of MSD symptoms among Polish loggers and provides a basis for the implementation of preventative measures.

Introduction

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most frequent occupational health problem. It is estimated that some 25% of employees in European Union countries (EU-27) complain of back pains, and 23% of muscle pains. In these countries, 62% of employees are exposed for at least one-fourth of their working time to repetitive movements of the hands and arms, 46% to painful and uncomfortable positions, and 35% to the carrying or movement of heavy loads (EU-OSHA, 2007).

In addition to the physical suffering of workers, musculoskeletal disorders cause significant economic and other costs for society as a whole. For instance, in the United States in 2013, musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 33% of all absence from work due to sickness (BLS, 2014). The direct and indirect costs of musculoskeletal disorders in 2007 were estimated at US$2.6 billion (Bhattacharya, 2014). In Germany, musculoskeletal disorders are the reason for 23.7% of lost working days (95 million), and the resulting losses are estimated at €23.9 billion, equivalent to 1.1% of GDP. Austrian research has found the losses caused by MSDs to be 2.1–3.1% of GDP (EU-OSHA, 2010).

In Poland, diseases of musculoskeletal system are the third most frequent cause of absence from work due to sickness. In 2013 they were the reason for over 29 million days of absence, accounting for 13.7% of all absences (ZUS, 2014). The average length of medical leave granted due to musculoskeletal problems was close to 14 days. In the USA in 2013 MSD disorders caused one-third of all days-away-from-work, and the average rate of days-away-from-work was 35.8 (BLS, 2014). In the UK, the total number of MSD cases in 2013/14 was 526 000 out of a total of 1 241 000 for all work-related illnesses. The total number of working days lost due to MSDs in 2013/14 was 8.3 million, an average of 15.9 days per case of MSDs (HSE, 2014).

Manual workers are particularly at risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) lists employees of the farming, forestry and fishing sectors first among the occupational groups with a particularly high MSD risk (EU-OSHA, 2007). Work in the forestry sector, and in particular the harvesting of timber, is generally considered one of the most onerous types of manual work (Åstrand et al., 2003, ILO, 1998). In Poland, about 37 million cubic meters of timber are harvested annually, over 80% of it by loggers using a chainsaw (Forestry, 2013). It is estimated that more than 10 000 persons work in this profession (Grzywiński, 2011). Because of limitations of fully-mechanized timber harvesting in Poland and other countries of central, eastern and southern Europe, reducing workload and MSD symptoms among loggers is still a prevailing issue.

The work done by loggers causes them to be exposed to numerous MSD risk factors. The most important of these include a high degree of physical strain, moving heavy weights, and working in forced and awkward body postures (Hagen, 1990, Harstela, 1990, Hulse and Gunstone, 1998, Grzywiński and Bujnowska, 2009). The use of a chainsaw also causes exposure to hand-transmitted vibrations (Bernard, 1997, Bovenzi et al., 1991, Mirbod et al., 1992, Nagata et al., 1993) and to unfavorable weather conditions (Hildebrandt et al., 2002), which also contribute to the development of musculoskeletal problems.

The musculoskeletal disorders most frequently recorded among loggers relate to the lower back, the hands and wrists, and the knees (Ashby et al., 2001, Gallis, 2006, Hagen et al., 1998, ILO, 1991, Pontén, 1988, Sairanen et al., 1981). Pilot research carried out on a group of 77 Polish loggers (Grzywiński et al., 2010) confirmed that symptoms of the lower back, hands, shoulders and knees were dominant among those reported. The frequency of MSDs would increase after work was finished, in particular for the hands, upper back, shoulders and knees. The highest proportions of reported symptoms were those recorded for the lower back, both before and after work: 40.0% and 56.0% respectively.

No detailed research has yet been carried out in Poland relating to the prevalence of MSDs among loggers. Considering the high risk of MSDs in that profession, the increase in timber harvesting and the relatively slow introduction of fully mechanized technologies, the investigation of this problem is of great importance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of MSD symptoms among Polish loggers and the impact of some factors (age, work experience) on the prevalence of MSDs. This will provide a basis for the development of practical solutions to reduce the risk of development of MSD symptoms among loggers.

Section snippets

Study design

A standardized questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence of self-reported MSD symptoms among 353 Polish loggers. This cross-sectional survey was conducted on a random group of participants across Poland. First, forest divisions were randomly selected and then loggers employed in private enterprises operating in these forest divisions' areas were surveyed. The surveyed loggers were employed in 52 private enterprises operating in 28 forest districts. Individuals who were employed for

Demographic characteristics

The average age of the surveyed loggers was close to 40 years (39.6 ± 11.0), body heights were 176.5 ± 6.4 cm, and body mass 83.2 ± 11.3 kg. The periods for which they had been working in the forestry sector and as loggers were 12.3 ± 9.2 years and 9.8 ± 7.8 years respectively (Table 1). A large majority of subjects (89.8%) were right-handed. 86.5% lived in rural areas, and the remaining 13.5% in small towns. Most respondents (74.5%) had primary or vocational education, while 23.8% had

Discussion

The research shows that the prevalence of MSD symptoms among chainsaw operators represents a serious health problem. Out of the 353 male loggers surveyed, only 6% reported no symptoms during the last twelve months in any of the analyzed body regions. MSD symptoms in a single body region were reported by 6.1% of the subjects, symptoms in two body regions by 9.3%, symptoms in three body regions by 12.8%, and symptoms in four or more body regions by as many as 65.2% of the loggers. The highest

Conclusions

  • Prevalence of any self-reported MSD symptoms among Polish loggers was 94%.

  • In the case of particular body regions, the highest occurrence of symptoms was for lower back (66%), wrist/hands (50%) and upper back (46%).

  • No significant differences were found between the prevalence of symptoms in the left and right upper and lower limbs.

  • Lower back, shoulders and knees symptoms were strongly associated with age. In the case of work experience strong relations were found for lower back and shoulders.

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