Journal of School of Public Health and

---

Background and Aim: Designing, presenting and implementing a model for assessing work-related risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and subjective pain, using a combination of Quick Exposure Check (QEC) and the Body Mapping Questionnaire in Babol city in 1382. Nowadays, Work-Related (WMSDs) are considered to be the most common occupational disorders in Iran. Because of their debilitating potential, it is necessary to find a quick, user-friendly and valid technique to assess risk factors for WMSDs in this country. The city of Babol has a larger number of industrial centers in comparison with other cities in Mazandaran province. Therefore, it is surprising that there are virtually no reports of WMSD cases in the city. There is a need for a tool capable of showing the real number of cases and evaluate WMSDs in the city.
Material and Methods: It is hoped that the Quick Exposure Check and the Body Mapping Questionnaire, when used in combination, will constitute a highly effective tool for the detection and prevention of a wide range of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. In this survey we try to show the utility and usability of a designed job assessing combination model in a factory in Babol city with at least three results.
Results: 1) We show that not only the number of WMSD cases in the city is not zero, but that there is indeed a substantial amount of disease among industrial workers. 2) According to these findings and other subjective findings of pain, it is urgent to determine the severity of the problem and to recommend appropriate ergonomic interventions (according to QEC’s action level score) accompanied by Body mapping Questionnaire as soon as possible. 3) Considering the significant correlation between QEC action level and subjective findings of pain in the Body Mapping Questionnaire, (Spearman’s rho > 0.5), the model is very useful in periodic examination of workers in factories.
Conclusion: We hope that this highly valid model (QEC/Body mapping) will prove useful in improving the health and thus the quality of the current workforce in the country.

---

Background and Aim: The lack of balance between job needs and workers' physical capacity may lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (Wises). WMSDs are one of the most important occupational health problems in developing countries. These problems are due to risk factors such as poor work postures, excessive force applied, repetitive movements, vibration, prolonged work duration, and psychological factors, leading, ultimately, to disorders ranging from mild low back pain to severe disabilities. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of WMSDs in different body regions, assessing posturing, and detecting ergonomic and individual risk factors causing musculoskeletal disorders, in Araki bakery workers in Arak, Iran.

Methods and Materials: In this cross - sectional study 233 randomly selected bakery workers in Arak were included, and the prevalence of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and their risk factors, with particular emphasis on work posture, was determined in them. The method used was OWAS and the NMQ Questionnaire.

Results: The highest prevalences of musculoskeletal disorders were in the knees (62.2%), low back (58.8%), legs (53.9%) and shoulders (44.6%) of the workers. Low back and shoulder injuries in Shaaters (workers in charge of baking the bread) and elbow, thigh and low back disorders in Choongeers (workers in charge of dividing and rounding the dough) were more prevalent than in other occupations. There is a positive association between type of occupation and these disorders (p<0/05). According to the OWAS's classification, the distribution of bakery workers' working postures was as follows: 58.5% in the action category 1 (natural posture), 34.7% in the action category 2 (stress posture), 4% in the action category 3 (harmful posture), and 2.5% in the action category 4 (very harmful posture). There was a significant relation between work service record and neck, elbow, shoulder, and knee disorders (p<0/05).

Conclusion: This study revealed that the working postures of 42.2% of Aaraki bakery workers were slightly to very harmful postures in addition, there was a high prevalence of WMSDS in different body regions of the workers. Ergonomic interventions are essential to improve the situation and protect better the health of the workers.