title: Musculoskeletal symptoms as related to ergonomic factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry and general guidelines for workstation design.
abstract: Carpet weaving is a high risk occupation for developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The objectives of the present study, which was carried out in the Iranian hand-woven carpet industry, were determination of the prevalence of MSD symptoms, identification of major factors associated with MSD symptoms and development of guidelines for workstation design. 1,439 randomly selected weavers participated in this study. A questionnaire was used to collect data on MSD symptoms. The results revealed that the prevalence rates for symptoms in different body regions were high as compared to the general Iranian population (for neck, back and large joints, p <.0001). The results of multivariate analyses showed that major ergonomic factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms were loom type, working posture, daily working time and seat type. Based on the results, some general guidelines for designing weaving workstations were developed. A prototype test showed that the new workstation was acceptable for subject tests and that it improved working posture.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Teheran, I.R. Iran. alrchoobin@sums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Choobineh
authors.forename: Mohammadali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahmi
authors.forename: Houshang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahnavaz
authors.forename: Reza Khani
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Jazani
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011187:Posture; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013783:Textile Industry