[The musculoskeletal system load during work performed by nurse anesthetists].
BACKGROUND
The aims of the survey was to analyze the musculoskeletal system load during work performed by nurse anesthetists and to identify activities involving poor work postures along with their causes.


METHODS
The observation process and the Ovako Working Posture Analysing System (OWAS) method were used as major tools of this survey. Altogether 57 observations of work process were made and 31 210 work postures were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the survey revealed the following average proportion of time spent by nurses performing basic work activities: preparation for anesthetization--20%; anesthetization--30%; cleaning--4%; other tasks--2%; and breaks at work--44%. The average propotion of time spend by nurse anesthetists in OWAS posture categories were: category 1--66%; category 2--30%; category 3--2%; and category 4--2%. The collected data show that the main causes of the musculoskeletal system load were poor work organization and technical factors.
Kułagowska
Ewa
E
Zakład Fizjologii Pracy i Ergonomii, Instytut Medycyny Pracy i Zdrowia Srodowiskowego, Sosnowiec. e.kulagowska@imp.sosnowiec.pl
D000328:Adult; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D009142:Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011044:Poland; D011187:Posture; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016526:Workload