title: Investigation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in wall plastering jobs within the construction industry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among workers in wall plastering jobs within the construction industry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 43 workers within three workplaces participated in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were interviewed using self-report charts. During the task duration, observation of the workplace was carried out using a Workplace Ergonomic Risk Assessment (WERA) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An analysis of WERA assessment, the wrist score for WERA body part was >4 in 86% of workers, while wrist pain or discomfort was reported by 86%, yielding a significant association between WERA body part score and self-reported pain (χ(2)=16.12; p=0.000). The WERA body part score for the shoulder regions during wall plastering job yielded a score > 4 in 93% and caused shoulder pain or discomfort in 91%, the association being significant (χ(2)=12.58; p=0.000). The back regions for WERA body part score was >4 in 91% of workers, with 98% reporting pain or back discomfort, with a significant association (χ(2)=9.98; p=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results showed that statistically significance for the wrist, shoulder and back regions of the individual WERA body part scores were affecting the worker and lead to the development of pain or discomfort among workers in wall plastering jobs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Malaysia. mnasrull@uthm.edu.my
authors.forename: Mohd Nasrull Abdol
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Mat Rebi Abdul
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.forename: Jafri Mohd
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rohani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060389:Construction Industry; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000150:complications; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D057566:Self Report; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult