RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANUAL MATERIAL HANDLING AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER AMONG MECHANICS AT TYRE SERVICE CENTER

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are major contributors to work-related disability and time lost caused by illness. As manual material handlers, mechanics are frequently exposed to the physical risk factors for MSDs. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between manual materials handling and snook mital table among mechanics at tyre service center.  This study was conducted in Taiping, Perak. There were 239 of mechanics from various workshops participated in these study with mainly lifting/lowering, pushing/pulling, and carrying tasks. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and interview session which are Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Snook Table. NMQ was used to evaluate the exposure of the activities and related physical risk factors that had correlated to one of the region's bodies within a 12-month period while Snook is required for evaluation of the maximum acceptable weight for lifting/lowering, pushing/pulling and carrying. In this research, most mechanics have suffered musculoskeletal symptoms in low back, shoulder, and neck pain. According to  Snook analysis, most mechanics are at a medium risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms as a result of their lifting, lowering, and carrying activity. Several definitions of pain showed a strong correlation between Snook assessment and musculoskeletal disorders. Various possible risk factors of manual materials handling activity, notably the lifting floor to knuckle and lowering floor to knuckle, each had a significant impact on the low back while shoulder and neck showed a significant relation between with lifting above shoulder. Therefore, ergonomic awareness between mechanics should be increased in order to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and control the manual materials handling activity. The study will be useful to ergonomists, researchers, consultants, workshop managers, maintenance workers and others concerned with identifying ergonomic risk factor on the workplace.