Investigation of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Their Associated Risk Factors Among Indian Railway Coolies - A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Coolies or train porters have always been ubiquitous at Indian Railway stations. The unofficial employees of the Indian Railways have been the go-to option for passengers looking for quick and easy transfer of their luggage between platforms. The onerous task of ferrying luggage to and from the trains takes a toll on their bodies and renders their employment period to just 15–20 years. The coolies have been found to be at high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. However, this problem has not received adequate attention of researchers and the exact reasons are poorly understood. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and investigate the association between MSDs and risk factors among the coolies. The cross sectional study was conducted among 200 male full time railway coolies in Ahmedabad city. Direct Observations, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method were used for this study. The overall 12 month period prevalence of MSDs was 91%. The major affected areas were lower back (91%), neck (90%) and knee (69%), followed by shoulder (56%), upper back (48%), elbow (44%) hand/wrist (40%), hip/thigh (33%) and ankle/foot (27%). By RULA method, it was found that postures of 93% of the coolies were in action levels 3 and 4, which indicate unnatural working posture and required soon or immediate changes. The findings of this study suggest high prevalence of MSD among coolies especially in lower back, neck and shoulder regions. Hence, different preventive measures, regular treatment and ergonomics intervention like use of trolleys and handcarts are strongly recommended.