Ergonomic Risk Assessment using Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire in a Grocery Store

Introduction

The complaints among grocery workers about musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been increasing in the last decade and have become a major health issue. Work-related MSDs may cause disability workers.

WMSDs account for the highest proportion of workers' compensation claims and permanent disability. [1]. WMSDs are types of disorders affecting various body parts that are associated with movement, including the upper limbs, lower limbs, and back. These affect the different structures of the body such as tendons, joints, Ergonomic Risk Assessment using Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire in a Grocery Store muscles, and nerves and are primarily caused or aggravated by work-related activities [2].

Other risk factors were proposed that were of special interest, such as joint positions such as cramped positions, extreme positions and steep forward bending of the head. Therefore, the problems can be aggravated by high repetitivity, high pressure, high static muscles and joint load [3]. The frequency of WMSDs can be determined by the workers' compensation claims among any working population. A higher incidence or prevalence of these workers in a workplace population indicates that they are more vulnerable to the physical risk factors. Nonetheless, incidence estimates require large employees to be sampled. Moreover, the prevalence of WMSDs in compensation claims are frequently underestimated [4].

Ergonomics Int J

Studies into musculoskeletal symptoms may provide closely related estimates of WMSD in different body areas. The study aimed at preventing musculoskeletal symptoms related to work in grocery store workers from various departments and determining the risk factors with the use of CMDQ. In warehousing / grocery distribution center (DC) activities, a small amount of research has been conducted specifically addressing ergonomics. NIOSH researchers performed a supermarket warehouse risk study in which the incidence of back injuries was 16 per 100 employees. They considered lift loads exceeding acceptable limits and levels, locations from or to which objects are selected or put to be too low, too high, or too deep, and work times exceeding 8 hours to be troubling [5]. In a previous study on Wholesale Selectors [6], the development of storage systems placed excessive reach positions that would cause half male and 90 percent of females to over exercise on the job, based on biomechanical modeled jobs. The researchers identified factors in many aspects of the work system in an analysis of the problematic working factors for inventors of warehousing surfaces that made the job less productive and dangerous [7].

There were 5 healthy male and 5 healthy female from different departments among the study groups. The population was between the ages of 18 and 49.The ergonomic risk analysis using CMDQ for the grocery practiced in the well-known grocery store in Ankara, Turkey. The mean values and the standard differences between age, height and weight of the individuals were 33 ± 10,58 years, 167 ± 13,02 cm, and 64,1 ± 9,31 kg, respectively (Table 1). The study informed the participants and each of them indicated their willingness to participate with a participatory consent form. The participants received and read the information letter before responding to questionnaire. None of the participants reported musculoskeletal problems during the study.

Although WMSDs affect all sectors of the working population, there are particularly high MSD rates among grocery employees. During the period 1997-2005, grocery stores in Washington State had a level of musculoskeletal injury 1.8 times higher than the state average and 5th in all industries' compensable upper extremity WMSDs [8]. Like shoulder, rotator cuff syndrome, wrist tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back disorders like sciatica, grocery jobs ranked in the top 25 injury occupations. Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) concluding that grocery work has become one of the “top twelve industries in need of focused research and prevention efforts.” Most of the research carried out in grocery workers focused on repeat hand movements by cashiers and the checkout station layout [9, 10, 11, 12, 13]. Workers in grocery markets are, therefore, impaired by physiological conditions and WMSDs pose risk factors. Types involve heavy carrying to the shelf from the warehouse. High force occurs while heavy product is lifted. And, it affects shoulder position.

The rest of the paper is as follows described. Section 3 details the methodological steps, including participants, procedure, CMDQ, and study steps. Section 4 addresses the results. Ultimately, in sections 5 and 6, respectively, the discussion and conclusions are presented.

Results and Discussion

According to the total discomfort score of CMDQ (Table 2), it was concluded that grocery workers felt discomfort mostly in the upper back (17,29%), lower back (13.23%) and the right shoulder (9,52%), while it was less pronounced in the left foot (0.72%), right foot (0,72%) and left thigh (1.62%). The low and the upper back were anatomical areas with the highest prevalence of symptoms, similar to other studies conducted by grocery workers [10, 13, 18].

The results of CMDQ reported total body discomfort and high impact long working hours and unfavorable working conditions. To evaluate concurrent validity, the Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire was also employed. The studies of musculoskeletal disorders consider International Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Questionnaire as an essential feature [15]. Since the CMDQ examines discomfort levels according to frequency and severity and it also analyzes the rate at which work performances of individual are negatively influenced and this statement was mentioned by previous recent studies [16, 17].

Conclusion

Musculoskeletal discomforts and symptoms related to work are largely due to psychological (stress, cognitive be used to further assess the impact of MSD on productivity.