ManTRA for the Assessment of Musculoskeletal Risk Factors Associated With Manual Tasks in an Electric Factory

Background: Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) occur when occupational loads on anatomical structures are higher than the natural anatomical strength of the body structures. Therefore, assessment of the risk factors involved in manual tasks of electric factories can be useful to prevent WMSDs. Objectives: This study was conducted on Tehran Pars-electric factory to assess and prevent manual tasks risk factors causing WMSDs. Patients and Methods: 673 workers, which 355 (52.7%) were males (mean age: 38.9 ± 7.3 years) and 318 (47.3%) were females (mean age: 25.6 ± 9.8 years) performing different manual tasks were recruited. Manual Tasks Risk Assessment (ManTRA) was set up to assess risks of anybody region disorder comprising wrist-hand, shoulder-arm, neck, back, and lower limb on subjects performing various manual tasks in Pars electric factory located in Tehran. Also Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to find prevalence of five mentioned body region disorders, to assay the accuracy of the results obtained by ManTRA. Results: Total prevalence’s of subjects with wrist-hand, shoulder-arm, neck back and lower limb disorders were obtained 556 (82.6%), 352 (52.3%), 238 (35.4%), 454 (67.5%), and 149 (22.1%) respectively (P = 0.028). The highest cumulative risk was corresponded to wrist-hand, and after that were cumulative risks of back, shoulder-arm, neck, and lower limb respectively. Conclusions: The results of NMQ and ManTRA were completely conforming. ManTRA is also a useful and an applicable tool to assess manual tasks risk in electric factories.