Risk Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Gardening and Landscape Workers of Yazd Industrial Complex

Aim: Exposure to ergonomic risk factors in the workplace is one of the most common causes of Work-related MusculoSkeletal Disorders (WMSDs). Since gardeners and landscaping workers are exposed to WMSDs due to the different tasks they perform, this study aims to assess the risk of WMSDs prevalence among this group. Methods and Materials: In this study, first, the job tasks of workers were analyzed using the Hierarchical Job Analysis (HTA) method. Then, the job postures of 100 gardening and landscape workers in one of the industrial complexes of Yazd province were assessed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method. Finally, the Nordic Questionnaire (NQ) was used to estimate the prevalence of WMSDs. SPSS software version 22 was used for data analysis. Findings: The REBA final score for the two activities of mowing (worst posture) and leaves collection (longest posture) were 8 (high) and 4 (medium), respectively. The highest prevalence of WMSDs was in the lower back and knee areas. A significant relationship was found between aging and the prevalence of WMSDs in the neck and wrist area. Furthermore, a relationship was found between severity of WMSDs in the elbow area and the type of work activity. Conclusion: The working conditions of these workers should be examined and corrected from the ergonomic issues point of view. It is recommended that people be trained to understand the occupational ergonomics hazards and how to reduce the risk of developing WMSDs through the proper use of ergonomic principles.