Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Nigerian Teaching Personnel: Cases of a Secondary School and a Tertiary Institution in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Educators often spend a lot of time carrying out repetitive motions of the upper limbs and prolonged standing on a daily basis, exposing them to hours of ergonomic risks. This is due to awkward postures, caused by significant deviation of some major body members from the normal neutral positions.  Poor ergonomics can lead to various Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), which are of serious concern for workplace safety, especially in jobs that require repetitive motions. It thus became necessary to assess the stress level associated with teaching postures and the prevalent musculoskeletal discomfort in different parts of the body. In this study, ergonomic assessment of teaching personnel at an International Secondary School and University of Ibadan, Nigeria was conducted to determine the prevalent musculoskeletal discomfort in different parts of the body. The study utilised two ergonomic assessment tools- Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) to gather qualitative and quantitative data about posture and motions during teaching activities. It was discovered that both university lecturers and secondary school teachers in Nigeria face significant ergonomic risks, primarily in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Further comparison revealed that educators in the secondary school experienced higher severity of musculoskeletal discomfort and exposure to MSD risks, compared to those in the tertiary institution. The educators of the International School had an average REBA score of 4.57, while those at the University of Ibadan had a score of 3.73. These scores indicated a medium level of MSD risk for both groups, but the educators of the International School were at a higher risk. On comparing the CMDQ outcome, it was discovered that there were major differences in the regions where discomforts were reported. While secondary school revealed higher average scores in the neck, right shoulder, and left shoulder regions, and with the neck region having a mean score of 7.003; right shoulder having a mean score of 4.550; and left shoulder having a mean score of 1.600; outcome from University of Ibadan revealed higher mean scores in the lower back and left wrist regions, with the lower back region having a mean score of 7.450 and left wrist region having a mean score of 1.030. These scores indicated a mild to moderate level of discomfort for both groups, with each facing major discomfort in unique body regions. This research highlights the significance of ergonomic evaluation and the combination of quantitative and qualitative data to identify potential interventions.