Application of the predicted biomechanics approach in assessing work-related musculoskeletal discomfort among female brickfield workers in West Bengal, India

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Manual brick manufacturing units in West Bengal, India are mostly unorganized sectors employing many migrant female workers in manual material handling tasks as brick moulders and brick carriers. OBJECTIVE: The study estimated the biomechanical postural stress developed due to manual load handling, carriage and brick transportation. METHODS: Body Part Discomfort Scale was used to assess the subjective pain felt by 18 adult female brick moulders and 12 brick carriers during work. Video recordings were taken during the actual field work and the images were analyzed for two-dimensional prediction kinetics and kinematics. RESULTS: Results show that the horizontal distance of the load from the body was 59.95±3.74 cm during the initial lifting of bricks by the brick carriers and so their biomechanical trunk angle inclination was significantly detrimental. The bending moment at the lumbosacral disc was much higher during the squatting posture while initial brick lifting. Moreover, the trunk and the neck pain of the brick carriers were caused by carrying 18% of body weight load. CONCLUSIONS: The brick carriers were the more vulnerable group in terms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, ergonomic interventions such as relay brick carrying and pole supported balanced brick carrying, may be implemented to reduce the prevalence of pain. This study is the first of its kind that validates the extent or the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the female brickfield workers through approaches of predicted biomechanics.