Ergonomic Assessment of handicrafts’ tasks among the University students by NMQ and RULA methods

摘要

To have healthy workers is vital in order to obtain social and economical sustainable development in national and international levels. Unfortunately, during last decades we have confronted the increase of difficulties which has been aggravated “Work-Related MusculoSkeletal Disorders”. In this case we chose a national and cultural subject to study the effects of WRMSDs on human well being. Toreutics -Qalamzani in Persian-is one of the oldest fields of art and craft in Iran. The base material is mostly metal and the crafts are made by hammering the raw material which is mainly cupper-based alloys. The very first evidences of this art in Iran belong to Scythians epoch (440 BC). There are approximately 297 active workshops in Iran, and every year around 475 students choose handicraft as their field of study in local universities. Toreutics is one of the practical courses in this field. The main tools of Toreutics are hammer and a simple kind of burin. Before starting to engrave, the back side of the metal is coated with special kind of Tar in order to avoid metal rupture and make less the sound made by hammering. Objectives: Exposure assessment of individual toreutics art students to risk factors associated with WRMSDs. Material & Methods: In this research Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) were used. The study was conducted in Iran, Isfahan University of Art, among 26 students of handicrafts, as volunteer samples. Besides, RULA was used for evaluation of body segments' movements. NMQ results and also gathered data were analyzed by SPSSWin13. Results: The results of this study showed that among all 26 students, high and low prevalence of pain existed in right wrist (61.5%), neck (46%) and left wrist and right shoulder (38.4%). Whilst in other part of body such as back, low back, left shoulder and left elbow it varies from (11% to 34%). In addition, According to RULA, Statistical analysis by SPSSWin13 showed that there is the significant difference between neck and wrist disorders (Pvalue <0.05). In RULA for arm and wrist the score was 4, exactly same as Neck Trunk and leg score. Conclusion: Students are facing with musculoskeletal disorders. RULA method showed that further investigation and some changes are needed. Our results were sent to some related centers in some well-known Art colleges for attention to these students' health.