Musculoskeletal symptoms among masonry apprentices indicate an opportunity for ergonomic intervention.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Anton D ; Bray M ; Hess, Jeffery E. ; Kincl, Laurel ; Weeks D
• Description:
  Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common in the construction industry, and brick/ block masons (masons) are among the most affected due to the demanding physical nature of their work. Through concerted efforts in construction health and safety, rates of MSDs among masons have dropped over the last 25 years. However, masonry crafts still rank first among construction trades for back injuries with time away fRom, William N.ork, and second for overexertion injuries. Our research team, working with a Masonry Research to Practice (r2p) Partnership, developed an ergonomic training intervention, called SAfety Voice for Ergonomics (SAVE). The SAVE Program integrates ergonomic training and safety problem-solving skills ("safety voice") into masonry apprenticeship training and is currently being evaluated at masonry apprenticeship training centers across the US. Previous studies indicate that musculoskeletal symptoms among journey-level masons are most prevalent in the low back, shoulder, and wrists and hands. However, little is known about symptoms among masonry apprentices as they enter the trade. Since MSDs are cumulative in nature, it is paramount to reduce exposures and risk of injury among apprentices before symptoms are prevalent. The purpose of this study is to report the distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms among masonry apprentices. Methods: Masonry apprentices participated in this study as part of a larger national randomized controlled trial evaluating the SAVE program. Part of the evaluation includes measuring musculoskeletal symptoms via self-report. Among other questionnaires, participants completed demographic inventories and the Modified Nordic questionnaire (MNQ) assessing musculoskeletal symptoms. The MNQ is a validated questionnaire that asked apprentices about current work-related musculoskeletal symptoms in specific body regions, whether they saw a physician for the symptoms, and if they missed work in the last week due to the symptoms. Results: One hundred forty masonry apprentices with a mean (SD) age of 29 (7.2) participated in this study. The majority were in their first year of the apprenticeship program (45%), were male (97%), and Caucasian (57%). Some apprentices had OSHA 10 training (68%), previous ergonomics training (16%), and stretch and flex training (27%). The most common body regions with musculoskeletal symptoms were the low back (56%), wrist/ hand (46%), knee (34%), upper back (33%), and shoulder (31%). The mean (SD) number of regions (out of 9 regions asked about) with work related symptoms across all apprentices was 2.7 (2.1) regions. Although many apprentices reported musculoskeletal symptoms, most did not miss work or consult a healthcare practitioner. Consistent with previous studies of journey-level masons, low back pain was most prevalent, yet only 4% of apprentices accessed healthcare in this study compared to 34% in previous research of journey-level masons. Discussion: These findings suggest that the level of musculoskeletal symptoms early in their careers are minimal and that the frequency of symptoms and seeking healthcare increases with time in the masonry trade. Further analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms among apprentice masons will occur prospectively through the SAVE project. These apprentice symptom responses indicate that effective ergonomic interventions have the potential to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms and are essential for reducing MSDs as they progress through their careers.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Paint Preceptorship Safety Solvents Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Construction Workers Ergonomics Injury Prevention Intervention Effectiveness Masons MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders R2p Research To Practice Initiative Training Worker Safety

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• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  159-160
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062984
• Citation:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018 Oct; :159-160
• Contact Point Address:
  Laurel Kincl, PhD, CSP, Associate Professor, Oregon State University, 14B Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
• Email:
  Laurel.Kincl@oregonstate.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2b8f7a13f04244491b046f55c750fbdd8de624fac688e0cc9709f00576ec0902f941c5883966cf8d98a2005957a47ab22b992dc21adcb943642400ef195ba426
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181906/cdc_181906_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 41.35 KB ]