Musculoskeletal Disorders in Northeast Lobstermen

Details

• Personal Author:
  Buchholz B ; Fulmer S ; Jenkins P ; Scribani M
• Description:
  Background: The objective of this study was to report on the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in lobstermen in the northeast USA. Methods: Crews were randomly selected from those licensed to fish in Maine and Massachusetts and followed prospectively. The survey used a Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire format to characterize musculoskeletal disorders. Results: A total of 395 individuals participated. One half of the respondents reported low back pain. Back pain was attributed to or exacerbated by lobstering. Low back pain was prevalent among both captains and sternmen, while sternmen reported more hand/wrist pain than captains. Multiple locations for pain were common in individual participants. Conclusion: Equipment or technology to assist material handling should be a priority, as the body segments with high prevalence of pain (back, hand/wrists, shoulders, knees) are all affected by the repetitive and forceful handling of the lobster traps. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Acids Coal Coal Mining Confined Spaces Electric Injuries Electricity Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Mining Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Power Plants Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Safety Management

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Commercial Fishing Back Injuries Fishing Industry Lobstering Low Back Pain Manual Materials Handling Materials Handling Equipment Musculoskeletal Disorders Work-related Pain
• ISSN:
  2093-7911
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; New York ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  282-289
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051417
• Citation:
  Saf Health Work 2017 Sep; 8(3):282-289
• Contact Point Address:
  Bryan Buchholz, Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 1 University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
• Email:
  bryan_buchholz@uml.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Safety and Health at Work
• End Date:
  20270831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8e2d4558011fbf865bb4f7620ab9be947e7b1737083ff2f3d631c1e5620340774a96b81f331450b93033c6ca02dab51c9c22eb682e5cf4e148aec69565da54ad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211383/cdc_211383_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 567.56 KB ]