Assessment of Effective Risk Factors Leading to Musculoskeletal Disorders in Jobs of a Central Repair Workshop in an Oil Refinery using Relative Stress Index

Abstract Background & Aims of the Study: Several risk factors lead to musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). This study aimed to assess the effective risk factors that result in WMSDs in jobs of a central repair workshop in an Iranian oil refinery using the relative stress index (RSI) during 2019. Materials and Methods: This study included 172 individuals from 13 different job groups. After collecting personal information, an interview was conducted with the supervisor of each job, and the information of each job was gathered by a checklist. In the next step, the RSI calculator software coded in Excel 2019 was applied, and the ANOVA was used to compare different domains of RSI. Results: According to the results, the mean±SD of the total RSI in the studied central workshop was estimated at 7.12±1.23. Among the available jobs in the workshop, the welders obtained the lowest RSI value indicating that these workers were at high risk of exposure to harmful environmental factors. The results of the ANOVA revealed that the dimensions of the environment and undesirable posture were significantly associated with the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) (P<0.05). Conclusion: The job environment and work posture were identified as the most important risk factors in developing MSDs in different jobs. The improvement of the workshop environment, establishment of an air conditioning system, and education on the proper postures through training, and enhancement of the workers’ workstation can have a significant impact on reducing MSDs among the workers.