2017 Volume 53 Issue Supplement2 Pages S438-S441
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have posed a global impact (and concern, therefore) on both individuals' health and industries. In India majority (92%) of the total workforce are in the informal economy, also referred to as the unorganized sector in the country. Among the unorganized sector stone polishing is one where a large number of workers are involved and quite prone to various injuries and accidents. Thirty (30) male stone polishing workers were randomly selected from the Guwahati city of Assam. A modified Nordic questionnaire was used for exploring and assessing their pattern and duration of work, job stress and postural discomfort. The analysis of different working postures of the stone polishing workers was carried out using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method. The commonness of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck, shoulder, back and knees were found to be very high among the stone polishing workers which may result in a significant number of complaints or injuries in the future. The grand score of REBA has been found high which indicated that the postural load of the workers is prone to develop musculoskeletal problems.