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Impact of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Construction Workers in Ghana Cover

Impact of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Construction Workers in Ghana

Open Access
|Aug 2022

Abstract

The construction industry is known for its task-related risks and hazards contributing to occupational stress and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The study sought to identify the impact of MSDs among concrete mixer operators and workers in the construction industry in the Central Region of Ghana. The population for the study was made up of 28 concrete mixer operators and 187 workers. Out of the 215 questionnaires administered, 206 questionnaires were returned which represented 95.8 % of the response rate. Descriptive statistics and Relative Importance Index (RII) were used for the data analysis. Findings show that most of the workers were young males and worked for a longer period a day. Force movement, repetition, awkward bending and fixed body postures were the major factors leading to the development of MSDs and contributed to frequent absenteeism and poor performance of workers. Further findings show that back pain, waist pain and shoulder pain were the major self-reported MSD complaints. Risk assessment should be conducted on all site hazards and ergonomic tools/equipment should be introduced to reduce the impact of MSDs on workers.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bjreecm-2022-0009 | Journal eISSN: 2255-9671 | Journal ISSN: 2255-9604
Language: English
Page range: 129 - 139
Published on: Aug 2, 2022
Published by: Riga Technical University
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

© 2022 Zakari Mustapha, Benjamin Boahene Akomah, James Baiden, published by Riga Technical University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.