Analysis of body postures for preventing musculoskeletal disorders among tractor drivers in Iran

Abstract

Background: Due to the high cost of advanced tractors in developing countries, their use with lower cost and technology has been further considered. Consequently, many of these machines in terms of ergonomics are in poor condition and cause musculoskeletal problems in the drivers. This study aimed to identify harmful postures causing musculoskeletal disorders in the tractor drivers in Iran.Methods: The study was conducted in March 2018 among farmers in Golestan province. The tasks of tractor drivers are divided into three stages consisting of getting on, steering tractor, and getting off. Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method was used to assess the body postures. In REBA, different postures of the body regions such as the neck, wrist, hands and legs were assessed and finally the level of risk was determined. Then, the levels of ergonomic interventions were suggested based on the risk level. Results: Based on the REBA analysis, most of the tasks performed by the tractor drivers had medium risk and they need prompt investigation and change. For the task of getting on and getting off the tractor, the highest scores were assigned to the arms, legs and trunk. For the task of steering tractor, the highest postural scores were related to the wrists, trunk and legs.Conclusion: Ergonomic and posture conditions of Iranian tractors are not suitable. Therefore, it is necessary to implement ergonomic interventions to reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.