Investigation of hand forces applied to a pruning tool - pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Winter pruning is a cultivation practice necessary for maintaining the balance between the vegetative and the productive activity of plants and requires many working days using hand scissors. This operation involves the subjects carrying out a series of gestures that are repeated with considerable frequency, which are all musculo-skeletal disorders risk factors (MSDs) for the hand-wrist area. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the forces applied to pruning tools. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using a sensor matrix, peak and average forces were measured which are exerted while cutting branches of 3 different diameters, from 5 wine-grape cultivars. Samples were tested on 8 participants using sensored scissors to record, in 6 hand areas, the forces necessary to cut. RESULTS: Results showed that while cutting, the factors which can impact the force employed (peak and average forces) by the subjects are branch diameter and percentage of branch humidity. Cut duration was inversely related to the size of the subject's hand. The middle finger area of the hand recorded the highest force average and peak levels, while the hand region least affected during the cuts was the farthest from the thumb. CONCLUSIONS: The study enabled the highlighting of which factors influence the forces employed by the operator while cutting grape branches, and to identify the hand regions where muscle activation is at its most. These findings can be relevant in preventing MSDs. Further studies need to be conducted with a larger number of subjects.

[Quality of professional life and musculoskeletal disorders in nurses]. / Calidad de vida profesional y trastornos musculoesqueléticos en profesionales de Enfermería.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the conditions of quality of working life, the presence of muscle- skeletal disorders and the association between these variables in nursing staff of a public hospital in Zacatecas, Mexico. METHOD: A cross-sectional study with descriptive-correlational scope was designed. A stratified random sampling per shift was used in 107 cases. The Questionnaire Professional Quality of Life (CVP-35) was applied as well as the Nordic Questionnaire Standardized for musculoskeletal pain and work-related risk factors questionnaire. RESULTS: The quality of working life gained an average of 55.62 (SD=13.57), the intrinsic motivation was the best rated component with (M=75.06, SD=18.44), contrary to managerial support that got the lowest scores with (M=43.74, SD=21.71). The presence of risk factors in the development work of musculoskeletal problems obtained a mean of 50.10 (SD=26.69). The main musculoskeletal disorders occurred in the neck region, lumbar spine and knees with 42.1% for each one. The quality of working life decreased in the presence of muscle-skeletal problems in the lumbar region with (-0.188, p≤.050), dorsal (-0.206, p≤.050), neck (-0.175, p≤.050) and knees (-0.220, p≤.010). CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to improve the working conditions of nurses to reduce the presence of musculoskeletal problems and improve their quality of working life.

La ergonomía en la construcción de la salud de los trabajadores en Colombia / Ergonomics on the Build Colombian Health of Workers / A ergonomía na construção da saúde dos trabalhadores na Colômbia

La salud de los trabajadores y trabajadoras en Colombia atraviesa por múltiples retos y dificultades, derivados del contexto político y económico nacional, la encrucijada que vive el sistema de seguridad social y las tendencias en el mundo del trabajo. Frente a esta situación, la ergonomía como campo de conocimiento y acción tiene múltiples posibilidades de aporte, los cuales dependen de no ver esta disciplinada reducida a una dimensión técnica, sino de propiciar su participación en un marco de acción situada y contextualizada. Si bien se ha enfatizado la acción de la ergonomía en su aporte a la prevención de los desórdenes músculo-esqueléticos, su contribución a la salud de los trabajadores puede ser muy importante, en un escenario de búsqueda del bienestar laboral y social, como complemento a la acción preventiva de los riesgos laborales.

The health of workers in Colombia traverses multiple challenges and difficulties, starting from the national, political and economic context, crossroads living social security system and the trends in the world of work. Faced with this situation, the ergonomics as a field of knowledge and action has multiple possibilities of contribution, which depend on not to see this disciplined reduced to a technical dimension, but encourage their contribution within a framework of action located and contextualized. Although it has emphasized the action of ergonomics in its contribution to the prevention of muscle-skeletal disorders, their contribution to the health of workers can be very important, in a setting of search of the labor and social welfare as a complement to the prevention of occupational risks.

A saúde dos trabalhadores e trabalhadoras na Colômbia atravessa por múltiplos retos e dificuldades, derivados do contexto político e econômico nacional, a encruzilhada que vive o sistema de segurança social e as tendências no mundo do trabalho. Frente a esta situação, a ergonomia como campo de conhecimento e ação tem múltiplas possibilidades de aporte, os quais dependem de não ver esta disciplina reduzida a uma dimensão técnica, senão de propiciar seu aporte em um marco de ação situada e contextualizada. Se bem tem se enfatizado a ação da ergonomia em seu aporte à prevenção das desordens músculo esqueléticas, sua contribuição à saúde dos trabalhadores pode ser muito importante, em um cenário de busca de bem-estar laboral e social, como complemento à ação preventiva dos riscos laborais.

Trastornos músculo esquelético y ergonomía en estomatólogos del municipio Sancti Spíritus. 2011 / Ergonomics and muscle skeletal disorders in dentists from Sancti Spíritus municipality. 2011

Fundamentación: los trastornos músculo esquelético se encuentran entre los problemas más importantes de salud en el trabajo, los estomatólogos son un grupo de alto riesgo. Objetivo: describir los trastornos músculo esquelético de los estomatólogos y sus conocimientos sobre los principios ergonómicos. Metodología: se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, de septiembre 2011 a julio de 2012 en el municipio de Sancti Spíritus. Se estudiaron 81 estomatólogos y las variables: presencia de dolor, tiempo de trabajo en el sillón dental, tratamiento médico recibido, trastornos músculo esqueléticos y conocimientos de principios ergonómicos. Para el análisis de los resultados se empleó el análisis porcentual. Resultados: los dolores en cuello, parte superior de espalda y hombros fueron los trastornos más frecuentes en períodos de siete días y un año incrementándose en correspondencia con las horas de trabajo en el sillón dental, además la mayoría de los estomatólogos estudiados desconoce los principios de ergonomía en su especialidad. Conclusiones: existen trastornos músculos esqueléticos que alcanzaron los mayores valores coincidiendo con el aumento de horas en sillón. Se evidenció desconocimiento por parte de los profesionales de los principios de ergonomía.

Background: Muscle skeletal disorders are one of the most important problems of health at work and dentists are a group at high risk. Objective: to describe the muscle skeletal disorders in dentists and their knowledge about the ergonomic principles. Methodology : A transversal descriptive work was carried out from September 2011 to July 2012 in Sancti Spíritus municipality. 81 dentists were studied and the variables were pain presence, time at work in the dentist's chair, medical treatment received, muscle skeletal disorders and knowledge about the ergonomic principles. For the analysis of the results the percentage analyses was used. Results: neck pain, upper part of the back and shoulders were the most frequent disorders in 7 days and 1 year periods increasing according to the hours at work in the dentist's chair, therefore the majority of dentists studied disclaim the principles of ergonomics. Conclusions : there are muscle skeletal disorders which reach major values according to the increase of hours in the dentist's chair. It was evidenced that there are doubts by the professionals about the principles of ergonomics.