WORK ACTIVITIES AND MUSCULOSKELETAL COMPLAINTS AMONG PRESCHOOL WORKERS

The potential for musculoskeletal trauma among preschool workers has b een largely unexplored in the United States, This case report describe s an investigation conducted to identify and evaluate possible causes of back and lower extremity pain among 22 workers at a Montessori day care facility, Investigators met with and distributed a questionnaire to school employees, and made measurements of workstation and furnitur e dimensions, Investigators also recorded the normal work activities o f school employees on videotape, and performed a work sampling study t o estimate the percentage of time employees spend performing various t asks and in certain postures. Questionnaire results from 18 employees indicated that back pain/discomfort was a common musculoskeletal compl aint, reported by 61% of respondents. Neck/shoulder pain, lower extrem ity pain and hand/wrist pain were reported by, 33, 33 and 11% of respo ndents, respectively, Observation and analysis of work activities indi cated that employees spend significant periods of time kneeling, sitti ng on the floor, squatting, or bending at the waist, Furthermore, staf f members who work with smaller children (i.e. six weeks to 18 months of age) performed more lifts and assumed more awkward lower extremity postures than employees who work with older children (3-4 years of age ), Analysis of two lifting tasks using the revised NIOSH lifting equat ion indicated that employees who handle small children may be at incre ased risk of lifting-related low back pain, Investigators concluded th at day care employees at this facility are at increased risk of low ba ck pain and lower extremity (i.e. knee) injury due to work activities that require awkward or heavy lifts, and static working postures, Reco mmendations for reducing or eliminating these risks by modifying the w orkplace and changing the organization and methods of work are present ed.