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A study of musculosketal disorders in newspapers and commercial printing
1150-20 C 1998
(98FS-33)
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Issue: |
Reducing musculoskeletal injuries in newspaper and commercial printing workers |
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Agency: |
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 2000 |
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Representative: |
Harold Funk |
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Funding: |
$53,000.00 |
Context: Workers in all three sectors of newspaper and commercial printing operations, (office workers, bindery workers and press workers), suffer relatively high incidences of musculoskeletal pain and injury. Health and safety committees lacked resources and training for no programs existed that dealt with musculoskeletal injuries specific to this industry.
Objective: Reduce musculoskeletal injury claims and symptoms in the newspaper and commercial printing sector in BC by providing health and safety committees with a practical, field-test program specific to their needs and in compliance with the ergonomics regulations.
Design: In order to develop the program, analyses of the physical and psychosocial risk factors for each of the three work categories were undertaken. Ergonomic assessments were performed and a worker questionnaire was administered to identify risk factors and possible solutions. An ergonomic manual was developed with input again from employers and WCB. The manuals were introduced to Health and Safety committees at one-day training sessions. Follow-up was conducted to determine what parts of the ergonomic program were implemented at the different sites and the ease of use of the manual. Worker questionnaires were distributed again to determine impact of the ergonomics program on reduction of injuries and risk factors. A final manual was developed based on feedback, and made available to other newspaper and commercial printing companies throughout the province.
Setting: Four newspaper and commercial printing operations in British Columbia: Mitchell Press Ltd., NOW Newspapers (Burnaby, New Westminster and Coquitlam), The Abbotsford News, and the Pacific Press Ltd.
Subjects: 61 bindery, office and press workers from Mitchell Press Ltd.; 64 office workers from the NOW Newspapers; 140 bindery, office and press workers from The Abbotsford News; and 50 office workers from Pacific Press Ltd.
Main Outcome Measures: Identification of risk factors and potential solutions for musculoskeletal injuries for all three sectors of the industry. Evaluation of the impact of the training program in terms of reduced pain or psychosocial risk factors from pre-to-post questionnaire.
Results: 27 tasks with potential risk factors were identified and solutions recommended for the three work sectors. 61% of workers responded to the first questionnaire. Mitchell Press declined participation in the second questionnaire, and response rates for the remaining workers was 40.8%.
Workers with musculoskeletal pain reported significantly greater psychosocial demand, less support and empowerment, less job satisfaction and an unbalanced effort-reward system in their jobs. Bindery workers reported less pain than press or office workers did.
"An Ergonomic Program in the Newspaper and Commercial Industry" was developed. Health and Safety committees at the participating companies reported the program was useful, however no significant differences in pain or psychosocial demand were reported following the introduction of the program by the committees.
Conclusion: The project met its objectives. The lack of significant impact of the newly developed program on pain or psychosocial factors experienced by workers could be explained by the short (eight month) implementation period, the low response rates to both questionnaires and/or the different sample of workers for the second questionnaire.