Objective

To establish the risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders in operative workers of a refrigerator manufacturing company in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Materials and Methods

Cross-sectional, descriptive research. A convenience sampling was carried out, consisting of 79 workers. The instruments used were: PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire), BMI (Body Mass Index), Nordic questionnaire and REBA method.

Results

Of the total population surveyed, 60.8% reported some musculoskeletal symptoms; 48.1% said they had a single body segment affected, 10.1% had 2 segments affected, and 1.3% had 3 or 4 segments involved. The most involved body segment was the thoracolumbar segment, which was related to positions such as assembly operator, veneer operator, injection operator and welder.

Conclusion

The group of workers in the areas of assembly, veneer, injection and welding is especially exposed to risk factors that increase the likelihood of suffering discomfort and musculoskeletal damage. Moving the upper limbs repeatedly and handling loads manually are some of the ergonomic risks and demands for attention, while psychosocial risks to which this group is exposed include high work rates and short deadlines. In addition, the body mass index is an important factor for the onset of musculoskeletal disorders.