Effects Job Rotation in the Prevention of Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Condition: Musculoskeletal Diseases
MeSH terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The objective this study is evaluated if job rotation (change works that function every to
      work hours)contributes to reduce absence from work to complaints musculoskeletal disorders.
      And:

        -  Improve general health status

        -  Improve musculoskelettal symptoms

        -  Improve work performance

        -  Decrease costs with absence
    

Detailed description: 
      This study is single-blinded RCT, whose aim is to evaluate the effect of the rotation
      function in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in industrial workers Methods:
      Participants will be recruited from employees a textile industry. The inclusion criteria are:
      employees age between 18 and 65 years and be able to read and understand the questionnaires.
      The number of working hours lost due to leave for sick leave due to illness of the
      musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M Group International Classification of
      Diseases, ICD-10) is used to estimate the sample size. The average time lost during the last
      three months, in companies where the study was conducted is approximately 1,100 hours. Assume
      that interventions will enable a reduction of this number by 10%, ie, the groups will have a
      difference of 100 lost working hours, with a standard deviation of 250 hours. Will be
      considered a statistical power of 80%, α=0.05 and a follow-up loss of up to 15%. Thus, 116
      workers are required per group. The productive sectors included in the study will be pre-
      stratified from the level of exposure to ergonomic risk factors. The sectors with similar
      demands will be grouped and randomly divided between the intervention group and the control
      group. The intervention group will perform rotation function, switching between tasks with
      low, moderate and high ergonomic risk and different requests for ergonomic body region added
      to ergonomic guidelines. The control group will receive only the ergonomic guidelines.
      Primary outcomes: Absence from work due to sick leave due to disease of the musculoskeletal
      system and connective tissue. Secondary outcomes are: musculoskeletal symptoms (Nordic
      Questionnaire and EVA), ergonomic risk factors (Quick exposure Check and Job Factors
      Questionnaire), psychosocial factors and fatigue (Need for Recovery Scale (NFR), general
      health status (WHOQOL-bref), physical activity level (Baecke Questionnaire), productivity
      with Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) and costs (incremental cost effectiveness ratio).
      Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after 3 , 6 and 12 months . The information on the
      amount of hours lost by removal for medical leave will be recorded daily. Expected results:
      It is expected that interventions to reduce the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders and
      consequent worker absenteeism due to sick leave, 100 hours of work lost. It is expected that
      the results obtained in this study may contribute to setting standards in the field of
      Occupational Health, as well as for decision making of professionals working in this area.
    

Intervention name(s): Job rotation; Guidelines ergonomics
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): The intervention group will perform rotation function, switching between tasks with low, moderate and high ergonomic risk and different requests for ergonomic body region added to ergonomic guidelines.; Orientation about manual material handling, posture, furniture, rest break and others in general.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Occupational health; Ergonomics; Environments; Prevention and Control