Descripción

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are increasingly prevalent and affect the health and performance of workers, especially in informal and rudimentary manufacturing sectors, which by their very nature, such as panel mills, involve repetitive movements, prolonged postures, and handling of loads, factors that predispose to dis-ergonomic risks and painful symptoms, leading to long-term occupational diseases and altered functionality. Objective: To determine the perceived symptomatology and dis-ergonomic risk among workers in a panela factory. Methodology: The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional. Twenty-nine workers of a panela mill in the municipality of Sandoná were evaluated, using the Nordic instrument for perceived symptomatology and the OWAS battery for dis-ergonomic risk. Results: 82.8% of participants had musculoskeletal discomfort; of this percentage, the body area with the greatest discomfort was the dorsal or lumbar region at 37.5%; 86.2% had dis-ergonomic risk. Conclusions: The results indicate that the population presented musculoskeletal symptomatology and that the manipulation of loads, together with forced postures, represent harmful effects to the workers of panela mills, given the characteristics of the work.