Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among employees of a call center in Iran and its relation to workload

Introduction:  The call center employees are exposed to working conditions with high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Maintaining the employee’s health in the work environment is managers’ responsibilities, and paying attention to its risk factors is important. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders using Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) and its relation to employees’ workload at a call center in Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken by conducting surveys of all employees of a call center at Sanandaj, Iran, in 2014. In order to collect the information related to the prevalence of the musculoskeletal disorders and employees’ workload the standard Nordic and NASA-TLX questionnaires are used respectively. The method of the ROSA is used for evaluating the ergonomic risk factors at the work stations. SPSS version 16 is used for analyzing data.

Results: The results indicate high average workload, and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders especially in the neck and lower back. Gender, body mass index, work shift, work experience, risk level of the workload, and ROSA final score were significantly related with most musculoskeletal disorders (p<0.05). In addition, statistically significant and meaningful relationship was observed between workload score and both body mass index and work experience (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study shows high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among employees of a call center in Iran. Improving workstations to provide convenience for employees must be considered. Also utilizing interventional strategies for reducing workload which was directly associated with musculoskeletal disorders is essential.