Behnam Moradi - Department of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Samira Barakat - Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Background: Manual material handling is a high-risk task, which could lead to musculoskeletal injuries. The present study aimed to determine the association of manual load lifting tasks with the ergonomic risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders using the WISHA index and QEC method. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on ۵۲ employees of the metal industry, who were surveyed by the simple census method. The WISHA index was used to assess the manual load lifting, and Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, the QEC method was applied to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version ۲۱. Results: In total, ۵۳.۸% of the workers lifted heavier loads than the allowable weight obtained by the WISHA index. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was ۷۹.۹%, and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders was ۳۶.۵% at an extremely high level and ۴۴.۲% at a high level. The WISHA index was significantly correlated with the QEC scores (P < ۰.۰۰۱) and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (P = ۰.۰۲۲). Conclusion: According to the results, manual material handling tasks increased the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and work absenteeism. Therefore, taking corrective actions is essential in the workplace.

Lifting, Musculoskeletal disorders, Ergonomic, WISHA index