Musculoskeletal Discomfort Analysis in Forklift Operations

Although forklifts are well suitable for lifting and moving the goods, there are factors that cause musculoskeletal disorders to the forklift operators, such as severely twisted postures, prolonged sitting and poorly designed workplaces ultimately leading to low productivity. The main objective of this study is to analyze subjective evaluation of musculoskeletal discomfort assessed by the forklift operators using the Cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire. A total of 47 operators aged between 20-58 years who are driving six types of forklifts in a heavy equipment manufacturing industry were selected for this study. The study revealed that forklift operators felt most of the musculoskeletal discomfort at lower back (65.45%) and in the neck (13.03%). Discomfort was less pronounced in the left upper arm (0.02%) and in the left lower leg (0.03%). Specifically, the results revealed that 40 out of 47 (85.11%) forklift operators sensed discomfort in the lower back 1-2 times per week; 41 out of 47 (87.23%) forklift operators reported discomfort was moderate and above. Because of this, 22 (46.8%) and 16 (34.04%) operators respectively have felt slight and substantial level of discomfort that has an effect on their ability to work.