Abstract:
In the food and beverage industries, ergonomic risk factors, including awkward postures, excessive force, and repetitive tasks, have a significant impact on exacerbating work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Repetitive tasks involving manual lifting or carrying are associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to profile ergonomic hazards, assess health effects among employees, and identify existing control measures implemented in the food and beverage industries in Nairobi County. The study was conducted among a population of 1821 workers in five selected facilities from October 2022 to January 2023. A systematic random sampling technique, following the Yamane(1967:886) statistical method as cited in Leon Mystica (2020), was employed to obtain a representative sample of 328 voluntary participants. Primary data was collected through self-administered structured questionnaires, observations, and taking measurements in the facilities. The study confirmed the literature's theory that most activities performed by employees in the sector are manual, repetitive, and physically demanding, primarily in the manufacturing (56.0%) and warehousing (24.0%) departments. The most prevalent factors contributing to ergonomic hazards and MSDs include excessive force exertion during manual handling, the adoption of awkward body postures, prolonged periods of static positions, and exposure to vibrations. The health effects of ergonomic hazards are further aggravated by the manual handling of heavy material loads and the mismatch between job requirements and employees' physical capabilities. The high occurrence of pain or discomfort among workers is significantly influenced by the poor posture they adopt when performing tasks. Despite a satisfactory combination of control measures implemented in the selected workplaces, their prioritization does not align with the risk control hierarchy described in existing literature. The majority of implemented control measures in the sector are administrative, and there is a lack of adherence and consistency in enforcing safety regulations regarding the maximum load limits for manual lifting.
Keywords: ergonomic hazards, hierarchy, musculoskeletal disorder, control measures,
machinery safety
