Assessing the effectiveness of an ergonomics intervention program with a participatory approach: ergonomics settlement in an Iranian steel industry

PURPOSE: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common occupational problems affecting the health and productivity of workers worldwide. Ergonomic intervention programs (EIPs) can play an effective role in preventing these disorders in the workplace. Assessing the effectiveness of an EIP is a challenge faced by both industries and researchers. This study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of an EIP on human resources productivity (HRP), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), general health and occupational fatigue in a steel industry. METHODS: This study was conducted in a steel industry in Isfahan, Iran, between 2018 and 2021. To assess the effectiveness of the EIP with a participatory approach, training and redesign of workstations, the criteria of HRP, MSDs, general health and occupational fatigue were investigated before and after the intervention, using HRP Questionnaire, Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ), 28-item General Health Questionnaire (28-GHQ), Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI-20) and Occupational Fatigue/Exhaustion Recovery (OFER-15) Questionnaire, as data collection tools, respectively. RESULTS: The implementation of EIP in the studied industry significantly led to an increase in HRP (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MSDs decreased significantly in most regions of the body after the interventions (p < 0.001). In addition, the program significantly improved general health (p < 0.001) and reduced occupational fatigue among employees (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of EIP was significantly effective in working conditions improvement. Therefore, implementing EIP with participatory approach, workforce training, as well as redesigning of workstations are recommended in industries.