Epidemiological risk estimation of musculoskeletal disorders in construction work tasks

1. Aim  Musculoskeletal disorders are the most frequent health risks in the building industry with consequences for the work capacity. In Germany 18% of the employees are early unemployable, but in construction 31% (carpenter) to 46% (roofer). Preventive health examinations should show main focuses and the demographically necessary improvement of the capacity to work.    

2. Methods  The evaluation of the findings occurs as a cross sectional study of data of the preventive examinations to 108.963 male employees.    

3. Results  3.1 Back disorders:   Painful muscular hardness in the lumbar region has 5.5%, in the cervical 4.7%. Lifting and carrying heavy loads exerts a strong influence on painful muscular lumbar (OR = 1.42) and cervical hardness (OR 1.47). Forced postures have the strongest influence on painful lumber / cervical muscle hardness (OR  3.28 / 2.93).  3.2 Upper extremities:  Findings in the shoulder joints are in 2,6%, in the elbow 1,5%, in the wrists 0.8%, in the knuckles with 1.2% with steady age increase. Shoulder findings are in the foreground at scaffolder, window installer, carpenter (3.5, 2.9, 2.5%). In the elbow stove fitters, paver and plasterer have the highest findings rates. Shoulder and elbow findings are more frequent on the right than on the left. Forced postures and vibrations are the most frequent load causes.  3.3 Lower extremities  Troubles and findings are more frequent in knee than hip joints. Older people (> 55) have troubles in 27.2% of knee joint, but 9.5% of findings. Symmetrical findings predominate in the knee joints. Knee findings correspond to kneeling activities. Forced postures lead to more findings than heavy loads.    

4. Conclusions:  The results document the practical meaning of the preventive health examinations for functional disturbances and the timely recognition of the preventive need. These examinations substitute no detailed diagnostics, when occurrence of the findings is considerable.