The effectiveness of the "Eval-Risk-TMS" assessment tool for workplaces at risk of chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in construction companies in the Île-de-France and Pays de la Loire regions, from November 2019 to March 2020

Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities (MSDs) are the leading cause of reported occupational diseases in France. Risk factors for work-related MSDs can be biomechanical, organizational, or psychosocial in nature. A simple tool based on a questionnaire that generates a risk score—"Eval-Risk-TMS"—allowing occupational health and safety professionals to prioritize work situations at risk for chronic MSDs, was developed to complement the existing range of tools measuring exposure to MSD risk factors, which can be complex to administer (time required, need for a qualified person, etc.). A two-phase study was conducted with the objective of testing the use of the Eval-Risk-TMS tool in the workplace and assessing its relevance. This study was conducted in collaboration with the Professional Organization for Prevention in the Building and Public Works Sector (OPPBTP) and the Joint Association for Occupational Health in the Building and Public Works Sector of the Paris Region (APST-BTP-RP), in companies within the building and public works sector (BTP), which are particularly affected by the issue of musculoskeletal disorders. The first phase (Phase 1) consisted of a cross-sectional study among construction workers to assess the relevance of the Eval-Risk-TMS tool for identifying and prioritizing jobs at risk of MSDs in the construction sector. Thanks to the active participation of OPPBTP advisors and members of the APST-BTP-RP multidisciplinary teams, 428 usable questionnaires were collected from construction workers. This study highlights the significant exposure of construction workers to biomechanical factors. Regular or prolonged elbow flexion was the risk factor to which the largest number of workers were exposed, followed by maintaining a posture with arms raised. The assessment of the MSD-MS risk score revealed good overall classification performance (C-statistic = 0.79 [0.73–0.85]; 0.8 is considered an excellent value). The second phase (Phase 2) aimed to study the feasibility of its use by gathering feedback from all OPPBTP advisors and members of the APST-BTP-RP multidisciplinary teams, regardless of whether they had administered questionnaires during the first phase. In total, 35 people participated in the second phase of the study by completing the online questionnaire, including 29 who had administered questionnaires during the first phase. The study highlighted relatively low usage of existing MSD-MS risk assessment tools, due to a lack of time and the perceived complexity of these tools. Regarding the Eval-Risk-TMS tool, some questions were deemed too complex and difficult for workers to understand. However, the majority of those who administered questionnaires during the first phase believe that this tool could be an asset in their professional practice to better identify MSD-related risk positions and the actions to be implemented thereafter. According to participants, this tool would also help raise the company’s awareness of MSD risks. The results of this study and the tool’s relevance in preventing MSDs encourage testing the score among a general employee population, where workers would be less exposed to biomechanical factors than construction workers.

Author(s): Lloyd Anna, Fouquet Natacha, Girardot Pascal, Loizeau Mireille, Roquelaure Yves

Publishing year: 2022

Pages: 43 p.

Collection: Studies and Surveys

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