Upper limb disorders among biomedical laboratory workers using pipettes

Abstract

Laboratory workers engaged with biomedical work often process series of specimens by repetitive or static manual activities. The widespread use of stamp pipettes has in particular been suspected to entail upper-limb disorders. Our primary aim was to test, if cumulated pipette work is associated with self-reported and clinically examined upper-limb disorders. Additionally we explored, if non-pipette repetitive or static laboratory tasks are associated with upper-limb complaints. We also explored, if use of electrically driven pipettes (reducing the forces needed to activate the pipette) are in lesser degree associated with upper limb complaints than manually driven pipettes. In all, 1,398 female laboratory technicians at two workplaces were included in a questionnaire survey. Among 1,202 respondents, 167 cases with significant upper-limb symptoms and 134 controls without participated in a case-control study. Amount of pipette work (especially when cumulated over the last 2 years) was associated with symptoms in dominant upper limb, especially in the hand/wrist and thumb, and with impingement syndrome and muscle pain in dominant shoulder. Use of electrical pipettes did not modify this association. The non-pipette tasks were at highest vaguely related to upper-limb symptoms. In biomedical laboratory work, intensive pipette use seems to constitute a dominating major ergonomic problem.

Keywords

• industrial ergonomics
• anatomy
• health risks
• musculoskeletal disorders
• upper limb disorders