Upper Limb Disorders in Catering Workers

Abstract

Background: The literature reports that catering workers are exposed to various occupational health hazardsé. Objective: This study aims to assess a cohort of catering workers in relation to upper limb disorders, thus contributing to the quantification of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in this occupational sector. Methods: Here, 500 employees, of which 130 were males and 370 were females, with an overall mean age of 50.7 years and an average length of service of 24.8 years, were examined. All subjects completed a standardized questionnaire: the medical history questionnaire of diseases of the upper limbs and spine proposed in “Health surveillance of workers”, third edition, EPC. Results: The obtained data enables the following conclusions to be drawn. Musculoskeletal disorders affect a wide range of catering workers. The most affected anatomical region is the shoulder. These disorders increase with advancing age, specifically shoulder, wrist/hand disorders and daytime and nighttime paresthesias. Employment seniority in the catering sector increases the likelihood of all considered conditions. An increase in weekly workload exclusively affects the shoulder region. Conclusions: This study aims to serve as an impetus for further research that seeks to better analyze musculoskeletal problems in the catering sector.

Keywords

• handling weight
• work-related musculoskeletal disorders
• occupational health hazards