Musculoskeletal Risks of Farmers in the Olive Grove (Jaén-Spain)

Abstract

Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world and, consequently, it has the world’s largest olive-growing area. Workers are highly exposed to musculoskeletal risks due to the manual nature of most of the tasks they perform. The objective of this study is to assess the musculoskeletal risks faced by olive workers in the province of Jaén (Spain) using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. This consists of 28 questions and analyzes the wrists/hands, elbows, shoulders, neck, back, hip, ankles, and knees. In total, 445 questionnaires were completed with variable additions from the workers’ environment: Sex, Age, Height, Weight, Body Mass Index, Crop Area, Irrigation System, Cultivation System, Nationality, Years of Experience, Cultivation Tasks, and Risk Prevention Service. The results indicate that 88.76% of workers presented some type of ailment and yet only knee problems prevented them from carrying out agricultural tasks in some cases. Certain recommendations are established to reduce musculoskeletal disorders in workers.

Keywords

• musculoskeletal disorders
• olive workers
• occupational health and safety in agriculture
• physical load
• agricultural tasks