Investigating the physical ergonomic risks associated with last-mile delivery personnel riding motorcycles

Purpose Urbanisation, e-commerce and COVID-19 are the strong drivers for an ever-increasing demand for last-mile delivery services. Last-mile deliveries face tight deadlines and considerable time pressure due to increased parcel volumes and regular seasonal sales. Given these challenges involved in customer satisfaction, the usage of motorcycles for last-mile delivery has considerably increased. Despite the popularity of motorcycles, increases in rider injuries and fatalities have become a public health concern. The purpose of this paper is to address the ergonomic risks involved in last-mile delivery services. Design/methodology/approach The objective of this study is to analyse the physical ergonomic risks associated with the last-mile delivery personnel. Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire is used for Data collection and Logistic regression is used to analyse the data. Further, Hand-Arm Vibration and Whole-Body Vibration data are used to study the Heart Rate Variability; and Rapid Entire Body Assessment tool is used to analyse the riding posture. Findings The continuous riding of motorcycles and the repetitive loading on the musculoskeletal system of the rider leads to risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The findings provided insights about the MSDs and the associated risk variables for last-mile delivery personnel. Originality/value The results of the study highlight the need for physical ergonomic solutions and improved working conditions. The study contributes new insights that will be helpful for academicians, practitioners, policy makers and researchers working in the areas of physical ergonomic risk assessment of motorcycle riders.