THE REALITY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND WAYS TO PREVENT THEM

This study focused on identifying the prevalence and nature of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among administrative workers at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mouloud Mammeri University, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria.The aim was to determine whether these workers experience MSDs and to identify the specific body regions affected.To collect data, the researchers used a questionnaire originally developed by Kuorinka and colleagues in 1987, designed to monitor occupation-related MSDs.For this study, the French version of the questionnaire was administered to a sample of (50) administrative workers, representing (49.51%) of the total workforce (101 employees) at the faculty.The results, analyzed through descriptive statistics, revealed that the administrative workers experienced varying degrees of pain, discomfort, or stiffness across multiple body regions.The most affected areas were the lower back (62% to 80%) and the neck (50% to 76%).Other affected areas included the upper back, shoulders, fingers, and thighs, with workers reporting high levels of pain, sometimes unbearable, in these regions.Based on these findings, the study recommends implementing preventive measures at both individual and organizational levels to mitigate the impact of these musculoskeletal disorders.