PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL COMPLAINTS AMONG OIL AND GAS WORKERS

Introduction: Employees in the oil and gas sector are constantly at risk of harm or death because of the unique nature of their jobs, which includes a range of hazardous products and working conditions. Aim of Work: To study the prevalence ofmusculoskeletal problems, to investigate its associations with risk factors and pinpoint its predictors among Egyptian Oil and Gas workers. Materials and Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted on 410 workers at the “Engineering for Petroleum and Process Industries Organization” (Enppi). A questionnaire was used to collect information about the participants’ sociodemographic, employment status, and risk factors. The Nordic questionnaire was also used to assess musculoskeletal problems among the studied group. Results: In the 12 months preceding the research, 79% ofthe participants reported musculoskeletal complaints in one or more body areas, with the lower back (56.9%) and neck (54.1%) were the most frequent sites. The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints was significantly related to age, gender, years of employment, and daily hours worked, with biomechanical and environmental factors, including sustained body posture, repetitive motion, improper furniture, insufficient lighting and bad ventilation. When comparing those who reported musculoskeletal problems to those who did not, the following organizational and psychosocial risk factors were significantly higher: multitasking, inadequate training, continuing to work when in pain, and low job control. The most important predictors of work-related musculoskeletal complaints were working for more than 15 years, sustained posture, having inadequate ventilation, and continuing to work despite discomfort or injury. Conclusion and Recommendations: There was a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal complaints among workers in oil and gas workers. The current study shed the light to the need of adopting interventions and preventive measures for a more supportive and sustainable working environment.