CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 19Occupational Health and Safety ManagementOccupational Health and Safety in WorkplacesErgonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Assessing the effectiveness of an ergonomics intervention program with a participatory approach: ergonomics settlement in an Iranian steel industry

Open access
Rostami, Matin, Choobineh, Alireza, Shakerian, Mahnaz, Faraji, Majid, Modarresifar, Hossein·2022·International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
DOI 10.1007/s00420-021-01811-xPMC PMC8629733
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Purpose Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common occupational problems affecting the health and productivity of workers worldwide. Ergonomic intervention programs (EIPs) can play an effective role in preventing these disorders in the workplace. Assessing the effectiveness of an EIP is a challenge faced by both industries and researchers. This study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of an EIP on human resources productivity (HRP), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), general health and occupational fatigue in a steel industry. Methods This study was conducted in a steel industry in Isfahan, Iran, between 2018 and 2021. To assess the effectiveness of the EIP with a participatory approach, training and redesign of workstations, the criteria of HRP, MSDs, general health and occupational fatigue were investigated before and after the intervention, using HRP Questionnaire, Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ), 28-item General Health Questionnaire (28-GHQ), Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI-20) and Occupational Fatigue/Exhaustion Recovery (OFER-15) Questionnaire, as data collection tools, respectively. Results The implementation of EIP in the studied industry significantly led to an increase in HRP (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MSDs decreased significantly in most regions of the body after the interventions (p < 0.001). In addition, the program significantly improved general health (p < 0.001) and reduced occupational fatigue among employees (p < 0.001). Conclusions The implementation of EIP was significantly effective in working conditions improvement. Therefore, implementing EIP with participatory approach, workforce training, as well as redesigning of workstations are recommended in industries.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/s00420-021-01811-x

Cites

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Studies on ergonomics and work performance use surveys, technical records, and sampling to identify risks and design improvements.

    “Los estudios sobre ergonomía y rendimiento laboral utilizan encuestas para captar la percepción de los trabajadores [12], [17], [23], [30], [35], fichas técnicas para registrar datos del entorno laboral [8], [12], [34] y muestreo para garantizar resultados representativos [28], [34].”

    From Impact of ergonomics on work performance in the manufacturing industry: A systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [17]

  • Deficient ergonomics in work environments generates a wide range of physical, mental, and organizational problems that influence employee well-being and performance.

    “La ergonomía deficiente en los entornos laborales genera una amplia gama de problemas físicos, mentales y organizacionales que influyen en el bienestar y desempeño de los empleados [9], [17].”

    From Impact of ergonomics on work performance in the manufacturing industry: A systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [17]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

No references could be resolved yet.

Research works printed but not linked: 67

  1. Åhsberg E Garnberale F Kjellberg A Perceived quality of fatigue during different occupational tasks development of a questionnaire Int J Ind Ergon 1997 20 2 121 135 10.1016/S0169-8141(96)00044-3 · DOI
  2. Amick BC III Effect of office ergonomics intervention on reducing musculoskeletal symptoms Spine 2003 28 24 2706 2711 10.1097/01.BRS.0000099740.87791.F7 14673374 · DOI
  3. Barzideh M Choobineh A Tabatabaee H Job stress dimensions and their relationship to musculoskeletal disorders in Iranian nurses Work 2014 47 4 423 429 10.3233/WOR-121585 23324727 · DOI
  4. Bazazan A Dianat I Feizollahi N Mombeini Z Shirazi AM Castellucci HI Effect of a posture correction–based intervention on musculoskeletal symptoms and fatigue among control room operators Appl Ergon 2019 76 12 19 10.1016/j.apergo.2018.11.008 30642516 · DOI
  5. Bernardes JM Ruiz-Frutos C Moro ARP Dias A A low-cost and efficient participatory ergonomic intervention to reduce the burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in an industrially developing country: an experience report Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2021 27 2 452 459 10.1080/10803548.2019.1577045 30727844 · DOI
  6. Bosch LM van der Molen HF Frings-Dresen MH Optimizing implementation of interventions in agriculture for occupational upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders: results of an expert panel Work 2018 61 3 413 420 10.3233/WOR-182806 30373985 PMC6311361 · DOI
  7. Braekman E Measurement agreement of the self-administered questionnaire of the Belgian health interview survey: paper-and-pencil versus web-based mode PLoS One 2018 13 5 e0197434 10.1371/journal.pone.0197434 29782504 PMC5962098 · DOI
  8. Burke MJ Sarpy SA Smith-Crowe K Chan-Serafin S Salvador RO Islam G Relative effectiveness of worker safety and health training methods Amer J Pub Health 2006 96 2 315 324 10.2105/AJPH.2004.059840 16380566 PMC1470479 · DOI
  9. Cervai S Polo F The impact of a participatory ergonomics intervention: the value of involvement Theor Issues Ergon Sci 2018 19 1 55 73 10.1080/1463922X.2016.1274454 · DOI
  10. Choobineh A Lahmi M Shahnavaz H Khani Jazani R Hosseini M Musculoskeletal symptoms as related to ergonomic factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry and general guidelines for workstation design Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2004 10 2 157 168 10.1080/10803548.2004.11076604 15182472 · DOI
  11. Choobineh A Shahnavaz H Lahmi M Major health risk factors in Iranian hand-woven carpet industry Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2004 10 1 65 78 10.1080/10803548.2004.11076596 15028195 · DOI
  12. Choobineh A Tabatabaee SH Behzadi M Musculoskeletal problems among workers of an Iranian sugar-producing factory Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2009 15 4 419 424 10.1080/10803548.2009.11076820 20003775 · DOI
  13. Choobineh A Motamedzade M Kazemi M Moghimbeigi A Pahlavian AH The impact of ergonomics intervention on psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal symptoms among office workers Int J Ind Ergon 2011 41 6 671 676 10.1016/j.ergon.2011.08.007 · DOI
  14. Choobineh A Daneshmandi H Aghabeigi M Haghayegh A Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among employees of Iranian petrochemical industries: October 2009 to December 2012 Int J Occup Environ Med (The IJOEM) 2013 4 253 195 24141868
  15. Choobineh A Daneshmandi H Fard SKSZ Tabatabaee SH Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among Iranian workforce and job groups Int J Prev Med 2016 7 1 130 137 10.4103/2008-7802.195851 28105295 PMC5200977 · DOI
  16. Choobineh A Shakerian M Faraji M Modaresifar H Kiani J Hatami M Akasheh S Rezagholian A Kamali G A multilayered ergonomic intervention program for reducing musculoskeletal disorders in an industrial complex: a dynamic participatory approach Int J Ind Ergon 2021 86 103221 10.1016/j.ergon.2021.103221 · DOI
  17. Cole D, Rivilis I, Van Eerd D, Cullen K, Irvin E, Kramer D (2005) Effectiveness of participatory ergonomic interventions: a systematic review. Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet]
  18. Colim A Sousa N Carneiro P Costa N Arezes P Cardoso A Ergonomic intervention on a packing workstation with robotic aid–case study at a furniture manufacturing industry Work 2020 66 1 229 237 10.3233/WOR-203144 32417807 · DOI · Paper page
  19. Cook C Burgess-Limerick R The effect of forearm support on musculoskeletal discomfort during call centre work Appl Ergon 2004 35 4 337 342 10.1016/j.apergo.2004.03.005 15159198 · DOI
  20. Daneshmandi H Choobineh A Ghaem H Alhamd M Fakherpour A The effect of musculoskeletal problems on fatigue and productivity of office personnel: a cross-sectional study J Prev Med Hyg 2017 58 3 E252 29123372 PMC5668935
  21. Daneshmandi H Choobineh A Ghaem H Hejazi N Proper sit–stand work schedule to reduce the negative outcomes of sedentary behavior: a randomized clinical trial Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2019 10.1080/10803548.2019.1679972 31603033 · DOI
  22. Dohrmann SB Leppin A Determinants of seafarers’ fatigue: a systematic review and quality assessment Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2017 90 1 13 37 10.1007/s00420-016-1174-y 27804037 · DOI
  23. Emmatty FJ Panicker VV Ergonomic interventions among waste collection workers: a systematic review Int J Ind Ergon 2019 72 158 172 10.1016/j.ergon.2019.05.004 · DOI
  24. Ervasti J Long-term exposure to heavy physical work, disability pension due to musculoskeletal disorders and all-cause mortality: 20-year follow-up—introducing Helsinki health study job exposure matrix Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2019 92 3 337 345 10.1007/s00420-018-1393-5 30511342 PMC6420465 · DOI
  25. Gerr F Marcus M Monteilh C Hannan L Ortiz D Kleinbaum D A randomised controlled trial of postural interventions for prevention of musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users Occup Environ Med 2005 62 7 478 487 10.1136/oem.2004.015792 15961625 PMC1741055 · DOI
  26. Grove SK Cipher DJ Statistics for nursing research-e-book: a workbook for evidence-based practice 2019 Amsterdam Elsevier Health Sciences
  27. Haghshenas B Habibi E Haji Esmaeil Hajar F Ghanbary Sartang A van Wijk L Khakkar S The association between musculoskeletal disorders with mental workload and occupational fatigue in the office staff of a communication service company in Tehran, Iran, in 2017 J Occup Health Epid 2018 7 1 20 29 10.29252/johe.7.1.20 · DOI
  28. Hallman DM Holtermann A Björklund M Gupta N Rasmussen CDN Sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain: determinants of distinct trajectories over 1 year Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2019 92 8 1099 1108 10.1007/s00420-019-01447-y 31165308 PMC6814632 · DOI
  29. Haukka E A randomised controlled trial on whether a participatory ergonomics intervention could prevent musculoskeletal disorders Int J Occup Environ Med 2008 65 12 849 856 10.1136/oem.2007.034579 18417560 · DOI
  30. Hayati A Marzban A Rahnama M Occupational safety and health in traditional date palm works Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2021 94 1455 1473 10.1007/s00420-021-01664-4 33900442 · DOI
  31. Haynes S Williams K Impact of seating posture on user comfort and typing performance for people with chronic low back pain Int J Ind Ergon 2008 38 1 35 46 10.1016/j.ergon.2007.08.003 · DOI
  32. Heidarimoghadam R Mohammadfam I Babamiri M Soltanian AR Khotanlou H Sohrabi MS What do the different ergonomic interventions accomplish in the workplace? 2020 A systematic review Int J Occup Saf Ergon 32799768
  33. Hosseini A Choobineh A Razeghi M Pakshir HR Ghaem H Vojud M Ergonomic assessment of exposure to musculoskeletal disorders risk factors among dentists of Shiraz Iran J Dent 2019 20 1 53 PMC6421327 30937338
  34. Jacobo-Galicia G Navarro-González CR Montoya-Reyes M Mendoza-Muñoz I Jiménez-López E García-Alcaraz JL Realyvásquez-Vargas A Z-Flores E The human factor as a central element in the design of the workplace. a systematic review Trends in industrial engineering applications to manufacturing process 2021 Cham Springer
  35. Jacobs RL Institutionalizing organizational change through cascade training J Eur Ind Train 2002 26 2 177 182 10.1108/03090590210422058 · DOI
  36. Jadhav GS Arunachalam M Musculoskeletal problems of hand-sewn crafted footwear manufacturing artisans in Kolhapur, India Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2021 10.1007/s00420-021-01734-7 34223987 · DOI
  37. Jain R Sain MK Meena ML Dangayach GS Bhardwaj AK Non-powered hand tool improvement research for prevention of work-related problems: a review Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2018 24 3 347 357 10.1080/10803548.2017.1296214 28278007 · DOI
  38. Javanmard GH Mamaghani J Standardization of GHQ-28 inventory on the students of Azerbaijan province of Iran Procedia Soc Behav Sci 2013 84 47 52 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.507 · DOI
  39. Kujerdi MF, Mokarami H, Keshtkar V, Ziaei M, Petramfar P, Choobineh A (2021) Improving working conditions in an Iranian hospital: a participatory ergonomics approach. Int J Occup Saf Ergon 1–7 33855938
  40. Kuorinka I Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms Appl Ergon 1987 18 3 233 237 10.1016/0003-6870(87)90010-X 15676628 · DOI
  41. Lawson G Hermawati S Ryan B Participatory ergonomics in industrially developing countries: a literature review Int J Mech Eng 2021 2 1 53 59
  42. Lidegaard M Søgaard K Krustrup P Holtermann A Korshøj M Effects of 12 months aerobic exercise intervention on work ability, need for recovery, productivity and rating of exertion among cleaners: a worksite RCT Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2018 91 2 225 235 10.1007/s00420-017-1274-3 29103065 PMC5797214 · DOI
  43. Loisel P Gosselin L Durand P Lemaire J Poitras S Abenhaim L Implementation of a participatory ergonomics program in the rehabilitation of workers suffering from subacute back pain Appl Ergon 2001 32 1 53 60 10.1016/S0003-6870(00)00038-7 11209832 · DOI
  44. Martimo K-P Shiri R Miranda H Ketola R Varonen H Viikari-Juntura E Effectiveness of an ergonomic intervention on the productivity of workers with upper-extremity disorders—a randomized controlled trial Scand J Work Environ Health 2010 36 1 25 33 10.5271/sjweh.2880 19960145 · DOI
  45. Mohammadi G Association between prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders and general health among Iranian oil refinery workers J Musculoskelet Res 2020 23 01 2050002 10.1142/S0218957720500025 · DOI
  46. Momeni Z Choobineh A Razeghi M Ghaem H Azadian F Daneshmandi H Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among agricultural workers: a cross-sectional study in Iran J Agromedicine 2020 25 3 1 10 10.1080/1059924X.2020.1713273 31935151 · DOI
  47. Motamedzade M Shahnavaz H Kazemnejad A Azar A Karimi H The impact of participatory ergonomics on working conditions, quality, and productivity Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2003 9 2 135 147 10.1080/10803548.2003.11076559 12820904 · DOI
  48. Motamedzade M Saedpanah K Salimi K Eskandari T Risk assessment of musculoskeletal disorders by muscle fatigue assessment method and implementation of an ergonomic intervention in assembly industry J Occup Hyg Eng 2016 3 1 33 40 10.21859/johe-03015 · DOI
  49. Neshastegar F, Halvani G, Choobineh A, AhmadiyeYazdi M (2019) Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and determination of associated risk factors in female workers in clothing manufacturing workshops of Yazd city. Occup Med 11(2)
  50. Oakman J de Wind A van den Heuvel SG van der Beek AJ Work characteristics predict the development of multi-site musculoskeletal pain Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2017 90 7 653 661 10.1007/s00420-017-1228-9 28488112 · DOI
  51. Onishi T Kurimoto S Suzuki M Imaeda T Hirata H Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the upper extremity among the staff of a Japanese university hospital Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2014 87 5 547 555 10.1007/s00420-013-0898-1 23893254 · DOI
  52. Pope-Ford R Pope-Ozimba J Musculoskeletal disorders and emergent themes of psychosocial factors and their impact on health in dentistry Work 2020 65 3 563 571 10.3233/WOR-203110 32116274 · DOI
  53. Rasmussen CDN Højberg H Bengtsen E Jørgensen MB Identifying knowledge gaps between practice and research for implementation components of sustainable interventions to improve the working environment—a rapid review Appl Ergon 2018 67 178 192 10.1016/j.apergo.2017.09.014 29122189 · DOI
  54. Shahnavaz H Workplace injuries in the developing countries Ergonomics 1987 30 2 397 404 10.1080/00140138708969725 3582352 · DOI
  55. Sohrabi MS Babamiri M Effectiveness of an ergonomics training program on musculoskeletal disorders, job stress, quality of work-life and productivity in office workers: a quasi-randomized control trial study Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2021 10.1080/10803548.2021.1918930 33870873 · DOI
  56. Stevens ML Mechanisms for reducing low back pain: a mediation analysis of a multifaceted intervention in workers in elderly care Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2019 92 1 49 58 10.1007/s00420-018-1350-3 30173369 · DOI
  57. Tajvar A Common errors in selecting and implementing pen–paper observational methods by Iranian practitioners for assessing work-related musculoskeletal disorders risk: a systematic review Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2021 10.1080/10803548.2021.1905993 33736566 · DOI
  58. Tompa E Economic burden of work injuries and diseases: a framework and application in five European Union countries BMC Public Health 2021 21 1 1 10 10.1186/s12889-020-10050-7 33407315 PMC7789331 · DOI
  59. Upadhyay DK Ibrahim MIM Mishra P Alurkar VM A non-clinical randomised controlled trial to assess the impact of pharmaceutical care intervention on satisfaction level of newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nepal BMC Health Serv Res 2015 15 1 1 10 10.1186/s12913-015-0715-5 25888828 PMC4448530 · DOI
  60. Van Eerd D Process and implementation of participatory ergonomic interventions: a systematic review Ergonomics 2010 53 10 1153 1166 10.1080/00140139.2010.513452 20865600 · DOI
  61. Van Eerd D Dissemination and use of a participatory ergonomics guide for workplaces Ergonomics 2016 59 6 851 858 10.1080/00140139.2015.1088073 26328617 · DOI
  62. Wilson JR Haines HM Participatory design in the organisational context. Global ergonomics 1998 Amsterdam Elsevier 11 19
  63. Winwood PC Lushington K Winefield AH Further development and validation of the occupational fatigue exhaustion recovery (OFER) scale Int J Occup Environ Med 2006 48 4 381 389 10.1097/01.jom.0000194164.14081.06 16607192 · DOI
  64. Yancheshmeh FA Mousavizadegan SH Amini A Smith AP Kazemi R Poor sleep quality, long working hours and fatigue in coastal areas: a dangerous combination of silent risk factors for deck officers on oil tankers Int Marit Health 2020 71 4 237 248 10.5603/IMH.2020.0042 33394488 · DOI
  65. Zare M Black N Sagot J-C Hunault G Roquelaure Y Ergonomics interventions to reduce musculoskeletal risk factors in a truck manufacturing plant Int J Ind Ergon 2020 75 102896 10.1016/j.ergon.2019.102896 · DOI
  66. Ziaei M Choobineh A Abdoli-Eramaki M Ghaem H Individual, physical, and organizational risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among municipality solid waste collectors in Shiraz Iran Ind Health 2018 56 4 308 319 10.2486/indhealth.2018-0011 29503392 PMC6066438 · DOI
  67. Ziaei M Choobineh A Ghaem H Abdoli-Eramaki M Evaluation of a passive low-back support exoskeleton (Ergo-Vest) for manual waste collection Ergonomics 2021 64 10 1255 1270 10.1080/00140139.2021.1915502 33866962 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Rostami, M., Choobineh, A., Shakerian, M., Faraji, M., & Modarresifar, H.
Affiliations
  • Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (IR)
  • Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IR)
Corresponding author
Shakerian, Mahnaz
ORCID
Venue
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-11-30
Volume
95
Issue
5
Pages
953-964
ISSN
  • 0340-0131 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-1246
DOI
10.1007/s00420-021-01811-x
PMC
PMC8629733
OpenAlex
W3215194505
Cited by
19
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6
FWCI
4.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • shiraz university of medical sciences (95-77-28)
  • mobarakeh steel company (48445257)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety Management
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
Keywords
participatory ergonomics, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, human resource productivity, occupational fatigue, workstation redesign, employee training, steelworkers, health status, intervention effectiveness
MeSH terms
Fatigue, Humans, Ergonomics, Iran, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Occupational Diseases, Surveys and Questionnaires, Steel

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review