Musculoskeletal injury risk assessment and intervention at a car manufacturer using various ergonomics and biomechanical tools

Nazemi, Hamed; Salmani, Mohammad Javad; Sabokroozroozbahani, Fatemeh; Ebadi, Yashar; Fathallah, Fadi; Parnianpour, Mohammad; Arjmand, Navid

doi:10.24200/sci.2025.64576.9028

Musculoskeletal injury risk assessment and intervention at a car manufacturer using various ergonomics and biomechanical tools

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Hamed Nazemi ¹

Mohammad Javad Salmani ¹

Fatemeh Sabokroozroozbahani ¹

Yashar Ebadi ¹

Fadi Fathallah ²

Mohammad Parnianpour ¹

navid Arjmand ¹

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

10.24200/sci.2025.64576.9028

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal injuries are common diseases among workers causing a substantial economic burden on society. Therefore, assessment of musculoskeletal injury risks during occupational activities is essential for the design of subsequent effective interventions and management programs.
Methods: Risk of three occupational activities performed by one worker in a shot-peening station of a car manufacturing company has been investigated using several biomechanical (i.e., musculoskeletal models such as HCBCF, Regression models, 3DSSPP and AnyBody) and ergonomics (e.g., Washington State tables, WISHA, NIOSH, MAC, Snook’s Table, ManTRA, QEC, OWAS, REBA, and RULA) risk assessment tools. The worker’s activities involved manual material handling of gearbox shafts and pushing/pulling of a carrier containing these shafts.
Results: Our findings indicated a high risk of musculoskeletal injuries during all activities. Therefore, engineering and administrative interventions were provided. After the interventions, injury risk during pushing and pulling activities was fully managed to a safe zone by using overhead cranes. The lifting task was also rendered within a safe zone through the application of administrative interventions and using an appropriate work table.
Conclusion: Comprehensive risk assessments by biomechanical and ergonomic tools, managed risks to safe levels, and load dynamics effect in risk assessments were considered.

Keywords

biomechanical models

ergonomics tools

interventions

musculoskeletal injury

risk assessment

Subjects