Effectiveness of workstation design on reducing musculoskeletal risk factors and symptoms among semiconductor fabrication room workers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ergonomic workstation design on musculoskeletal risk factors (MRFs) and musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs) reduction among female semiconductor fabrication room (fab) worker. A prospective study was conducted to follow up 40 female fab workers over 3 months after intervention. The intervention program focused on reducing shoulder loadings for 20 female fab workers by redesigning nine workstations. Simultaneous comparisons were made for the other 20 female fab workers using original workstations. One customized observation checklist and Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire were used to evaluate workers’ MRFs and MSSs, respectively. One month after intervention, MRFs of awkward shoulder postures and repetitive motions and MSSs in shoulders for the intervention group were significantly lower than those for the control group. The lowering effects persisted for 3 months on awkward shoulder postures but lasted for only 1 month on repetitive motions and shoulder symptoms after intervention. Relevance to industry This study demonstrates a systematic approach for assessing effectiveness of ergonomically redesigned workstations tailored for female fab workers on reducing their awkward shoulder postures and shoulder symptoms. Industries can use our findings to design or evaluate their ergonomic intervention programs in the workplace or use our workstation specifications to purchase their manufacturing equipments in the future. r 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.