Najarkola Moussavi - Dept. of Occupational & environmental Health, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran

The UEMSDs is a significant problem to ill health and associated costs; therefore, in order to protect workers from disorders produced by risk factors, there is a need to introduce a model for the assessment of risk factors featuring work-related UEMSDs. The CEI model is utilized by taking into consideration ten variables for repetitive tasks. Single and total percentage agreement for any item was obtained higher than 60% and all kappa factors for strength of agreements were gained rather than 0.20. Emphasizing on percentage agreement, most items were either close to or above 60%. All kappa factors for all assessment items gained higher than 0.60 and the test-retest agreements were all statistically significant. In laboratory study, for all tasks and assessment items, the percentage agreements were reached close to and above 60%. In field study, for all assessment items, the percentage agreements were obtained higher than 70%. The Kappa factors for all action levels were above 0.60 and percentage agreements for all action levels were reached to higher than 75%. and intra-observer reliabilities and validity tests’ agreement levels were obtained Inter-observer “acceptable” according to Landis and Koch and Baty et al. classifications. By increasing work experience and submitting training about assessment items, both Cohen’s Kappa analysis factors and percentage agreement were enhanced. The model is found to be sensitive for assessing the interventions and changes in exposure and assessment items before and after ergonomic interventions. The model is also indicated to be highly reliable, valid and applicable for a vast range of tasks and jobs include e.g. weaving and textile industries, manufacturing industries, carpentry, steel industry, post offices, service industry, electronic industry, shopping and marketing, agriculture and farming industry, tailoring & sewing, barberry, bakery, bricklaying, etc. Assessment reliabilities, validities and exposure index applicability’s will be improved with enhancing training and guiding to use the CEI model and elevating experience in making assessment process.

Comprehensive Exposure Index; CEI; UEMSDs; Repetitive Tasks; Ergonomic Risk Factors Assessment