The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Workers in Outlets and Warehouses of Courier Service Industry

Most of the courier companies offer both courier service and cargo delivery/shipping. Thus, the courier service industry is classified under Warehousing and Support Activities for Transportation (WSAT) and Postal and Courier Activities (PCA) of the Philippine Standard Industrial Classification (PSIC). The musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) under WSAT and PCA on 2013 totals to 1075 or 56.76% of occupational diseases. The researchers aimed to conduct ergonomic assessment in the outlets and hubs of one of the largest courier companies in the Philippines. The researchers gathered information about the demographics, work methods, workplace design and working conditions of the workers through survey questionnaires, interviews and observations. The prevalence of the MSD of workers in hubs is more serious compared to those in outlets. The most affected body part of workers is lower back. Factors affecting outlet customer service representatives are the setup, table height, frequency of exercise, proper lifting, years working, weekly working days, sitting hours, postures, workplace design and transaction rates. For the workers in hubs, the significant factors that affect them are the frequency of exercise, standing time, workplace design, weekly overtime, age, transaction rates, and whether they know about proper lifting. This paper proposes an ergonomically designed workplace and recommends strategies to reduce the worker's MSD in courier service industry.