Brazilian Journal of Operaons & Producon Management 12 (2015), pp 16-24 MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS RELATED TO WORK AND THEIR RISK FACTORS: A STUDY IN THE SYSTEM OF MILK PRODUCTION IN SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL HEALTH AND SAFETY Leandra Ulbricht a ; Leila Amaral Gonjo b ; Adriana Maria Wan Stadnik a a Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Brazil b Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil ABEPRO DOI: 10.14488/BJOPM.2015.v12.n1.a2 This arcle aims to analyze the system of milk producon and to idenfy risk factors for the development of Work- Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD). The methodology used was Ergonomic Work Analysis to idenfy risk factors, the prevalence of pain / discomfort and locaon of anatomical parts affected were established by the standard Nordic quesonnaire and the study of comparave risk with other acvies was carried out by the method of Jonsson. The main findings were the high prevalence of complaints of pain / discomfort (85.16%); a high risk of developing WMSDs among milkers as there were inadequacies in the workplace leading to harmful postures, equipment not appropriate for work and the presence of human skeletal muscle overload. The main anatomical regions affected were: 1) For men: wrists/hands, hips and thoracic spine; 2) For women elbows, wrists / hands, spine (thoracic and lumbar spine), hips, knees, ankles and feet. The pain also showed a characterisc mulfocal where 33% of the milkers, had some type of pain in the three body segments. As for the producon system it was found that hand milking may be considered a predisposing factor for pain in the wrists / hands, spine and foot / ankle. Keywords: sistema de gestão de segurança e saúde no trabalho, serviço público federal, SIASS, SGSST. Abstract INTRODUCTION Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) are not a disease of modern mes, they are associated with acvies involving repeve movements since the seventeenth century. However, aſter the Industrial Revoluon there was a significant increase in the number of clinical cases reported and there were several epidemics. (Ulbricht, 2003) Because of the wide variety of causave factors to be covered by a single term, there are several synonyms, and in Brazil the most used terms are WMSD (Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders) and RSI (Repeve Strain Injuries). In Brazil there is currently an epidemic of WMSD and about the prevalence of WMSD, it was found that most research focuses on urban work and relates the disease especially in industries with repeve line producon where the work had intensified and remuneraon is based on producvity. However, agriculture is considered one of the three major occupaonal risk acvies, along with mining and construcon. (ILO, 1999) This high risk is due to the mulple acvies involved in agricultural work, which may involve accidents with mechanical equipment, respiratory hazards, such as: crush injuries, kicks and bites of animals; accidents when handling chemicals, exposure to extreme heat or cold; skin diseases; hazardous noise levels and electrical hazards. (Pinzke, 1999) These risks may also be increased costs due to psychosocial factors such as limited opportunies for holidays, high illiteracy rate, use of equipment and chemicals without the required qualificaon of the farmers on the use of these elements, and is sll important to consider the workforce with high percentage of farmers over 65 years and the employment of children under fourteen years old in the labor acvies (a workforce that is not normally found in other hazardous occupaons). (Ulbricht, 2003) Also, farmers claim that there is a lack of profitability which implies a lack of resources for the construcon of a safe working environment and the lack of informaon about the risks. Thus, although the rates of mortality related to work acvies which are deemed as dangerous have been present a decrease in the last decade, they see increasing in agriculture both in developed and underdeveloped countries. (Ulbricht, 2003)