Nail job and women's health: Assessment of ergonomics and occupational hazards.

BACKGROUND

The nail job is a new occupation in which the number of people who choose this job is rising. Therefore, the harmful hazards affecting the health of the practitioners should be taken into account.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ergonomics and occupational health hazards among nail technicians in Iranian society.

METHODS

The self-administered questionnaire, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Novel Ergonomic Postural Assessment (NERPA) method were used to gather data from 80 female nail technicians who participated in this study.

RESULTS

More than half of the participants (67.6%) complained of coughing and eye irritation (70%) which was the most frequently reported irritation. The final score of the NERPA was at a high-risk level and the neck pain (63.8%) was the highest in comparison with other parts of the body. There was a significant relationship between activity type with disorder in the neck, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle. Lighting intensity was not significantly associated with musculoskeletal disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Concerning the low work experience, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and, respiratory complaints is high. Hence, the attention of policy-makers to the safety and hygiene issues of women in this occupation is necessary by setting guidelines and considering inspections of occupational health and safety professionals.