Predictive Models of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) Among Sewing Machine Operators in the Garments Industry

The Philippine garments industry has been a driving force in the country’s economy, with apparel manufacturing firms catering to the local and global markets and providing employment opportunities for skilled Filipinos. Tight competition from neighboring Asian countries however, has made the industry’s situation difficult to flourish, especially in the wake of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2015 Integration. To assist the industry, this research examined one of the more common problems among sewing machine operators, termed as Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). These disorders are reflective in the frequency and severity of the pain experienced by the sewers while accomplishing their tasks. The causes of these disorders were identified and were correlated with the frequency and severity of pain in various body areas of the operator. To forecast pain from WMSDs among the operators, mathematical models were developed to predict the combined frequency and severity of the pain from WMSDs. Loss time or “unofficial breaktimes” due to pain from WMSDs was likewise forecasted to determine its effects on the firm’s production capacity. Both these predictive models were developed in order to assist garment companies in anticipating better the effects of WMSDs and loss time in their operations. Moreover, ergonomic interventions were suggested to minimize pain from WMSDs, with the expectation of increased productivity of the operators and improved quality of their outputs.