A METHOD ASSIGNED FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF ERGONOMIC HAZARDS - PLIBEL

A checklist is presented for the identification of ergonomic hazards, with relevance to different body regions. Literature on the association between certain work characteristics and occupational musculoskeletal disorders was studied, and relevant items were chosen for the checklist. The method was tested for validity through workplace observations performed with the checklist and a well documented method (AET). The agreement between matching items was considerable. The inter-observer reliability yielded kappa values expressing a fair to moderate agreement. The applicability of the method is demonstrated through references to studies where it has been used.