A Comparative Study of Fatigue Complaints among Assembly Line Workers Employed in the Two Electronic Factories in Vietnam

A cross-sectional study concerning working conditions and the fatigue complaints of assembly line workers employed in two different electronic factories (A and B) in Vietnam was conducted from August to September 1994. While general working conditions, such as noise, dust, heat and lighting, were worse in Factory B, the prevalence rate of the subjective fatigue after working time was significantly higher among workers in Factory A. Fatigue symptoms in category I (Drowsiness and dullness) were particularly apparent among workers in Factory A. More interestingly, one-third of workers in Factory A complained of stiff shoulders and low back pain. Our field observation results suggest that the ergonomic inappropriateness of the assembly line in Factory A, may be causing a high rate of subjective fatigue among workers.