Introduction Brick manufacturing is a labour intensive informal industry using young workers as the major work force in Nepal. Young workers are required to use physical strength, carry heavy loads and remain in a squatted posture for longer periods doing repetitive tasks posing threats to musculoskeletal system. The objective of this study was to study prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries among young workers in the selected brick kilns in Nepal.

Methods This was a cross sectional study design involving young workers 17 years and below of age working in brick kilns in Bhaktapur and Sarlahi districts of Nepal. Study group included 101 young workers from Bhaktapur district and 97 from Sarlahi district, whereas, 64 nonworking children from Bhaktapur and 43 from Sarlahi districts were selected as the comparison group. Standardised Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms and questions on injuries were administered.

Result Lack of adequate physical infrastructures, poor working conditions with nonexistent safety procedures have posed risk to physical, metal and overall well-being of children. The risks of fall in the sampled kilns were high. The musculoskeletal disorder related pain and discomfort was experienced by 73 per cent of working children in Bhaktapur and 58 per cent in Sarlahi. It was identified that work related injuries in young workers majorly affected upper and lower limbs. The odds ratio suggests that young workers were 8 times more likely to experience trouble or body pain compared to non-working children.

Discussion This study finds that presence of inferior physical environment, working conditions and practices has contributed to musculoskeletal injuries and problems exposing young workers to risks and hazards. This study was based on a small sample; nevertheless it portrays an overview of musculoskeletal disorders in the brick kilns focusing on young workers.