Work - Volume 41, issue Supplement 1

Authors: Souza, C.D.R. | Filho, A.B.G.J. | Silva, R.A.V.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of introduction a new work toolon health and productivity of manual harvesting sugarcane workers. In this study it was performed aErgonomic Work Analysis (EWA) to analyze the work tool changes.The study includedsugarcane workers, drivers, fiscals, and technical’s safety at work.During the analysis process, 134 questionnaires were applied,aimedto identify the constraints that such workers are submitted,to evaluate the tool introduced, in order to propose modifications to improve it.The results showeda decrease in perceived exertion and discomfort, without compromising the cut quality. The main contributionsofErgonomic Work Analysis were thepossibility of bringing the …logic of the worker,in order to understand the inherent real work characteristics,to the process of developing the new tool. Besides, it was also noted that this methodology, based on the analysis workers activity in a real usage,as an application tool in design projects, providing innovations from the workers perspective. Show more

Keywords: manual harvesting, work tool, sugar cane, ergonomics

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0792-4967

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4967-4970, 2012

Authors: Barrero, LH | Ceballos, C | Ellegast, R | Pulido, JA | Monroy, M | Berrio, S | Quintana, LA

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Evidence on the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions to reduce mechanical demands and upper-extremity MSDs is scarce in agriculture. We conducted an intervention to reduce mechanical exposures during manual flower cutting through job rotation, education and reduction of force requirements. One-hundred and twenty workers (20 to 60 years old; 89% women) from six companies that cultivate roses participated in this study. Three companies were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. We studied changes between baseline and follow-up in self-reported effort and upper-extremity postures, kinematics and muscular activity. Most of the observed changes were moderate for both groups. The intervention group …showed differential improvements compared to the control group for the maximum wrist radial deviation and forearm pronation, and acceleration of the forearm supination-pronation and elbow flexion-extension; and the muscular activity of the flexor and extensor carpi radialis and the flexor carpi ulnaris. However, we also observed that the maximum ulnar deviation, velocity of the wrist flexion-extension and muscular activity of the extensor carpi ulnaris improved more in the control group. These mixed results may be related to limited time for intervention adjustment, and uncontrolled task changes in the control group. Future research should address these issues and test other solutions. Show more

Keywords: Randomized trial, intervention, mechanical exposures, agriculture

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0040-4971

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4971-4974, 2012

Authors: Tereso, M.J.A. | Abrahão, R.F. | Gemma, S.F.B. | Montedo, U.B. | Menegon, N.L. | Guarneti, J.E. | Ribeiro, I.A.V.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Organic agriculture is a sustainable cultivation ecologically, economically and socially. Several researches in organic agriculture have been made from technical perspectives, economic traits or related to ecological aspects. There are practically no investigations into the nature of the technology used in organic agriculture, especially from an ergonomic perspective. From the activity analysis, this study aimed to map the technology used in the production of organic vegetables. Properties producing organic vegetables were selected representing the State of São Paulo. It was applied an instrument (questionnaire and semi-structured interview) with their managers and it was made visual records to identify adaptations, innovations …and technological demands that simultaneously minimize the workload and the difficulties in performing the tasks and increase work productivity. For some of the technological innovations a digital scanner was used to generate a virtual solid model to facilitate its redesign and virtual prototyping. The main results show that organic farmers have little technology in product form. The main innovations that enable competitive advantage or allow higher labor productivity occur in the form of processes, organization and marketing. Show more

Keywords: innovation, organic agriculture, horticulture, technological innovation, work productivity

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0041-4975

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4975-4978, 2012

Authors: de Almeida, Ronaldo André Castelo dos S. | Veiga, Marcelo Motta | de Castro Moura Duarte, Francisco José | Meirelles, Luiz Antônio | Veiga, Lilian Bechara Elabras

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is considered the last preferred solution to an Occupational Safety Health (OSH) system. Brazilian OSH legislation assumes and requires PPE usage to neutralize the possibility of pesticide contamination. This study examines the inadequacy of the PPE used in a tomato crop, particularly from the standpoint of thermal comfort. This study made observations regarding heart rate and body temperature in a controlled environment using a treadmill (with and without PPE) of 12 volunteers; and during the process of rural labor (at rest and in normal work routine) of 2 actual rural workers. Comparing the results of the …treadmill test (with and without PPE) which tried to reproduce the same level of effort and environmental conditions of the actual rural work, this study demonstrated that PPE makes thermoregulation harder and tympanic temperature reaches higher values with the same level of effort. Moreover, body temperature increases quickly: with PPE it took 15 minutes to raise 1°C in body temperature, compared to 40 minutes without PPE. The results of this study indicated that the use inadequate PPE might pose thermoregulation risk to rural workers. Show more

Keywords: Pesticide, Personal Protective Equipment, Agriculture, Contamination, Thermal Comfort

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0042-4979

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4979-4982, 2012

Authors: Gandhi, Sudesh | Dilbaghi, M. | Mehta, M. | Pruthi, Neelam

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The study was conducted on 20 farm workers to identify the occupational health hazards in threshing operation. Four different protective masks were given and tested on various parameters. Respondents reported respiratory health problems which were mainly due to heat and organic dust in the surroundings. All respondents reported irritation in eyes and throat followed by nose (85.0%) and ears (75.0%). Musculo-skeletal problems were reported showing severe to very severe discomfort in lower arms (m.s. = 3.8), upper back (3.6) and upper arms (3.4). Overall discomfort score (ODS) was 7.6 depicting high level of discomfort. Peak expiratory flow rate was reduced …by 6.6 % depicting reduced capacity of lungs after day long work in polluted environment. Hood mask was highly acceptable as it showed lowest breathing resistance. Leakage of dust from sides and rate of sweating was medium. Hence, use of hood mask would be helpful to achieve the ergonomics objective of reducing health problems and improving performance. Show more

Keywords: peak flow rate, respiratory problems, breathing resistance, overall discomfort score

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0043-4983

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4983-4986, 2012

Authors: Poletto, Ângela Regina | Gontijo, Leila Amaral

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This research aims at investigating family farming workers' of Ituporanga microregion mental health problems and sociodemographical feature and work process association. The sample corresponded to 447 family farming workers in Ituporanga, i. e., part of the overall population lives in the 1.578 rural properties of the city (IBGE, 2007). A questionnaire with socio-demographic and work process variables was used for data collection concerning mental health problems along with the Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Inference descriptive statistics with central trend measures and variability was used for data analysis. By means of binary logistic regression the probability of an event, i.e. the …presence of mental health problems occur as a result of predicting variables. Level of significance 5% was adopted in all statistical procedures. The investigation revealed the prevalence of 33,8% of mental health problems. It was observed that women prevailed with 39,7% (n = 91), in contrast with men with 26,1% (n = 46), being such association statistically significant (X2 = 8,225, df = 1, p = 0,004, phi= -0,143). Socio-demographical and work process variables showed predictors of mental health problems, such as: (sex, age, use of agrochemicals, working hours outside and during harvest time, being family intoxication the most important. Mental health problems showed mostly associated to the use of agro-chemicals and farmers being intoxicated. Show more

Keywords: agriculture, work process, socio-demographic variables

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0044-4987

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4987-4994, 2012

Authors: Lambert, Mandy | Richardson, James | Grimbuhler, Sonia

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Plant protection products are used in agriculture to improve yields, but this use can cause contamination of the environment and is also likely to have adverse short and long term effects on agricultural workers. The field study took place in greenhouses and vineyards where operators are involved in high levels of pesticide spraying. The objective of this intervention was to identify factors explaining the influence of task factors on the exposure of greenhouse growers and vineyard workers. Thirteen operators were selected for detailed observations during one session of spraying. Video recordings provide counts of physical contacts between the operator and …all the surrounding surfaces during the spraying operation. Both in vineyards and in greenhouses, physical and temporal constraints are the predominant factors in establishing a specific spraying procedure. Every action taken by the operator is a result of a compromise between safety, task performance and quality Show more

Keywords: time constraint, physical workload, ergotoxicology

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0045-4995

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 4995-5002, 2012

Authors: Mehta, Manju | Gandhi, Sudesh | Dilbaghi, Mamta

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Agriculture is main source of livelihood for majority of the population in India. Agriculture has been established as one of the drudgery prone occupation of unorganized sector due to lack of access to improved agricultural technologies. The present study was planned to assess intervention of drudgery reducing technologies in agriculture and its impact evaluation. The drudgery areas/activities in agriculture were identified. Participatory field level skill training for proper use of the ergonomically improved farm technologies were given to men and women in separate groups. An intervention package consisting of improved sickle, wheel hand hoe, capron, cot bag and protective gloves …was introduced in village Shahpur. Data were collected to quantify the impact of intervention on the level of drudgery of worker before and after the technology intervention from sample of 30 respondents (15 male and 15 female) selected randomly from village Shahpur. Gain in knowledge and change in awareness level were calculated after the training.Evaluation of field validation of technology on drudgery of men & women was done after its use in the field conditions. A significant gain in awareness was observed among both men(2.6) & women (3.0) whereas the gain in knowledge was more among men (6.6) than women (4.5). In evaluation of field validation of technology on drudgery it was found that all the five technologies reduced the drudgery of men as well as women. However wheel hand hoe was used successfully by men in comparison to women who preferred to use their conventional technology i.e improved long-handled hoe. Evaluation of validation trials of the technologies reported that improved sickle was used successfully by both men & women farmers. More than half of the men farmers (53.3%) & only 13.3 percent women farmers preferred the wheel hand hoe over the traditional one as they found it four times more efficient in terms of time, energy & money saving. Cot bag was preferred by the entire sample. Capron was preferred by four-fifth of the men farmers (80.0%) whereas women farmers did not prefer it much. Only one third of men (33.3%) & 26.7 percent of women farmers preferred using gloves while harvesting of guar & picking of cotton. Show more

Keywords: awareness, knowledge, field validation

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0793-5003

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 5003-5008, 2012

Authors: Vyas, Latika

Article Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0046-5009

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 5009-5018, 2012

Authors: Ferrari, Ester | Cavallo, Eugenio

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Teleoperation has been widely applied in modern industry because of a variety of advantages, such as providing replaceable surrogates for humans in dangerous or difficult working environments over long distances. In this paper, a usability evaluation study of a teleoperation system for a compost spreader robotic machine is presented. The machine has been designed for the application of compost in small and stepping parcels of hilly vineyards. Driving and working tasks can be controlled remotely by a portable piloting unit, reducing the risk for the operator in the event of machine overturning. Participants of the study were asked to perform …a series of tasks and sub-tasks and to vocalize their thoughts while working with the machine. The tasks were designed to simulate typical user experience. Once all the tasks were accomplished each participant was asked to fill a questionnaire. The evaluation considered aspects such as learnability, ease of use, understandability, controllability, frustration, mental effort, distraction, clarity of presentation, perceived usefulness, temporal efficiency and machine aesthetic. Results show that usability evaluation helped detecting design deficiencies in the teleoperated compost spreader machine. Show more

Keywords: evaluation, users, agriculture, remote device, portable piloting unit

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0047-5019

Citation: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 5019-5026, 2012