View paper - Institute of Industrial Engineers
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View paper - Institute of Industrial Engineers
Interventions in Agriculture Ira Janowitz, PT, CPE Sr. Ergonomist University of California SF/Berkeley Ergonomics Program 1301 South 46th St, Bldg. 163 Richmond, CA 94804 USA janowitz@earthlink.net www.me.berkeley.edu/ergo Investigators Julia Faucett Ira Janowitz Jim Meyers John Miles Mike Tarter UC Staff Victor Duraj Erica Garcia Mir Shafi Sally Suriano Diana Tejeda Funding: National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources Ergonomics Interventions in California Labor Intensive Agriculture 1 Nursery Spacing Spacing in plant nurseries Task: Lifting and carrying potted plants to ‘space’ them apart as they mature. Can be three 1-gallon plants or one 5-gallon plant in each hand; typically 22-27 lbs./hand. Risk Factors: •Repeated heavy lifting •Repetitive trunk flexion •High force pinch grips w/ contact stresses on hands Goals: • Reduce extreme sagittal flexion • Eliminate pinch grips Power vs. Pinch Grip Adjustable length handle 2 Assess Effectiveness of Intervention Nursery Handle Results FEATURES 1. Handles grasp the edge of the pots, provide a comfortable power grip for the worker. [5-Gallon containers] Criterion No Handle With Handle NIOSH Lifting Index 5.2 3.3 Forward Bending 22% 11.15% Aerobic capacity 50.3% 50.0% Grip Capacity 25% 12% 2. Handles are height-adjustable to preference of the user. 3. Grips designed to keep wrist in neutral during carrying, and for handling near ground level. 4. The handles work best for • Larger (2.5 – 5 gallon) pots • Pots made of firmer materials • Low trailers or trucks 3 Results [5-Gallon containers] Forward Bending 50% Grip Capacity 50% NO HANDLE HANDLE 22% 11% NO HANDLE Aerobic Capacity None Wine Grape Harvest HANDLE 25% 12% NO HANDLE HANDLE 50% 50% No significant change in productivity Wine Grapes Intervention Smaller picking tub • reduced weight from 57# to 46# • 130 / 150 lifts per 8 hour shift Improved handles reduced contact stress Wine Grapes Harvest Smaller Picking Tubs 46 lbs. New bin 57 lbs. Old bin Smoother bottoms reduced sliding force Lifting Force 19% Pain & Symptoms 65% Aerobic Capacity 2.2% Large Tub Small Tub 57 # 46 # Large Tub Small Large Tub Small Tub 47.7% 45% 2.51% Productivity Reduction 4 Harvest Aid Machine Agricultural Field Application Wine grapes harvest-Intervention CONCLUSIONS 1. Agricultural workers suffer from a high incidence of MSDs 2. Priority risk factors in agriculture are: • Stooped posture • Heavy lifting & carrying • Highly repetitive hand activities (cutting/clipping) 3. Task specific engineering changes have been shown to be effective in reducing job hazards 4. Quantitative/biomechanical assessment is essential for identifying and reducing the risks involved in physical work References • Janowitz et al, “Ergonomics interventions in the manual harvest of wine grapes” in the Proceedings of the 14th Triennial Congress of the International Ergonomics Association and the 44th Annual Conference of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2000. • Janowitz et al, "Reducing WRMSD risk factors and symptoms in plant nurseries through material handling modifications" in the Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, September, 1999. • Meyers, J, Miles, J, Faucett, J, Janowitz, I, Tejeda, D, Weber, E, Smith, R, Garcia, L. 2001. Priority Risk Factors for Back Injury in Agricultural Field Work. Journal of Agromedicine. 8(1):37-52. • Waters, T.R., Putz-Anderson, V., Garg, A., and Fine, L.J. Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation of manual lifting tasks, Ergonomics, 36:749-776, 1993. • Waters, T.R., Baron, S., Piacitelli, L., et al., “Epidemiological evaluation of the revised NIOSH lifting equation,” Spine, 24:386-395, 1999. Cooperators/Collaborators •California State Insurance Compensation Fund •Walsh Vineyard Management •Clos Du Bois Winery •Domaine Chandon Winery •Robert Mondavi Winery •Sierra Gold Tree Nursery •Bordiers Nursery •UC SF/Berkeley Ergonomics Program •Western Center for Agricultural Safety and Health •Center for Occupational and Environmental Health 5