Zeitschrift für Ergonomie
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Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Saw Mill Operator

Vadivel S*, Subramaniyan C, Muthukumar K, Bharani T

In India, Musculoskeletal Diseases (MSDs) are one of the most prevalent work related problems. Because the majority of the workers at an Indian saw mill is still performed task manually hence musculoskeletal disorders and injuries in various sections of the body are frequent. Lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling are among the awkward manual handling tasks they frequently perform. These will be identified as musculoskeletal disorder risk factors. The study's goals are to find out the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and to assess the level of postural risk among resaw workers. In this study randomly 15 workers were selected for this study from 15 sawmills in Tamil Nadu and these workers were performing multiple task daily. For the last year, all sawmill workers experienced musculoskeletal disorders in at least one body part. The average Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) score for the four primary actions (Pushing, Pulling, Moving, Lifting, and Carrying) was 10, indicating a high risk of MSD symptoms. The results also revealed that musculoskeletal discomfort was high among the sawmill workers who were doing the job for a longer period of time than those who are doing the same job. Based on these findings, it appears that repetitiveness in work, handling heavy load, sustained work task, and awkward posture might be the causative factors for the development of their discomfort feelings. Thus to ensure good health, safety and productivity of these workers, some ergonomic measures have to be taken as early as possible.