Ergonomic Study of a Cutting and Inspection Workstation at a Textile Industry
摘要
Nowadays, workers from textile industries are exposed to several risk factors that significantly contribute to the increased incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). The current study aims to carry out an ergonomic assessment of the cutting and inspection workstation at a knitted garment and home textile company, to assess the WMSD risk to which the seven female workers at the workstation are exposed. During the diagnostic phase, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was applied. The results showed that the neck, shoulders, lower back, and hand-wrist system were the body regions with the highest incidence of complaints. Additionally, the Ergonomic Workplace Analysis (EWA) was applied identifying postures, level of attention required, and restrictiveness of the work as the main risk factors. Based on this diagnosis, two observational methods were applied: the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and the Revised Strain Index (RSI) to evaluate three tasks. The results indicate that cutting with scissors is a dangerous task that requires immediate action, while the inspection and saw cutting require further investigation. Considering the obtained results, some measures were proposed, such as adjustable individual tables for workers’ height and also ergonomic mats.