Ergonomic Redesign in the Welding Workstation of a Colombian Vehicle Assembly Company
摘要
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) associated with occupational activities in the automotive industry pose a significant challenge due to the particular characteristics of the occupation, such as repetitive movements, manual handling, force exertion, grips, tool usage, and forced postures. These risk factors increase the physical workload of workers, leading to occupational illnesses, absenteeism, and early retirement due to loss of work capacity, among other issues. Therefore, early detection and intervention of risk factors associated with WMSD are a priority in these industries. This paper presents a proposal for the ergonomic redesign of a welding workstation in a Colombian vehicle assembly company. The physical design of the workstation was carried out considering the principles of anthropometry and biomechanics applicable to this activity. The 3D redesign proposal was crucial for our work as it allowed us to present and discuss the changes with the involved workers. Additionally, we also detected a greater motivation for change on the part of the workers when they could see and participate in the design of their work.