Analysis of the mental workloads applied to press operators during the reuse and recycling of materials

Abstract

In Brazil, cooperatives formed for the reuse and recycling of materials and employing several workers are currently excluded from the formal labor market. In the cooperative environment, press operators are essential. They work under various time pressures, physical loads, stresses, and tensions because their work is a vital point in the production process. Despite its central importance for the processing of various types of raw materials, the press that is used to make recyclable materials poses a significant accident risk. The objective of this study is to evaluate, from the ergonomics point of view, the mental workload, tasks, and activities of press operators in a recycling cooperative in the city of Ituiutaba. Many observations and interviews were carried out, videos were recorded, and the Task/Activity Description Form and the NASA-Task Load Index was used to record and analyze the data from the press operators.