Ergonomic approach to workplace (re)design during loads handling

Abstract

Manual handling of loads is a set of activities that involve physical strain during work. For this reason, it is necessary to create ergonomically sound workplaces, which will help improve health and safety in the workplace. The paper describes an approach, which includes ergonomic and productivity factors, for choosing the optimal alternative for loads handling using multicriteria analysis. The purpose of this approach is to select the most important criteria to make decisions on how to reorganize the work process, as well as to meet ergonomic performance goals, all with minimal impact on the company's productivity. The objective of this paper is to analyse and select the optimal alternative for manual handling of loads using the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. The results of the research revealed that handling loads is a more optimal solution when performed by a single person, taking into account ergonomics and productivity aspects, compared to working in pairs or using conveying systems as transport AIDS.