Ergonomic risk assessment of sea fishermen part II: Upper limb repetitive movements

Abstract

Despite the continuous mechanization and motorization of vessels, fish sorting and packaging tasks aboard a boat are still not automated due to the peculiar features of the fish sector and the lack of working spaces. To our knowledge, no studies of biomechanical risk assessment on fishermen have ever been made aboard. We found high risk values of REBA score while sorting fish at stern floor due to extreme trunk flexion. Furthermore applying OCRA checklist we found high level of risk also while sorting fish on a table at stern. Lastly we assessed filling crates task by means of surface electromyography (sEMG); we investigated right and left forearm flexor and extensor. We found higher mean values of sEMG for the left side than for the right side. We assessed this task also by means of OCRA checklist using sEMG for force value choice obtaining high risk indexes. Results showed high values of risks for all the investigated tasks.