Model proposal for physically ergonomic risky personnel scheduling problem: An application in textile industry for female employees

Abstract

One of the most important risks encountered in the textile sector, a labor-intensive industry where women work intensively, is ergonomic risks, which are the basic and inseparable part of occupational health and safety practices. Repetitive movements, improper posture, working in the same position for a long time are the most common ergonomic risks and cause musculoskeletal disorders. The high incidence of this disease in the textile industry also reveals the need for ergonomic regulation. Job rotation allows employees to work in different positions, thus balancing individual ergonomic risks. In this study, it is aimed to improve occupational safety and health by reducing the number of employees who are exposed to high ergonomic risks. For this purpose, the physical risks of 15 distinct missions in the t-shirt production process from sewing to packaging in a textile company producing t-shirts were determined by the REBA method. By creating a mathematical model with goal programming, staff scheduling was prepared to reduce the ergonomic risk in the employees, providing alternate work with weekly job rotation. As a result, the staff schedule will reduce employee health and safety problems, increase productivity and quality of life, and increase employee concentration and job satisfaction. In addition, it prevents employees from permanently working in high-risk locations and will increase the firm's efficiency by balancing the risks they are exposed to.