Ergonomic assessment and workplace design in dairy processing industry

Abstract

Ergonomics plays an important role in occupational safety, productivity and occupational diseases. For this reason, the creation of the auxiliary equipment or the machine and the work place designs to improve human life quality and working conditions is necessary at every area where manufacturing is made. Musculoskeletal System Diseases (MSDs) constitute 50% of new cases in occupational diseases. Unproper postures and ergonomic inadequacies in repetitive work activities in the formation of these diseases which may be painful during work or at rest are the main factors. Ergonomic improvements made are not only protect from occupational diseases, but also provide job satisfaction. This study has been carried out in a dairy-processing machine manufacturer where labor-intensive project-type manufacturing is conducted according to the customer orders. Human continues to be the most important element of manufacturing in this industry. So, ergonomic problems were determined by observing the all manufacturing process and suggestions were made by RULA analysis to improve existing problems by considering anthropometric data.