Musculoskeletal disorders and posture analysis of ethylene dichloride (EDC) production operator

Abstract

The production process of Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) in most companies has been integrated with technological advances, but the role of the human as an operator is still vital. In this study, the operator's work posture analysis, as well as an evaluation of three main production activities at the petrochemical company in Qatar, were conducted. The main objective is to assess the risks carried out by panel & field operators. This assessment is important to maintain the operator's productivity within the industrial system context. A Nordic questionnaire was applied to collect information on Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) symptoms from 34 operators, while Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) was utilized to analyze risks of work postures. How operators perceived their workload was also evaluated using NASA-TLX. About 79% of operators suffered from shoulder pain, 70% suffered a waist disorder as a symptom of MSDs, and it can cause disrupted productivity in the long run. The operators' posture during performing their tasks was identified as a high level of risk and requires immediate action based on RULA and REBA scores. To reduce MSDs symptoms and posture risk scores, a portable platform and handle wheel chain was proposed. Based on NASA-TLX result the operators perceived that workload as somewhat high to high with score 49-60 on average (scale 1-100). Addition outsourced personnel was suggested to decrease the workload level in a certain operation.