ERGONOMICS

The raw materials for the manufacture of grinding wheels of various specifications were being stored in almost every places available throughout the factory premises. Both ground floor as well as the mezzanine floor spaces was fully occupied by the raw material bags plenty in number. As the raw material bags were being stored on the floor level, the workers were forced to pick them up by bending at the waist or kneeling below for lifting, carrying and handling the bags stored at the floor level. If a lifting task is repetitive in nature and takes place over an extended period of time, it will probably require sustained strength and endurance from the workers. The body responds for the demand by increasing the heart rate and by breathing more heavily to take more oxygen. These risk factors are called as Ergonomic Hazards that may adversely affect a persons well- being . As with most musculoskeletal disorders , chronic low back pain usually results from such combination of risk factors acting together over the period of time. The primary concern for the raw material handling workers is the constant bending at the waist or kneeling to pick up the material bags from the floor level. One possible solution to avert this musculoskeletal disorder is the provision of suitable storage racks allowing the handling workers to negotiate the load at approximately near waist height. This would eliminate the need for the worker to lift the material bags or other objects from near floor level. The height of pick up and staking portion of the handling operators would be two-fold . first, it would greatly reduce the ergonomic and safety issues long associated with the task and second it would increase the productivity by reducing the amount of time required to pick up and unload the raw materials.