ERGONOMICS RISK ASSESSMENT AMONG POTATO-CHIPS PROCESSING WORKERS

Abstract

          The identification of body fatigue can be performed by ergonomics risk assessment using ergonomic tools to apply for the different work posture suitably. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the ergonomics risk conditions among potato-chips processing workers. Thirty seven standing workers were screening from 107 workers by using the questionnaire and BRIEF’s survey for further risk assessment with the suitable tools which were the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). The results of this study showed that most workers were female (75.68%). The range of age was 21-43 years old and the average of working experience was 20.59 months. Forty three percent of workers had worked at Packing department. BRIEF’s survey identified ergonomics risk of 52.34% of the workers at high risk level. REBA identified ergonomics risk from 78.38% of the workers at very high risk level. RULA identified at very high ergonomics risk level from 70.27% of the workers. The correlation between REBA and RULA evaluations found that there was a linear correlation between RULA and REBA risk level (r=0.726). High score of RULA could show direction of the high score of REBA. From both evaluations, the workers were at risk and immediately needed the implemented program by ergonomic training, improvement of working stations following the ergonomic principle, engineering control and administrative control to prevent the musculoskeletal health effect among the workers.