Ergonomics-related risk identification and pain analysis for farmers involved in rice field preparation

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gross MT ; Kaber DB ; Puntumetakul R ; Swangnetr M
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: A previous ergonomic screening of rice field preparation revealed farmer exposure to high risks of musculoskeletal disorders at the shoulders, hands, wrists and back. The screening method was not applied to muddy soil farming in which analysts could not observe farmer legs and feet. This study analyzed farmer pain in all stages of field preparation. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of farmer experience and demographics to perceptions of pain and to identify body areas exposed to ergonomics risks, unknown to farmers. Results were expected to support interventions and guidelines for famers on physical behaviors towards minimizing risk of injury as well as validation of the screening approach. METHODS: Comparison of analyst screening results and farmer pain ratings using self-ratings and interviews. RESULTS: Farmer experience and age were significantly correlated with occurrence of pain and cramping. Less experienced farmers reported less pain in high-risk body parts (e.g., neck and lower back). More experienced farmers reported more pain in the legs, as compared with analyst risk ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated less experienced farmers to be unaware of critical areas of exposure to ergonomics risks. Correlation of farmer ratings of pain with analyst risk assessments support validity of the screening method for hazard identification and control. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Agriculture Behavior Demography Ergonomics Farmers Food-Processing Industry Hazardous Substances Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Race Factors Risk Assessment Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Age Factors Agricultural-industry Agricultural-workers Arm-injuries Author Keywords: Rice Cultivation Back Injuries Back Pain Body-mechanics Body-regions Demographic Characteristics Farmer Demographics Food Processing Workers Foot Injuries Hand-injuries Hazard Controls Hazard Identification Job Screening Leg Injuries Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Neck Injuries Outdoor Workers Pain Ratings Pain Tolerance Physical Capacity Physical Stress Physiological-effects Racial Factors Risk Analysis Screening Methods Work Environment Work Experience Work Practices

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• ISSN:
  1051-9815
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  63-71
• Volume:
  49
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048574
• Citation:
  Work 2014 Sep; 49(1):63-71
• Contact Point Address:
  Manida Swangnetr, Department of Production Technology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
• Email:
  manida@kku.ac.th
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Work
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3a3eb92ee8588c5b7828e0f119911d8ca36d0c37fbbc619d146434a669f129286f779bb6952232ff8778dd29a03ad27386f4e5db1c7382f10898a66cd2f6d291
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203297/cdc_203297_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 476.60 KB ]