Full Ergonomic Analysis of a Workstation in the Work Environment - Essay Example

The science of matching the product to the user and the job to the employee is known as ergonomics. Implementation of sound ergonomic plan in a workstation leads to ease of use, efficiency, comfort, health and safety (Gardiner and Harrington, 2005, 274) The above definition and explanation, it gives all what is required in order to achieve the employees’ maximum productivity, as well as the safety of both the employees and the tools and equipment used. Human beings are not the same. The differences arise from their physical abilities, gender, age, size among others. These differences are very crucial in the furniture design and modern equipment and practice. The purpose of ergonomics does come to the end there. There is also the need to look at the environment where the employees are. The role of ergonomics is therefore very important in ensuring the safety of both the employees and the equipment. There is no need of ignoring this. Its implementation will see the reduction of risks and accidents reported in the workplace (Gardiner and Harrington, 2005, 274). Many work-related accidents in the industries are attributed to the unsafe working environment. Others are attributed to technical and human errors. Technical and human errors arise from both the management and the individual operators who happen to be the employees. Most of the errors that affect the employees are normally due to refuse to follow the set rules. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) give very clear conditions to be met by the employers. These conditions include that the employers provide a safe work environment free from hazards and risks to the employees and must provide safe tools and equipment. The employers must also ensure that the employees must adhere to the set rules (Gatchel and Schultz, 2012, p.75) Summary of the common Hazards observed In summary, the common hazards identified in the whole farm include bending at the back and the neck. This mainly occurs during planting and weeding. Stooping while planting is commonly observed during planting and weeding. This is because all these activities are done manually either by tools with a sharp edge or by hand. The tools include machete or hoe. What encourages bending is the fact these tools often have short handles. Another observation made about these tools is that they are crudely made. Employees find it hard using them. It is very hard for them for them to grip One astonishing thing about it is that the employees like tools because they feel they have control over the tools. Marketing of the agricultural products also exposes some ergonomic hazards. The bending is observed among the marking process. The arrangement process, picking and arranging them requires a lot of bending. Another risk exposed to the employees is the sharp tools and equipment being used. This is noted during the harvesting and weeding process. There is also the lifting of heavy objects and materials. For example, workers are known to be lifting agricultural produce and other things. Some of the things being lifted include water, crates, buckets filled with flowers and boxes of vegetables. The hazardous thing about this is the poor or improper lifting technique. There is also constant hand grip and awkward postures. As observed, the employees use a lot of effort and force while doing the daily chores. Some of these include pulling and pushing of heavy objects. Most of these are forceful and repetitive. Carrying of heavy objects is another thing. This occurs frequently. To add salt to the injury, these conditions are mostly accompanied by vibration and cold. Cold is mostly experienced during the early hours and late in the evening. The employees work for long hours to increase their pay. As a result, the risk is elevated. During the wet days and season, a lot of injuries and musculoskeletal injuries are reported as compared to when the humidity and wetness is low. There is sliding which causes accidents. Some of the accidents reported during the wet seasons include cuts, sprains and knocks. Discussion The musculoskeletal hazards are very common. This is as a result of bending at the back as well as lifting of heavy stuff of over 50 pounds. This is not only report in the farms. Lifting of the heavy things occurs while storing, market and confined spaces as well. It also occurs across a variety of tasks. The employees work in the scorching sun weeding large plantations. Most of them are guided by the pay they are after. Most of them are poor immigrants. They do not give much attention to their health status. Most of these activities are manual in nature. Powered machines are rarely used. This, therefore, lead to more hazard exposure to the employees in the farms Musculoskeletal injuries should be a big concern. Its incidence rate is believed to be more than twenty times that of pesticides harm. The problem with musculoskeletal is that it affects the overall production. The individual output is much lowered. The overall agricultural production is also affected. The cost of treatment and management is very heavy on the individual, the government and the farm itself. The effects of musculoskeletal injuries and diseases are detrimental. It lowers the working period of the employees. Many disabilities occur during the working years. During the assessment, I got the report that some of the employees could no longer work in the field due to injuries associated with the musculoskeletal injuries. Some have ended up being disable or on the verge of becoming disable. Their bodies could no longer allow them to work in the farm. Their production had deteriorated leading to poor pay. Poor pay means they not could afford most of the basic needs including medical cover and other expenses. Equipment and machinery The employees in the farms are exposed to a lot of harms due to equipment and machinery they use. Most of these occur due to the poor condition of these tools and equipment. The agricultural employees often use cutting materials which are sharp. These cutting tools and equipment include hoes and knives among others. Use of machinery is another potential hazard they are exposed to while working. Climbing tools like ladders and scaffolds are some risks they work with. Some ladders and scaffolds have some exposed nails which can prick the users (farm employees). Most of these have rusted. These nails put the lives of the workforce at great risk of tetanus infection. The tools used by the employees appear to be very simple; however, their potentiality to cause harm can be very high if they are not well maintained. Power tools are very dangerous to the lives of the employees. The employees are exposed to the electrical shock. As observed, most of the powered machines are not well guarded or insulated. Some of the chains are exposed. The employees can easily be trapped into machines. They can also be cut and or maimed in the process. Some of the hazards are within the employees’ disposal. Some do not put on personal protective clothing. This is because the farming company does not provide them. The employers often see this as a waste of resource. Some are interested in making huge profits at the expense of the lives of the employees. On the other hand, some employees perceive these personal protective clothing and equipment as unnecessary. The personal protective clothing seems to be more of a bother. To them, personal protective clothing and equipment are very heavy. Some of them cause too much heat in the body especially during hot days. As a result, they endanger their lives by exposing themselves to hazards Personal grooming is another thing. Some of the employees wear loose clothing. Some of these clothing have loose ends and or have strings. These loose ends and strings can be caught by machinery. They become detrimental if caught by machines. Depending on the machine, the effects vary. Some can even cause deaths, burns, and other forms of injuries. Employees should maintain their hair short. Long hair has the same effect as loose clothing. They can be caught by moving the machine. Some tools like ladders and scaffold need to be safe for use. In many cases, they are not often firm enough for use. They are mostly used during pruning of crops, climbing walls or trees especially during repair. The risks involved here include the user tripping and falling which is very disastrous. They have the potential to cause death, permanent injuries etc. The people working around are also endangered. The tools often being used alongside the scaffolds include cutting tools and sharp objects. The ground might not be safe as well. There could be sharp objects and other people. Falling down can cause deaths to not only the one using the ladder, but also to the people at the ground around it Pesticides and other Chemicals Exposures to agro-chemicals have negatives effects in the lives of the employees involved. They have both short-term and long-term effects. These effects include illness allergies and skin irritations. As observed, these chemicals come in contact with the employees through direct spray and spills. The employees can also be through contact with the chemicals and pesticides residues either in the crops or in the soil. Pesticides and other agrochemicals pose as hazards primarily to the employees who are applying. Some of them are not provided with the personal protective equipment. The required equipment includes respirators, waterproof gloves, waterproof gumboots, overall. The applicants also need to put on eye and face respirators It is paramount for the applicants to read the chemicals instructions before applying them. They need to understand how to mix these chemicals. There is also the need to understand the risks involved in case they are they swallow, inhaled or exposed in any way. As observed, many employees in this sector have a low level of education. Many of them do not know how to read and understand. As noted in many agricultural farms, the employees who do manual jobs are immigrants who move in to look for jobs. The level of education is low among many of them. Most of the hazards come when the employees re-enter a sprayed field. It is important to note that this kind of hazard does not affect the employees alone. The chemicals can be exposed to family members when the employees expose them through take-home contamination. Air is another channel where exposure can take place. Sparing agricultural farms during strong winds pose a risk not only to the applicant, but also to other employees working nearby. Even employees working in the nearby firms are also exposed. Wind and air are responsible for the transfer of pesticides to other fields. Employees can also be exposed to pesticides and other agrochemicals by eating with hands contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals. These pesticides and agrochemicals can be transferred through the consumption of vegetable and fruits exposed or sprayed with pesticides and agrochemicals. The employees can be tempted to eat fruits when tired and hungry. The amount of water available could be too little or not there at all. As a result, the employee can only wipe these fruit before consuming them. They end up becoming exposed. The conditions in the agricultural fields and farms are very poor. Water available is sometimes contaminated. The employees become exposed to the chemicals and pesticides as they take a bath, wash their hands and or even take water from holding ponds or from irrigation canals. It is important to note that these water bodies may have accumulated the chemicals and pesticides over time. Respiratory Distress The analysis found out that the employees in the farm are exposed to respiratory problems. The respiratory hazards they are exposed to arise from the silos, manure pits, barns, and machinery. Some of the hazards exposed to the employees in this farm include organic dust, chemical toxicants, bioaerosols, and microorganisms. These hazards arise from the breakdown animal waste and grains. The assessment found out that the inorganic dust is mainly from the silicates from tilling and harvesting. The inorganic dust are prevalent but it is harmful effects is less significant. Noise Studies have shown that thousands of employees working in agricultural farms like this are affected by noise. This problem has led to hearing loss among the employees as a result of high level of noise. The studies indicate that the employees who work or live on farms have experienced a significantly higher rate of hearing loss as compared to the rest of the population. These studies concluded that farming contribute the highest risk of hearing loss to other occupations. In this farm, some of the machines that produce a lot of noise include chain saws, tractors, grain dryers, silage blowers, forage harvesters and skid-steer loaders. The assessment found out that there are specific employees who operate these machines. They operate them daily for long hours. This is very hazardous to the operators who operate them. Such loud noise and high sounds for a long period of time will lead to hearing loss regardless of the age of the employees. The assessment found out that the employees are not aware of harmful effects of what they are exposed to. This is because the noise from machinery like tractor takes a lot of time for its harmful effects to be evident. One thing which needs to be known is that once the harmful effects are realized, their effect is permanent. What the assessment observed is that the employees are not aware of how the lower or minimize the level of noise produced by the machines. The employers need to something. A close observation, the assessment found out that the level of noise was not checked. There were factors which worsened the case. Some of the machines observed that there were worn out parts which increased the level of noise. Most of the machines parts were not well balanced. These problems increase the noise decibels during operations. Another thing that the assessment found out is that these machines parts take a lot of time to get replaced. The lubrication also is not regularly done. Things like silencer, bearings and mufflers were not fixed to minimize noise level and reduce frictions in the machinery used in farm under assessment Another thing that the assessment observed is that vibration isolation pads were not installed in most of the machines operated in the farm. The isolations pads are often installed under the legs of vibrating and or noisy equipment. This is meant to minimize the level of noise produced by the vibrating equipment Other hazards which the employees are faced with include extreme cold and wet weather conditions. These conditions are known to cause respiratory infections and other infections of the lungs. Too much cold often have a dilapidating effect on the nervous system. It is sad to note that the employees were exposed to such conditions. They work in such conditions in the name of targeting higher productivity. References Gardiner, K. and Harrington, J. (2005). Occupational hygiene. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Pub., p.374. Gatchel, R. and Schultz, I. (2012). Handbook of occupational health and wellness. New York: Springer Science + Business Media, p.75. Read More