Development of ergo-refined operator's workplace and biophysically actual cost-benefit analysis of riding type self-propelled machines with special reference for female operators

BACKGROUND

Female agricultural workers contribute to 37% of the total agricultural workforce in India, however, most self-propelled machinery is designed for male agricultural workers.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective was to determine the impact of the ergo-refined operator's workplace on various aspects of operator performance and comfort, including actuating force, posture, and physiological parameters.

METHODS

Experiments were carried out in real field conditions using a full factorial randomized design. Twelve female operators participated in the study, and measurements were taken for control lever actuating force, operator posture, heart rate, and other relevant parameters.

RESULTS

The ergo-refined operator's workplace intervention resulted in significant reductions in actuating force for various control levers, angles of joints, working heart rate (WHR), oxygen consumption rate (OCR), muscle load, and whole-body vibration (WBV) acceleration. These reductions were observed under different operating conditions.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the ergo-refined operator's workplace is effective in enhancing operator comfort and reducing physical strain during the operation of riding type self-propelled machines. It contributes to improved safety, comfort, and operational efficiency for operators working in field conditions. ANOVA and MANOVA analyses confirmed the positive impact of operating conditions and engine speed on the measured parameters when using the ergo-refined operator's workplace.

Ergonomic design of crane cabins: a case study from a steel plant in India

The study, carried out at the Batch Annealing Furnace (BAF) shop of Cold Rolling Mill (CRM) at an integrated steel plant of India, concerns ergonomic evaluation and redesign of a manually-operated Electrical Overhead Travelling (EOT) crane cabin. The crane cabin is a complex worksystem consisting of the crane operator and twelve specific machine components embedded in a closed workspace. A crane operator has to perform various activities, such as loading and unloading of coils, setting and removal of convector plates, and routine maintenance work. Initially, an operator had to work in standing posture with bent back most of the time. Ergonomically poor design of the chair and the controls, awkward work postures, and insufficient vision angle resulting in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are some of the critical problems observed.. The study, conceived as an industry-academia joint initiative, was undertaken by a design team, the members of which were drawn from both the company concerned and the institute. With the project executed successfully, a number of lessons, such as how to minimize the anthropometric mismatch, how to improve the layout of the components and controls within enclosed workspace, and how to improve work posture minimizing risk of MSDs have been learned.

Injury severity assessment for underground coalmine workers

An injury severity model is proposed for assessment of injury incidents in industrial settings. A classification scheme for injury incidents considering interactions is also developed. The injury severity model considers injury potential in the form of unsafe conditions and analyzes its transfer to actual injury of varying severity. A case study was conducted in an underground coalmine of eastern India. An observed reduction in risk realization is explained through the model. Presence of interactions is found to be the most significant incident attribute of injury occurrences. The classification scheme and the results obtained from this study will help in improving accident/injury investigation reporting and devising preventive measures for reducing injury severity.

A study on sludge minimization during the treatment of pickling effluent

In pickling industries, a lot of sludge is generated during the treatment of pickling effluent and there is severe problem of its disposal. Disposal of this sludge as per the Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989 is not easy. Its transportation and construction of lined disposal sites pose very severe problems. In the normal practice, the sludge is being disposed of at the sides of roads and railway tracks to fill low lying areas. This may cause serious health hazards. Considering these problems, a study has been undertaken to minimize the sludge generation during the treatment of pickling effluent by neutralizing it with lime, sodium hydroxide and combination of both. An attempt has been made to do an economic evaluation of the above process.

Optimum seat pan and back-rest parameters for a comfortable tractor seat

An experimental set up was fabricated to measure the pressure distribution on the seat pan and back-rest of a tractor seat. Experiments were conducted with four different seat pans having radius of curvatures of 60, 75, 90 and infinity cm, four back-rests with radius of curvatures of 30, 60, 90 and infinitity cm, and three back-rest inclinations of 0 degrees , 5 degrees and 10 degrees on representative Indian tractor operators. The subjective assessment of perceived comfort at the seat-operator interface was also recorded. Experiments were conducted in a randomized block design and the data obtained were analysed using suitable computer packages. Results indicate that all the parameters, namely seat pan, back-rest profile curvatures and the back-rest angle of inclination, affect the pressure distribution. It is concluded that a seat pan with radius of curvature 75 cm, back-rest with radius of curvature 30 cm and back-rest inclination of 10 degrees are the most suitable parameters for Indian tractor operators.

Anthropometric data of Indian farm workers--a module analysis

Anthropometric data of Indian farm workers have been compared with various other ethnic groups. The analysis indicates that there is a significant difference in the body dimensions which must be taken into account in designing farm equipment.

Evaluation of three manually operated weeding devices

Performance of three manually operated weeders was evaluated from ergonomics and mechanical considerations. Three operators were selected for laboratory and field trials; they represented the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles of the operator population. Laboratory tests were conducted in a psychometric chamber to study physiological response under varying load and environmental conditions. From the data, relationships between energy expenditure rate and oxygen consumption rate vs heart rate were established. Field tests were carried out with the three weeders in a farm with Arhar crop (Cajannus Cajan L.) during August-September, when the average ambient temperature and relative humidity were 36 degrees C and 82% respectively. The results of this investigation indicated that weeding with the indigenous tools of a 'khurpi' and a spade and with the improved tool (3-tine hoe) could be rated as 'moderately heavy' work. However, a 'khurpi' demanded less energy expenditure than a 3-tine hoe followed by a spade. The squatting posture with a 'khurpi' appeared to be more comfortable than the standing posture with about 145 degrees erect position for the 3-tine hoe, followed by the standing posture with about 108 degrees erect position with the spade. For consideration of higher output, the order was spade, 3-tine hoe and 'khurpi', For weeding efficiency the trend was, however, just the reverse.