Computer-Assisted Ergonomic Analysis of Working Postures Causing Strain

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the postures of workers in a workshop type small-scale furniture manufacturing factory considering seven workstations including edge banding station, horizontal circular saw cutting station, circular saw cutting station, borehole station, planning station, thickness adjustment (planning station, and band saw station. It was also intended to determine the points they have difficulty and what extent they have difficulty (i.e. the level of risk), and to bring the workplace conditions in compliance with the workers’ necessities through improvement arrangements about how they can avoid the ergonomic risks and dangers they face. Video recordings and photographs of each process were taken from different angles with cameras. Posture analysis was performed by selecting the movement that is most repetitive, longest, improper and forceful posture. Contrary to the previous studies incorporating estimation-based risk analyses, the present study employs uMED Ergonomics software, which allows analysis by collecting data (i.e. distance and angle) with measurement tools on the image, in analyzing the angles of body parts and clearly revealing the workers’ postures. Ergonomic risk analysis was performed using the REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) method, as it numerically quantifies the degree of risk which is one of the effective risk assessment methods. It was determined that the posture modifications and some ergonomic improvements significantly reduced the risk level. Accordingly, once the risk levels were determined (high for Station 1, medium for other stations), the risks were reduced to very low for Stations 4 and 7, and low for other stations.