Effect of Job Rotation on the Risk of Developing Ul-WMSDS in Poultry Slaughterhouse Workers

N Da S Dias ,As Tirloni ,Dc Reis ,A Moro

doi:10.1590/1806-9061-2018-0843

N Da S Dias , As Tirloni + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9061-2018-0843

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the effect of job rotation on the risk of developing UL-WMSDs in a poultry slaughterhouse with 1,200 workers. Three organizational settings were evaluated (“without job rotation”, “with job rotation - tasks >1h” and “with job rotation - tasks 1h” (p 1h and <1h compared to not carrying out job rotation for the reduction of the UL-WMSDs risk. In relation to NR-36 requirements, it was found that alternating sitting and standing posture, postural requirements reduction and monotony were met by most sectors. Finally, it was difficult implementing efficient rotations due to particularities of work in the slaughterhouses such as: tasks with similar musculoskeletal requirements, pace imposed by machines, inability to perform rotations between different sectors (health and occupational constraints), the predominance of tasks with moderate and high risks, hindering the distribution of risks between the tasks of the rotation.

Highlights

Brazil is the leader in the export of chicken meat in the world, and the second biggest producer of this product (ABPA, 2017)
In the OCRA Checklist, the analysis is performed on the two sides of the body, but the final score for each task considers the side of the body that presents the higher risk (Colombini et al, 2014)
Corroborating with the results of the present study, several studies in poultry slaughterhouses presented moderate risk to most tasks (Reis et al, 2017; Reis et al, 2015b). These studies have shown that the right upper limb of workers is subjected to a greater exposure to the risk of UL-work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)

Summary

Introduction

Brazil is the leader in the export of chicken meat in the world, and the second biggest producer of this product (ABPA, 2017). The implementation of (neo-) tayloristic production principles, focusing on the elimination of time loss, modified the characteristic of the tasks, reducing the cycles of work and making the tasks repetitive and monotonous (Mathiassen, 2006). The slaughterhouses favor WMSDs development because they present ergonomic risk factors such as intense rhythm of the workday, inadequate postures, application of force for the handling of loads (Caso et al, 2007), insufficient recovery time (Punnett & Wegman, 2004), vibrations and low temperatures (OSHA, 2013). Slaughterhouse workers are subjected to physical demands of the upper limbs (Bernard, 1997), and according to Van der Windt et al (2000), repetitive movement, vibration and the duration of work are risk factors for the occurrence of pain in the shoulder.

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