Ergonomic Analysis of Labor Applied to Scaffolders in a Shipyard in Brazil

Abstract

Modules of 6 oil and gas platforms are being built at a shipyard in Brazil. It was verified that, among the disciplines of construction and assembly (welding, structure, electrical, scaffolding, painting, instrumentation, commissioning, piping and load handling), scaffolders are the workers who are exposed to the greatest amount of unsafe conditions due to the risks inherent to the work at heights and the lack of safety behavior. This study aims to analyze the working conditions of scaffolders analyzing their job and applying a tool designed for the whole shipyard safety. It was used the direct observation of the activity during 8 months and the Ergonomic Analysis of Labor (EAL) were applied to ascertain the diagnosis of the context that covers the working routine of the scaffolders. ErgCAP – Ergonomics of Correction, Awareness and Participation was implemented as a tool in which the construction and assembly teams were responsible for identifying and registering the unsafe conditions. From the observation it was realized that the physical structure offered to the scaffolders is not ideal and the workers frequently go beyond some limits of the procedure to achieve production goals, putting themselves and the others at risk. ErgCAP registered 599 unsafe conditions in the area of scaffolding, among which the most recurrent are: opening in floor, scaffolding without skirting board, lack of inspection, activity being carried out without issuing a work permission, scaffolding material spread and seat belt not used properly. From the observations it is important to note that it is not always possible to attach the seat belt to a structure other than the scaffold being erected, which is unsafe and requires investment in the structure of the construction site. Another characteristic observed is that couplers, wooden planks and even scaffold tubes are often thrown at the ground. Training and awareness should be improved. The conclusion is that ErgCAP is an effective tool against one of the main causes of accident in the construction industry, fall from height accidents, because it transfers responsibilities to all workers and immediately acts on the perception of other risks. Not only who is doing the job is informed about the risk, but they also learn how to perceive it during their activities, as all the others become guardians of the safety in the construction site.