Ergonomic Assessment of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Comfort of Students in Mechanical Workshop

Abstract

AbstractA mechanical workshop is an integral part of any engineering institution. Improper design of workstations and hand tools in workshop can significantly affect student's comfort and concentration. Ergonomics science plays an essential role in improving working conditions, productivity, efficiency and reducing worker fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Poor working postures, repetitive tasks and heavy workloads lead to increased risk of workplace injuries. An ergonomic assessment can identify these risk factors for further improvements. The objective of this paper is to find out comfort levels and work-related musculoskeletal disorders of engineering students working in mechanical workshops. A case study was conducted with a modified version of the Standard Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) to collect the data regarding demography, MSDs and work comfort of students. The data were analyzed using Minitab 16.0 software. A total of 180 students (male and female) were asked to fill the questionnaire out of which 152 were found valid. According to the data analyzed, average comfort score was found to be 2.16 (1—Not comfortable at all, 2—Moderately comfortable, 3—Very comfortable). The minimum comfort score (1.78) was found in the fitting shop, closely followed by the carpentry shop (1.96). Results of the survey showed that 33.5% of students reported pain in shoulders, 32.2% in fingers and 29.6% in the wrist after working. The average rapid entire body assessment (REBA) score was found to be 8.5, indicating the high-risk level of tasks involved. From the study, it was concluded that un-ergonomically designed workstations and hand tools in mechanical workshops lead to reduction in the comfort level of students and further may even lead to MSDs. The study concludes that there is a large scope for ergonomic design of hand tools as well as workstations in mechanical workshops of engineering institutions. Well-directed research toward this end could result in substantial reductions in postural discomfort of students training in such workshops.KeywordsErgonomicsMechanical workshopMusculoskeletal disordersWork comfort