Ergonomic Hazards Associated with Brick Making in a Tropical Wetland: The Case of Sironga Wetland, Kenya

Abstract

Brick production processes involve a lot of manual handling which may lead to several ergonomic hazards. This is due to the nature of the work forcing them to bend or carry loads including frequency, time and weight of the load carried at a time. This study was done with the aim of identifying the ergonomic hazards in the brick making industry and the results compared with the local and international standards on load carrying. Different roles were played in brick production by both men and women. Females were mostly involved in carrying bricks on the head while males were involved in mixing and moulding of clay. However, both male and female workers required exerting force. Results revealed that workers were carrying loads more than 25kg against NOISH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) and (International Labour Organization) ILO which stipulates the maximum weight to be lifted, carried on head or shoulders, pulled or pushed is 25 kg for men and 20 kg for women. Heavy load carrying exposes them to several ergonomic hazards such as musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and disability. The study recommends ergonomic intervention