Ergonomic Intervension to Improve Work Efficiency (Case Study: Small and Medium Enterprise of Tofu Industry)

Abstract

The food industry is one of the most important industries in human life. Raimin SME is a form of business engaged in the food sector that produces tofu. The tofu production process at Raimin SMEs is mostly done manually. There are some subjective complaints from workers when they are active on the production floor. This complaint was obtained by conducting an initial survey in the form of filling out the Nordic Body Map. Unnatural posture is one of the problems faced by workers, especially in the process of cutting tofu and in terms of ergonomics, working posture in the process of removing tofu from mold and process of tofu cutting. The purpose of this research is to design a tool based on an ergonomic approach so as to reduce the risk of injury and excessive fatigue. The tool in question is also expected to increase the efficiency of processing time. Based on the results of the Nordic Body Map, the most problematic body parts are known, then the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Workplace Ergonomic Risk Factor (WERA) scores are calculated. The results of the REBA calculation for removing tofu from mold resulted in a score of 11 (very high risk category). The results of calculations using the WERA method in the tofu cutting process resulted in a score of 37 (medium risk category). The results of the heart rate (HR) measurement show that workers need energy of 6.34 kcal/minute (classified in heavy work). Furthermore, tool design, simulation with CATIA software and implementation on the production floor are carried out. Of the 8 design concepts, the best design was selected and a simulation was carried out with CATIA software, the result of the REBA score of the cutting process was reduced to 3 (low risk category). The results of the implementation of the tool show that the REBA score after implementation decreases to 3, the WERA score becomes 27, and the energy consumption rate decreases to 3.98 kcal / min, which is categorized as light work. The standard time for removing tofu from mold decreased by 48% (from 48.05 sec to 24.9 sec), while for tofu cutting process it decreased by 69.2% (from 44.58 sec to 13.70 sec).