Hand anthropometry of the Colombian floriculture workers of the Bogota plateau

Abstract

The use of hand tools that fit users’ characteristics is essential for task productivity and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in industry. In Colombia, workers in the floriculture industry use a wide range of hand tools in cultivation tasks. However, little is known about the correspondence between the employed tools and hand dimensions of this population. The present article studies the hand anthropometry (HA) of a sample of 120 adult female workers of the Colombian flower industry located in the Bogota plateau. In total thirty-three HA measures were studied. A survey of the tasks and hand tools used in this population was also conducted. Detailed descriptive statistics were estimated for the assessed HA measures; and a comparative statistical analysis with other worker female populations reported in the literature was conducted. We found that the surveyed floriculture workers are systematically using tools with dimensions that do not adequately fit their HA and that may impose unnecessary mechanical loads to the users. HA in the present study population appear to be significantly different from other populations’ HA, which suggest the need to promote the acquisition, design or re-design of manual tools specifically thought for this working population. Relevance to industryHand anthropometry is a necessary input for tool design that promotes task productivity and workers’ health. The detailed HA information presented in this study can be used by tool manufacturers to design tools that are suitable for workers of the Colombian floriculture industry.