Practical Application of Ergonomic Methodology Identifying Critical Activities in a Metallurgical Electrolysis Unit

Abstract

This work presents a multidisciplinary methodology for the identification of critical activities in an industrial process utilizing task time quantification techniques present in ergonomic analysis and involving the participation of socio-technical users. It involved an activity analysis that focused on the individual workers’ functions and behavior when carrying out their tasks in a metallurgy electrolysis unit. The choice of critical activities was based on levels of exposure to occupational, environmental and operational health risks present during the working period. The methodology identified critical activities that put both the health and safety of the workers at risk. The operators’ participatory and constructive approach reduced analytical subjectivity, providing consensual conclusions. Questionnaires were used to produce a pain map that sought to analyze the stress placed on the workers’ musculoskeletal system as a consequence of performing their activities. The quantification of time in the operator’s workday identified the criticality of exposure to occupational health risks associated with the operational procedure. A process validation was reached, which integrated a postural and kinesiological analysis with the operators’ perceptions according to their responses to questionnaires. As a result of the analysis undertaken in this work it was also possible to identify an increase in deformities present in copper cathodes and a corresponding increase in on-time activities to remove them that had led to production losses as well as worker discomfort. The methodology, which included the operators’ opinions and perceptions, concluded with a process validation. This work describes a set of proposed metrics based on ergonomic principles.