Muhandisī-i bihdāsht-i ḥirfah/ī (Sep 2021)
Investigation of ergonomic conditions and the relationship between the severity of discomfort and working postures among date palm farmers
Abstract
Background and Objective: Date palm is the second most important agricultural crop of Iran after pistachio. Traditionally, the nature of work for palm farmers requires physical work, including the undesirable and long-term postures when working on the tree. This study aimed to investigate the ergonomic conditions and the relationship between the severity of discomfort and working postures in date palm farmers. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 100 skilled date palm farmers who were engaged in date cultivation during 2020. To investigate the ergonomic conditions and the relationship between the severity of discomfort in the farmers, the REBA and the Body Part Discomfort Rate )BPDR) methods were used. The data of farmers while working on palm trees by traditional tools was recorded, and the data were analyzed by SPSS Ver.26 software. Results: The results of the present study showed that the most musculoskeletal discomfort was in the upper arm, legs, and trunk. According to the tasks analysis, in most of the farmers' tasks, there was a significant relationship between awkward postures and the severity of discomfort in different body regions (p <0.05). Conclusion: Upper arm, legs, and trunk are most exposed to musculoskeletal disorders among date farmers. Also the "harvesting" and "climbing/descending" tasks can be considered as high-risk operations in terms of musculoskeletal disorders and therefore, using mechanical tools to perform operations on palms can play an important role in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in date farmers.
