The effect of different work-rest schedules on ergonomic risk in poultry slaughterhouse workers.

BACKGROUND: Rest breaks are an organizational measure to reduce the high risk of upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UL-WMSDs) to which slaughterhouse workers are subject. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of different work-rest schedules on ergonomic risk in poultry slaughterhouse workers. METHODS: A total of 36 repetitive tasks was selected in a Brazilian slaughterhouse. Using the Occupational Repetitive Action (OCRA) Checklist, the level of exposure of workers to risk factors of UL-WMSDs in two work-rest schedules was evaluated. In the real condition, 6 rest breaks of 10 minutes were performed, and in the simulated condition, 3 rest breaks of 20 minutes. RESULTS: The right side of the body presented a higher score on the OCRA Checklist (72%of the tasks) than the left side (p = 0.037) in the real condition. Additionally, the OCRA score (18.3±2.5) was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than the simulated condition (21.9±3.0). It was verified that the risk level in simulated condition remained the same in 13 (36%) tasks, while in 23 (64%) tasks there was an increase in the risk level. CONCLUSIONS: Work-rest schedule of 6 breaks of 10 minutes was better than 3 breaks of 20 minutes to reduce the risk of UL-WMSDs in poultry slaughterhouse workers.

Cutting force measurement: Hand tool instrumentation used in slaughterhouses - a systematic review.

Workers' intensive use of hand tool cutting in the meat packing industry is a risk factor for occupational health, mainly by mechanical compression of tissues in the upper limbs, which can cause Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). This systematic review aimed to identify the characteristics and measured variables of instrumented knives and determine how they should be designed. The review process and article extractions occurred through an analysis of the (article) titles, keywords and abstracts, followed by reading the full texts by two reviewers independently. Searches were conducted in Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Ebsco and Engineering Village for articles published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2000 to March 2019, in the English language. The result of (the) search included 1289 potentially eligible studies, with 894 duplicated/triplicated/quadruplicated articles that were excluded, resulting in 404 remaining articles of which 33 were considered eligible, with 36 additional articles, totaling 69 evaluated full texts. After the review, none of the 14 analyzed studies, were rated as having good methodological quality. In addition, four types of instrumented knives were used. Data acquisition was performed in both laboratory and meat processing plants. It is noteworthy that only one knife was submitted to a validation process and that the articles did not provide complete technical information about the knives. The result demonstrated that the cutting force varies within and between subjects, tasks, plants and blade finishings. All knives used some type of electrical connection via cable or wires. Of the articles found, none considered the influences that the workers are subject to when they do not use the same tool daily for data acquisition. Therefore, the development of different types of instrumented knives, with wireless data transmission and more rigorous studies are necessary to expand the knowledge of the cutting force and development of WMSD in slaughterhouse workers who perform meat cutting.

Exertion Perception When Performing Cutting Tasks in Poultry Slaughterhouses: Risk Assessment of Developing Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Brazil is the leader in poultry meat exports, in which most products are in the form of cuts. This study analyzed the exertion perception of poultry slaughterhouses workers when performing cutting tasks, as well as the influence of knife sharpness on the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders by Occupational Repetitive Action (OCRA) method. Participants (n = 101) from three slaughterhouses were asked to rate their perceived exertion on the Borg scale during the cutting task when the knife was well and poorly sharpened. The OCRA results showed that the score for cutting with a dull knife was greater (43.57 ± 13.51) than with a sharp knife (23.79 ± 3.10) (p < 0.001). Consequently, there was a significant increase in the risk level of acquiring upper-limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UL-WMSD) by using a "poorly sharpened" knife (29%; p < 0.001; Borg scale 2-8). Thus, maintaining well-sharpened knives for optimal performance of the cutting task (fewer technical actions) is suggested, as well as including knife sharpening in the standard operating procedure to reduce musculoskeletal disorders.

Association between perception of bodily discomfort and individual and work organisational factors in Brazilian slaughterhouse workers: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Brazil is the world's second largest poultry meat producer and leading exporter. Many poultry processing tasks are physically demanding and involve factors that increase the risk of developing a work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD). However, little is known about the assessment of bodily discomfort in these workers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between perception of bodily discomfort and individual and work organisational factors in poultry slaughterhouse workers. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Three poultry slaughterhouses in the South of Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: This paper included 925 workers of 3 poultry slaughterhouses, 575 women and 350 men. The selection of the participants was random. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Workers were asked about individual factors, work organiation, perception of bodily discomfort and cold, as well as ingestion of pain medication. Crude and adjusted ORs were estimated and 95% CIs were derived from binary logistic regression analysis for perception of bodily discomfort. RESULTS: There was a significant association (p<0.05) between perception of bodily discomfort and female gender (OR=1.77; 95% CI 1.30 to 2.41), performance of repetitive tasks (OR=1.81; 95% CI 1.12 to 2.91) and perception of cold (OR=2.05; 95% CI 1.44 to 2.91). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this research demonstrated that the sector of occupational safety and health management in poultry slaughterhouses should monitor the symptoms of WMSD among their workers, especially female workers, workers who perform repetitive tasks, as well as those who perform tasks in cold environments because these groups are more likely to experience bodily discomfort.

The Use of Personal Protective Equipment: Finger Temperatures and Thermal Sensation of Workers' Exposure to Cold Environment.

This study analyzed the finger temperatures of poultry slaughterhouse workers and its association with personal and organizational variables, bodily discomfort perception, and cold thermal sensation. The study included 143 poultry slaughterhouse workers. A thermograph was used to measure finger temperature and an interview to collect worker data. There were two groups: workers who used a tool and those without. The binary logistic regression, Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used (p ≤ 0.05). Most workers presented at least one finger with an average temperature ≤15 °C (66.4%) and ≤24 °C (99.3%), perceived their cold hands, and wore three overlapping gloves (57.3%). There were no associations between finger temperatures (≤15 °C) and the analyzed variables. The chance of feeling cold for a worker who used a tool was greater than for a worker who did not (OR = 3.19, 95% CI 1.46; 6.94). There was a difference between the finger temperatures of each hand on both surfaces and the analyzed groups (p < 0.01). The temperature of each finger with its respective contralateral was different in the little fingers (no tool), index, middle, ring, and little fingers (using a tool) (p < 0.05). The use of several overlapping gloves was not sufficient to promote thermal insulation of the hands.

Thermographic Evaluation of the Hands of Pig Slaughterhouse Workers Exposed to Cold Temperatures.

Brazil was rated the fourth leading producer and exporter of pork meat in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperature of the hands of pig slaughterhouse workers and its relation to the thermal sensation of the hands and the use of a cutting tool. The study included 106 workers in a pig slaughterhouse. An infrared camera FlirThermaCAM E320 (Flir Systems, Wilsonville, OR, USA) was used to collect the images of the dorsal and palmar surfaces of both hands. A numerical scale was used to obtain the thermal sensation. Chi-square test, Pearson correlation and Student's t test or Wilcoxon were used (p ≤ 0.05). The majority of workers felt cold in the hands (66%) and workers who used the knife felt the coldest. There was an association between the thermal sensation and the use of knife (p = 0.001). Workers who used the tool showed correlation between the thermal sensation and the temperatures of the left fingers, with a difference between the temperatures of the right and left hands of those who used the knife (p ≤ 0.05). The hands (left) that manipulated the products presented the lowest temperatures. Findings indicate that employers of pig slaughterhouses should provide gloves with adequate thermal insulation to preserve the health of workers' hands.

Development and validation of instrument for ergonomic evaluation of tablet arm chairs.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an evaluation instrument for tablet arm chairs based on ergonomic requirements, focused on user perceptions and using Item Response Theory (IRT). This exploratory study involved 1,633 participants (university students and professors) in four steps: a pilot study (n=26), semantic validation (n=430), content validation (n=11) and construct validation (n=1,166). Samejima's graded response model was applied to validate the instrument. The results showed that all the steps (theoretical and practical) of the instrument's development and validation processes were successful and that the group of remaining items (n=45) had a high consistency (0.95). This instrument can be used in the furniture industry by engineers and product designers and in the purchasing process of tablet arm chairs for schools, universities and auditoriums.

Influence of anthropometry on meat-packing plant workers: an approach to the shoulder joint.

This study was conducted with 90 poultry slaughterhouse workers, which perform the function of removing chicken parts from the conveyor belt, and sample was composed of 66 women (33.5 ± 6.5 years) and 24 men (35.7 ± 7.2 years), aiming to analyze the influence of anthropometry in the shoulder joint of these workers. Body discomfort was evaluated by a human body diagram, being applied at the end of the work shift. The anthropometric measurement of shoulder was performed by measuring the height of the acromion process, being compared with the height of the conveyor belt. Analysis of the results was performed by descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, percentage and percentiles 5%, 50% and 95%. It was found that the height of the conveyor belt was 1.74 meters, while the average shoulder height of workers was 1.38 meters for percentile 5%, 1.41 meters for percentile 50% and 1.65 meters for percentile 95%. The discomfort regions were shoulder 45%, neck 29%, column 26%, arms 23%, and wrists and hand 20%. The upper limb assessment was performed with percentile 5% through the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment method, resulting in a final score > 7, indicating the need for adjustments of the work organization. It was concluded that the workplace does not meet the workers' anthropometric characteristics, mainly affecting the shoulder joint, and correction ergonomics becomes necessary so that the workers involved in this study can perform their functions with health, comfort and safety.

Body discomfort in poultry slaughterhouse workers.

Brazil has the main producers and exporters of chicken meat, which is classified as the third largest world chicken meat producer and lead exporter. This study aimed at analyzing the body discomfort perception in poultry slaughterhouse workers and its associations with the task characteristics. The study included 290 workers, 200 women (34.7 ± 7.7 years) and 90 men (36.8 ± 8.2 years). A body map for evaluating discomfort and an interview regarding organizational issues and criteria of the OCRA method were used. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05) were used. It was found that 87.6% of respondents performed repetitive tasks, 86.2% performed rest breaks, 82.8% performed job rotation (2-7 tasks) and 61% used tools. It was also found that 67.2% felt discomfort in at least one body region, and the symptoms most often reported were pain, fatigue and tingling. The body regions most frequently cited were: shoulders (62.6%), neck (46.2%), spine (36.4%), forearms (31.3%), arms (29.2%), wrists (25.6%) and hands (25.6%). In sectors artificially cold (n = 204), 54.1% felt cold. There was no association between body discomfort and gender, task characteristics, performance of rest breaks and job rotation, use of tools and time working in the company; however, there was association with cold perception (p = 0.035).

Incidência de lesões e desvios posturais em atletas de taekwondo / Incidence of injuries and postural deviations in taekwondo athletes / Incidencia de lesiones y alteraciones posturales en atletas de taekwondo

Com o objetivo de analisar a incidência de lesões e desvios posturais no taekwondo foram avaliados 10 atletas do sexo masculino da seleção catarinense. O histórico de lesões relacionadas à prática desta modalidade foi obtido por aplicação de questionário. A postura foi analisada por meio do protocolo do software SAPO. Os resultados indicaram lesões mais frequentes nos membros inferiores (7/10), principalmente no pé, por fratura e entorse. Houve diferença significativa entre os hemicorpos no ângulo Q (p = 0,037), ângulo perna/retropé (p = 0,001), alinhamento horizontal da pelve (p = 0,016) e comprimento entre membros (p = 0,02). Sugere-se a implementação de treinamento preventivo e exercícios compensatórios para prevenir lesões e desvios posturais em atletas de taekwondo.

Ten male athletes of Santa Catarina taekwondo team were evaluated with the purpose of assessing incidence of injuries and postural deviations. A questionnaire was used to access history of injuries related to the practice of this sport. Posture was evaluated by SAPO protocol. The results indicated more frequent injuries in lower limbs (7/10), specially on feet, by fractures and sprains. Significant difference at Q angle (p = 0,037), leg-hindfoot angle (p = 0,001), pelvis horizontal alignment (p = 0,016), and limbs length (p = 0,02) were identified. The relationship between postural deviations and incidence of injuries has not been established, due to the small sample size. We suggest prevention work programs and compensatory exercise to prevent injuries in taekwondo athletes.

Con el objetivo de analizar la incidencia de lesiones y alteraciones posturales en el taekwondo fueron evaluados 10 atletas del sexo masculino de la seleción catarinense. El histórico de lesiones relacionadas a la práctica de esta modalidad fue obtenido por aplicación de cuestionario. La postura fue analizada por medio del protocolo del software SAPO. Los resultados indicaron lesiones más frecuentes en los miembros inferiores (7/10) principalmente en el pie, por fractura y esguince. Ocurrieron diferencias significativas entre los hemicorpos en el ángulo Q (p = 0,037), ángulo pierna/retropie (p = 0,001), alineamiento horizontal de la pelves (p = 0,016) y tamaño entre miembros (p = 0,02). Se sugiere la implantación de entrenamiento preventivo y ejercicios compensatorios para prevenir lesiones y alteraciones posturales en atletas de taekwondo.

Interferência do vestuário no desempenho, na amplitude de movimento e no conforto na ginástica laboral / Clothing interference in performance, articular range of motion and comfort in labor gymnastics

Este estudo descritivo de caso objetivou analisar a interferência do vestuáriono desempenho, na amplitude de movimento (ADM) e no conforto dos exercícios físicos (EF) realizados na ginástica laboral (GL) com uniforme (UNI) e vestuário para a prática de exercícios físicos (VEF). Participaram 20 trabalhadoras com 28,9±10,2 anos de uma empresa de Florianópolis. Foram utilizados uma câmera fotográfica, banco de Wells, questionário eentrevista. Foram realizados sete EF: flexão do quadril, flexão do ombro, flexão do tronco-ângulos do quadril e tornozelo, extensão do ombro, flexão do tronco modificado-ângulos do quadril e tornozelo, adução horizontal do ombro e teste de sentar e alcançar com UNI e VEF. Aplicaram-se o teste t pareado, Qui-quadrado e Exato de Fisher, p?0,05. Constatou-se que, com UNI, sete trabalhadoras cuidavam para não mostrar o corpo, 17 retiravampeças do vestuário e 13 perceberam limitação do movimento. A presença de desconforto na parte superior do corpo foi menor nos EF de flexão do quadril e adução horizontal do ombro e na parte inferior nos EF de flexão, extensão e adução horizontal do ombro. Com UNI, as ADM foram menores do que com VEF nos EF: flexão do quadril (p=0,017), flexão do ombro (p=0,0075), flexão do tronco (quadril e tornozelo), flexão do tronco modificado (tornozelo), teste de sentar e alcançar (valores angulares e lineares) (p<0,001). O desempenho da flexão do tronco (tornozelo) foi melhor (p=0,001) com UNI devido ao calçado. Conclui-se que o vestuário tende a interferir na ADM e no conforto, mas não no desempenho dos exercícios físicos.

The objective of this descriptive case study was to analyze the interference of clothing with exercise performance, joint range of motion (ROM), and comfort during a session of labor gymnastics wearing a uniform (UNI) and specific exercise clothes (SEC). Twenty female workers (28.9±10.2 years) from a company in Florianópolis were studied. A photo camera, Wells bench,a questionnaire, and interview were used for data collection. The subjects were submitted to seven types of exercise wearing UNI and SEC: hip flexion, shoulder flexion, trunk flexion-hips and ankle angles, shoulder extension, modified trunk flexion-hips and ankle angles, horizontal shoulder adduction, and a sit-and-reach test. The results were analyzed using the paired t-test,chi-square test, and Fisher?s exact test (p?0.05). Seven women wearing UNI tended not to show the body, 17 removed some part of UNI, and 13 noted movement limitation. Discomfort was lower in the upper body part during hip flexion and horizontal shoulder adduction and in the lower part during shoulder flexion, extension and horizontal shoulder adduction. Lower ROMvalues were observed for subjects wearing UNI compared to those wearing SEC during hip flexion (p=0.017), shoulder flexion (p=0.0075), trunk flexion (hips and ankle angles), modified trunk flexion (ankle angles), and the sit-and-reach test (linear and angular values) (p<0.001). Trunk flexion performance (ankle angles) was better in the UNI condition (p=0.001), probablybecause the subjects were wearing shoes. In conclusion, clothing tends to interfere with ROM and comfort, but not with exercise performance.