Effect of Time Elapsed since Last Pruner Maintenance on Upper-Extremity Biomechanics during Manual Flower Cutting.

OBJECTIVE: Manual flower cutting imposes large biomechanical demands on workers' upper extremities. Solutions are required to reduce these demands. This study investigated the effect of time elapsed since the last pruner maintenance on the biomechanical demands of the upper extremities during flower-cutting operations. METHODS: Sixteen experienced workers were recruited. All workers performed flower cutting 1, 15, and 30 days after standard pruner maintenance, including cleaning, adjustment, and sharpening. The outcomes included kinematics of the wrist, elbow, and forearm; muscular activity of the extensor carpi radialis, extensor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, biceps and medium deltoids of the dominant arm; and self-reported effort. RESULTS: On average across muscles, a 15-day delay (from 1 to 15 and from 15 to 30 days) in the execution of pruner maintenance increased over 8% the median recorded muscular activity as measured by the percentage of the maximum voluntary contraction of the root mean square signal. An increase in time since last pruner maintenance resulted in an increase in the 90th percentile pronation-supination posture (larger excursion toward pronation); the median and the 90th percentile velocity of the wrist and elbow; and the 90th percentile acceleration in the pronation-supination direction. There was an increase in perceived effort as measured by a Borg scale as time since last maintenance increased from 1 to 15 days. CONCLUSION: Increasing the frequency of pruner maintenance procedures can effectively reduce workers' mechanical exposures during manual flower-cutting operations. Companies should implement daily maintenance programs considering their implementation capacity and expected benefits.

Breve historia de la salud ocupacional en Colombia / A brief description of occupational health developments in Colombia

Este artículo presenta los desarrollos de la salud ocupacional en Colombia desde principios del siglo XX hasta nuestros días, incluyendo los avances en legislación que han sido objeto de estudio y aplicación en Colombia para el mejoramiento de la salud y las condiciones de trabajo de la fuerza laboral. Se han hecho grandes esfuerzos en el país por parte de entidades gubernamentales y privadas para la protección de la salud de los trabajadores; sin embargo, hoy en día se siguen presentando los mismos riesgos y enfermedades asociadas con ciertas actividades económicas, especialmente las agrícolas, donde la automatización ha sido escasa y la mayoría de actividades siguen realizándose de forma manual. Sin embargo no toda la responsabilidad recae en el estado y sus políticas; gran parte de ésta radica en el compromiso por parte de los empresarios, que deben entender que la salud ocupacional es una inversión, y no un gasto, porque la protección del trabajador acaba repercutiendo favorablemente en la producción (AU)

This article presents a brief overview of occupational health developments in Colombia from the early 20th century to present times. It includes advances in legislation and insights into the results of its application. Many efforts have been made in the country by governmental and private sector institutions to substantially improve the health and well-being of workers. Nevertheless, risks and work-related injury and illness statistics remain worrisome, especially in the agricultural sector, where industrialization is lagging and many tasks are still done by hand. Nevertheless, the responsibility should not fall solely on the state’s shoulders: a good deal of the burden points to employers, who must understand that investments in occupational health and safety are not a nuisance, but worth while and can ultimately result in improved productivity (AU)