Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation

Objectives: Production agriculture is commonly associated with high prevalence of ergonomic injuries, particularly during intensive manual labor and during harvesting. This paper intends to briefly describe an overview of oil palm plantation management highlighting the ergonomics problem each of the...

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Main Authors: Ng, Yee Guan, Mohd Tamrin, Shamsul Bahri, Md Yusoff, Irwan Syah, Mori, Ippei, Hashim, Zailina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Japan Society for Occupational Health 2013
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/1/Ergonomics%20observation%20harvesting%20tasks%20at%20oil%20palm%20plantation.pdf
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author Ng, Yee Guan
Mohd Tamrin, Shamsul Bahri
Md Yusoff, Irwan Syah
Mori, Ippei
Hashim, Zailina
author_facet Ng, Yee Guan
Mohd Tamrin, Shamsul Bahri
Md Yusoff, Irwan Syah
Mori, Ippei
Hashim, Zailina
author_sort Ng, Yee Guan
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Objectives: Production agriculture is commonly associated with high prevalence of ergonomic injuries, particularly during intensive manual labor and during harvesting. This paper intends to briefly describe an overview of oil palm plantation management highlighting the ergonomics problem each of the breakdown task analysis. Methods: Although cross-sectional field visits were conducted in the current study, insight into past and present occupational safety and health concerns particularly regarding the ergonomics of oil palm plantations was further exploited. Besides discussion, video recordings were extensively used for ergonomics analysis. Results: The unique commodity of oil palm plantations presents significantly different ergonomics risk factors for fresh fruit bunch (FFB) cutters during different stages of harvesting. Although the ergonomics risk factors remain the same for FFB collectors, the intensity of manual lifting increases significantly with the age of the oil palm trees-weight of FFB. Conclusions: There is urgent need to establish surveillance in order to determine the current prevalence of ergonomic injuries. Thereafter, ergonomics interventions that are holistic and comprehensive should be conducted and evaluated for their efficacy using approaches that are integrated, participatory and cost-effective.
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spelling upm-422532016-04-12T06:38:09Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/ Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation Ng, Yee Guan Mohd Tamrin, Shamsul Bahri Md Yusoff, Irwan Syah Mori, Ippei Hashim, Zailina Objectives: Production agriculture is commonly associated with high prevalence of ergonomic injuries, particularly during intensive manual labor and during harvesting. This paper intends to briefly describe an overview of oil palm plantation management highlighting the ergonomics problem each of the breakdown task analysis. Methods: Although cross-sectional field visits were conducted in the current study, insight into past and present occupational safety and health concerns particularly regarding the ergonomics of oil palm plantations was further exploited. Besides discussion, video recordings were extensively used for ergonomics analysis. Results: The unique commodity of oil palm plantations presents significantly different ergonomics risk factors for fresh fruit bunch (FFB) cutters during different stages of harvesting. Although the ergonomics risk factors remain the same for FFB collectors, the intensity of manual lifting increases significantly with the age of the oil palm trees-weight of FFB. Conclusions: There is urgent need to establish surveillance in order to determine the current prevalence of ergonomic injuries. Thereafter, ergonomics interventions that are holistic and comprehensive should be conducted and evaluated for their efficacy using approaches that are integrated, participatory and cost-effective. Japan Society for Occupational Health 2013 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/1/Ergonomics%20observation%20harvesting%20tasks%20at%20oil%20palm%20plantation.pdf Ng, Yee Guan and Mohd Tamrin, Shamsul Bahri and Md Yusoff, Irwan Syah and Mori, Ippei and Hashim, Zailina (2013) Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation. Journal of Occupational Health, 55 (5). pp. 405-414. ISSN 1341-9145; ESSN: 1348-9585 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/joh/55/5/55_13-0017-FS/_article 10.1539/joh.13-0017-FS
spellingShingle Ng, Yee Guan
Mohd Tamrin, Shamsul Bahri
Md Yusoff, Irwan Syah
Mori, Ippei
Hashim, Zailina
Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
title Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
title_full Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
title_fullStr Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
title_full_unstemmed Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
title_short Ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
title_sort ergonomics observation: harvesting tasks at oil palm plantation
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/42253/1/Ergonomics%20observation%20harvesting%20tasks%20at%20oil%20palm%20plantation.pdf