The evaluation of workers satisfaction on usability of manual handling equipment among warehouse workers in Malaysia
Numerous researchers have found that heavy physical demand and improper posture when performing the tasks in various sectors such as manufacturing and warehouse might contribute to the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) especially when the tasks involving lifting, pushing and pulling activities. In...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/7730/ http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/7730/1/P14164_dd7307c64102d770c1c85fced74c6954.pdf |
| Summary: | Numerous researchers have found that heavy physical demand and improper posture
when performing the tasks in various sectors such as manufacturing and warehouse
might contribute to the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) especially when the tasks
involving lifting, pushing and pulling activities. In order to reduce high risk manual
handling activities, effectives and usable manual handling equipment (MHE) should
be introduce to lower the physical demand of manual material handling (MMH) acti�vities. However, most of the MHE studies previously is not really focus on usability
evaluation. So, this study intends to evaluate the usability of current MHE used
in manufacturing warehouse operation in term of efficiency, comfortability, energy
expenditure, safety aspect, design, productivity, effectiveness and user friendliness. A
usability survey was conducted among warehouse workers in manufacturing com�pany at southern region of peninsular Malaysia. Besides that, the prevalence of
backpain among the warehouse workers was measured through Modified Nordic
Discomfort Assessment tools that are incorporate in the usability survey. Result for the
most least agreement in user usability for pallet jack was energy expenditure (3.73),
efficiency (3.96) and comfortability (3.99); for load carrying cart was energy expen�diture (3.62), design (3.74) and comfortability (3.90); for forklift was comfortability
(3.87), design (3.93) and safety (4.08); for pallet stackers was energy expenditure (3.79),
design (3.82) and user friendliness (3.82); for conveyor system was productivity (3.50),
comfortability (4.00) and safety (4.00). It was also found that the highest prevalence
of MSDs among warehouse workers was lower back, followed by legs (left and right)
and shoulders (left and right). In conclusion, most MHE available in manufacturing
warehouse operation lacking in term of energy expenditure, efficiency, comfortability,
design and user friendliness. It is clear that the first stage in design criteria for MHE
should be developing an understanding of the user usability requirement to ensure
the aids are suitable for the tasks. |
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