A REBA-BASED ANALYSIS OF PACKERS WORKLOAD: A CASE STUDY

Background: One of the elements of a logistics system is the s ubsystem of production, which is a system composed of physical elements such as machinery, tools and (most importantly) people. In addi tion, system- dependent human operators are particularly prone to problems related to discomfort, which can affect p roduction quality and increase training costs and absenteeism. The ai m of this study was to assess the workload and risk of musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD's) in the process of order fulfillm ent for the position of packer and to conduct an an alysis of risk factors. Methods : The Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) evaluation method was used. Activities related to the fulfillmen t of an order were assessed for three workstations. Results: Five postures qualified for action category (AC) 2, seven postures for AC 3 and one posture for AC 4. Th e main factors affecting the risk of a negative assessment of posture were keeping the back bent and twisted, keeping the arms raised above the trunk, working in a standing posit ion and the weight of packaged carton. Conclusions: Packers working on research positions face a high level of exposure to the risk of MSD's, therefore corrective actions should be carried out as soon as possible. Ergonomic intervention should be linked to redesigning workstations and methods of working. After making changes to the research workstations, re-evaluation using the REBA method is recommended to verify the effectiveness o f the changes.

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