Track: Human Factors and Ergonomics

Abstract

Coconut twine rope is a natural and eco-friendly alternative to synthetic ropes, which are utilized in various industries such as marine, agriculture, and construction. The coir rope twining industry in Quezon Province has been around for many years and has provided employment opportunities to its community. It is usually done through manual material handling, which is one of the leading causes of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in industrially developing countries like the Philippines. In this study, ten (10) workers of ABC Company, specifically their plant site located in Barangay Kanlurang Maligaya, Agdangan, Quezon, were assessed through observation using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment to identify the level of risk associated with the twining process. They were also interviewed using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires to assess their physical discomfort. Results from REBA and RULA show very high-risk levels based on the different postures associated with the tasks, while the CMDQ results revealed that seven (7) out of ten (10) workers experience moderate discomfort, while the remaining three (3) experience severe discomfort primarily in the upper back (8.21%) and lower back (8.31%), as well as in the right and lower leg (6.55%). Spearman-Rho correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between the total RULA score and the physical discomfort of the lower arm at the 0.05 significance level. Thus, the researchers use the anthropometric measurements of five (5) workers to design an ergonomic twining machine that will reduce the risk levels and prevent workers from developing MSD.