Track: Ergonomics & Human Factors Engineering

Abstract

Agriculture is a major and important business in Bangladesh. A significant number of people are directly involved in farming and have particularly unique exposure as compared to other sectors. Musculoskeletal issues are not uncommon among farmers. The study aims to identify the factors responsible for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in farmers involved with rice cultivation in three selected villages, namely Ashighar dakkin, Ashighar uttar and Gilachara of Fenchuganj Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh. A total of 200 rice cultivators were selected randomly from the three selected villages. A questionnaire-based interview was conducted to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 version software and Microsoft Excel. The Chi-square test was employed to determine the significant association between multiple parameters and several musculoskeletal effects during various rice cultivation operations (ploughing, seeding, transplanting saplings, weeding, fertilizing, applying pesticides, cutting and threshing paddies). Findings show that except for weeding and fertilizing, the duration of work is a significant aspect in all rice cultivation operations. Work fatigue is a critical factor for seeding, fertilizing, transplanting saplings, cutting, and threshing, whereas the farmer's weight is a significant factor for ploughing, seeding, weeding, fertilizing, and applying pesticides.