Introduction to Ergonomics in Forestry in Developing Countries
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FAO IntroductionIntroduction FORESTRY to ergonom'csergonomics• PAPER in forestryforestry 10010 inn deve'opingdeveloping countries FOOD AND AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONSNATIONS Ronne,Rome, 19921992 The designations employedemployed andand thethe presentationpresentation ofof materialmaterial inin thisthis publication do not imply thethe expressionexpression of anyany opinionopinion whatsoeverwhatsoever on the part ofof thethe FoodFood andand AgricultureAgriculture OrganizationOrganization ofof thethe UnitedUnited Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory,territory, citycity oror area or of its authorities,authorities, oror concerningconcerning the delimitationdelimitation of itsits frontiers or boundaries. M-39 ISBNISBN 92-5-103177-0 All rights reserved. No partpart of thisthis publicationpublication maymay bebe reproduced,reproduced, stored in aa retrieval system, or transmittedtransmitted inin anyany formform or by any means, electronic, mechani-mechani cal, photocopyingphotoc.opying or otherwise,otherwise, without the prior permission ofof the copyright owner.owner. Applications forfor such permission,permission, withwith aa statementstatement of of the the purposepurpose andand extentextent of of the reproduction, shouldshould bebe addressedaddressed to to the the Director,Director, PublicationsPublications Division, Division, FoodFood and and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla,Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. © FAOFAO 19921992 - i i -- FOREWORD Ergonomics, whichwhich is thethe studystudy of the efficiency of personspersons in their working environment, has beenbeen relativelyrelatively neglectedneglected so farfar inin developingdeveloping countries.countries. TheThe reasons forfor thisthis low prioritypriority are are many,many, andand relaterelate notnot onlyonly toto the the lack lack of of human human and and financial resources, butbut also, inin the case ofof forest ergonomics, toto the low statusstatus enjoyed by forestry workwork andand thethe generalgeneral belief thatthat training inin this field isis a liability rather than a profitable investment.investment. This is regrettableregrettable as ergonomicsergonomics isis one ofof thethe essentialessential elementselements inin strategies aimed at reducingreducing thethe costscosts associatedassociated withwith equipmentequipment downtime,downtime, suboptimal processingprocessing capacity, andand the underutilization as wellwell as overexploitationoverexploitation of forestforest resources,resources, andand thethe attendantattendant problems.problems. Forestry work isis inin generalgeneral physicallyphysically demandingdemanding and, at times,times, dangerous.dangerous. Additionally, high-energyhigh-energy food provision,provision, health,health, medicalmedical andand otherother servicesservices forfor forestry workersworkers areare oftenoften poor.poor. AllAll these,these, andand manymany otherother deficiencies,deficiencies, pointpoint toto the needneed for greatergreater awareness,awareness, training, andand extension in forestforest ergonomics.ergonomics. This document is aimed at forestry instructorsinstructors andand trainers, particularlyparticularly at technical and vocational level, forfor thethe developmentdevelopment ofof educationeducation andand trainingtraining programmes. ItIt is also meantmeant to stimulatestimulate forestryforestry teachersteachers andand researchersresearchers to study thethe variedvaried workwork environmentsenvironments inin forestryforestry andand hovvhow they affect thethe forestryforestry worker inin terms ofof his/herhis/her safety,safety, health,health, well-beingwell-being andand efficiency.efficiency. Mechanization, and and thethe steady increase inin the useuse ofof expensiveexpensive andand sophisticated equipment, needneed to bebe paralleledparalleled withwith improvedimproved occupationoccupation safetysafety and health,health, inin order to makemake forestryforestry workwork aa productive andand progressiveprogressive occupation. J.P..P. LanlyLanly Director Forest Resources Division Forestry Department - ii - ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This document isis based onon thethe workwork of Ms.Ms. L.L. BostrandBostrand with inputsinputs byby Messrs. B. Frykman, B. Strehlke, F.F. Standt, E.E. Apud and P. Harstela.Harstela. The drawings are by NilsNils Forshed.Forshed. - iii - TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.1. INTRODUCTION ...................•...•................•••...... ......... aoOOOOOOOOOOO.....•. 041.040..... 1 1.1 Introduction to Ergonomics .......................•..•............... ....... 1 1.2 A Model forfor ErgonomicsErgonomics inin ForestryForestry •.•••............. ~ 5 2. THE WORKER AND THE WORK .....••....................•••.•..... 9 2.1 The Human Body ...•........................••...••........ ....... .. ...... 9 2.2 Energy Requirements and Physical WorkloadWorkload .•.......... 12 2.3 workWork Postures .•.....•..•..•..............•.•...•..................... .............. ....... 23 2.4 NutritionNutri tion ••...............................•........................... 33 2.5 Fatigue ••....................•......••••.................................. 38 38 2.6 Rest Periods and Scheduling of Working Hours .•....... 39 2.7 Mental Workload and Stress ..... 44 2.8 Individual Characteristics ofof thethe WorkerWorker ..•................. ... 46 2.9 Socio-cultural Aspects ......... ............ 48 3. WORKING ENVIRONMENT ....••.......•......•...............•..•............................ 50 3.1 Biological and PhysicalPhysical FactorsFactors .................................•..... 50 3.1.1 ClimateClimate............... •............ • . • . ...... • . 50 3.1.2 TopographyTopography. ....... .•.. .•................................... .•. .•.. 57 3.1.3 Harmful plants, wood, animals,animals, snakes,snakes, insects, infections,infections, etc.etc. ..•.••••......•..... 59 3.2 Technological and Organizational FactorsFactors ............ 69 3.2.1 Design, use and maintenance of tools and machines ••..................•.•....•••...•... 69 3.2.2 NoiseNoise.................................................................amoih0000 71 -- iviv - 3.2.3 Vibration.Vibration . • . • . • . • • . • • • . • . 78 3.2.4 Harmful substances, e.g. chemicals,chemicals, solvents,solvents, gases, smoke and dust ........................ 83 3.2.5 Ventilation and draughtdraught ..............•............. 90 3.2.6 Lighting.....................................Lighting............... ..... 92 4. OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS AND DISEASESDISEASES ............................•...•..•.....•••...•.• 94 4.1 AecidentAccident StatisticsStatistics .........................•........e0 0 0 0 0 000 00 0 96 4.2 Accident InvestigationInvestigation ..............•.•....•.•................ e a ' ........ 98 4.3 Near-Accidents ........................••.•....••........... ..... .. 99 4.4 Systems Analysis ..........•.....•...•.•.....•••.............. ....... ..... .... 99 5. MEASURES AT THE NATIONALNATIONAL AND ENTERPRISEENTERPRISE LEVELLEVEL ............................. 100 5.1 MeasuresMeasures at the National LevelLevel .............................•.••.., .•••••..... 101 5.2 Measures at thethe Enterprise Level •...•.•.............. 109 5.2.1 Technical measures 109 5.2.2 Behavioural approach .....•.............•••.•....................... 117 5.2.3 Organizational measures 119 5.2.4 Occupational health and safety organization..organization 119 5.2.5 Occupational health servicesservices .....••.........• 123 5.2.6 First-aid and emergency treatmenttreatment ...........• 127 5.2.7 Workwork studystudy ........................................................... ...... 128 6. ERGONOMIC PROBLEMS IN DIFFERENT FORESTRY ACTIVITIES .•............. 130 6.1 Working andand LivingLiving ConditionsConditions ofof ForestryForestry Workers in GeneGeneral ral ..•....•.........................•.•..................... ............................ 130 6.2 Nursery Work ....••....................•....•.•.............................................. 131 6.3 Planting ActivitiesActi vi ties ..........•••...•..•....••••........................................ 134 6.4 Logging Operations ..................•..•...•.•••.......... .............................. 141 --V- v - 6.5 Loading and unloadingUnloading ....................•.....•.... 155 6.6 Other Activities inin ForestryForestry 158 6.6.1 Forest firefire fightingfighting 158 6.6.2 Timber floatingfloating...................... ......... .•... .•...... 160 6.7 Wood Processing .•....•.....•.....•.....•.....•....... 160 6.7.1 Accident risksrisks and preventive measures ...... 161 6.7.2 Health risksrisks and preventive measures ......... 166 6.7.3 Other ergonomic factorsfactors ••.................... 169 7. THE USE OF ERGONOMIC CHECKLISTS ....................•....•... 169 7.1 Background and Objectives ..................•......... 169 7.2 RequiRequired red Conditions ..............................•... 170 7.3 How to use the Checklist ...•...................••.... 171 7.4 Ergonomic Checklist forfor Workplaces •......•........... 173 REFERENCES 195 •e •Is _ -1-- 1 - 1. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction toto ErgonomicsErgonomics Working andand livingliving conditionsconditions forfor forestforest workers are generally poor in most countriescountries allallover over thethe world; very often,often, work efficiency isis also poor. Physically heavy work, inadequate working methods, working techniques andand toolstools andand equipmentequipment causecause notnot onlyonly occupationaloccupational