Investigation of Ergonomic Conditions and the Relationship between the Severity of Discomfort and Working Postures among Date Palm Farmers

Nourollahi Darabad, Maryam; Afshari, Davod; Nosrati Amirabadi, Javad; Shirali, Gholam abbas; Sahraneshin Samani, Ali

doi:10.52547/johe.8.3.59

Volume 8, Issue 3 (Autumn 2021) johe 2021, 8(3): 59-66 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.52547/johe.8.3.59

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Nourollahi Darabad M, Afshari D, Nosrati Amirabadi J, Shirali G A, Sahraneshin Samani A. Investigation of Ergonomic Conditions and the Relationship between the Severity of Discomfort and Working Postures among Date Palm Farmers. johe 2021; 8 (3) :59-66
URL: http://johe.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-703-en.html

Investigation of Ergonomic Conditions and the Relationship between the Severity of Discomfort and Working Postures among Date Palm Farmers

Maryam Nourollahi Darabad¹

, Davod Afshari¹

, Javad Nosrati Amirabadi ^*

², Gholam abbas Shirali¹

, Ali Sahraneshin Samani³

1- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
2- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran , javadmh@gmail.com
3- Department of Ergonomics, Faculty of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract: (2190 Views)

Background and Objective: Date palm is the second most important agricultural product in Iran after pistachio. Traditionally, working as a palm farmer requires severe physical work, including the inconvenient and prolonged posture of working on the tree. The present study aimed to investigate the ergonomic conditions and the relationship between the severity of discomfort and working postures among date palm farmers.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 skilled date palm farmers who were engaged in date cultivation during 2020. REBA and the Body Part Discomfort Rating (BPDR) methods were used to investigate the ergonomic conditions and the relationship between the severity of discomfort in the farmers. The data of farmers was recorded while working on palm trees with traditional tools, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 26).
Results: The results of the present study indicated that the most musculoskeletal pain was in the upper arm, legs, and trunk. According to the task analysis, there was a significant relationship between inappropriate postures and the severity of discomfort in different regions of the body
(p <0.05).
Conclusion: Upper arms, legs, and trunk are more exposed to musculoskeletal disorders among date farmers. Also, harvesting, pruning, climbing, and descending palm trees can be considered as high-risk tasks in terms of musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, using mechanical tools to perform operations on palms can play a substantial role in reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in date farmers.

Keywords: Assessments, Body Part Discomfort Rating Method, Date Palm, Ergonomics Rapid Entire Body Assessment Method

Full-Text [PDF 859 kb] (953 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research Article | Subject: Ergonomics

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