Abstract:
Filling paddy bags by hand is a common task
during harvesting, but it can cause musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) in various body regions. The
current study aims to evaluate posture and find an
association between MSDs and body posture
scores. The Nordic questionnaire and rapid entire
body assessment (REBA) were used to collect
MSDs and postures from farmers. The MSD in
various body regions (neck, elbows, hands, upper
back, knees, ankles, lower back, hips, thighs, and
buttocks) was found to be 6.7%, 10%, 3.3%, 6.7%,
16.7%, 20%, and 10%, respectively, during the last
12-month period. In REBA score findings, holding
bags, filling the bucket, and the bag were found to
have a very high risk of causing MSDs. Despite the
fact that MSDs are not very common among
farmers who engage in paddy bagging tasks,
posture analysis reveals what causes MSDs.
Further investigation is needed to improve and
reduce MSDs.