Conclusion about our term project "Ergonomically designed floater for tractor"

COLLEGE OF TONER AC SWIVES TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY Department of Industrial Engineering S.Y. 2020-2021, 2d Semester ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED FLOATER Submitted by: Gonzales, Jessa I. 2018102009 Garcia, Christian Paul D. 2015101673 Eugenio, Aljhon G. 2015101178 Date: March 03, 2021 Introduction Ergonomics is the science of matching workers to their jobs as closely as possible. This involves studying the anthropometry of work and redesigning workplace tasks so that they fit within the natural limitations of the body itself. Ergonomic hazards include all sorts of motions that workers in agriculture must performed: kneeling, squatting, lifting, bending, twisting, and carrying heavy items, among others. Repetition of these actions adds considerably to the risk of injury. According to Industry Knowledge Base (2017), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration divides ergonomic solutions into three tiers, of greater to lesser effectiveness. In order of preference, these are: 1. Engineering controls, in which employers physically change the worker's relationship to the work. This often involves the use of material handling equipment designed to take over ergonomically risky jobs such as lifting, transporting, and emptying containers. = Introduction Ergonomics is the science of matching workers to their jobs as closely as possible. This involves studying the anthropometry of work and redesigning workplace tasks so that they fit within the natural limitations of the body itself. Ergonomic hazards include all sorts of motions that workers in agriculture must performed: kneeling, squatting, lifting, bending, twisting, and carrying heavy items, among others. Repetition of these actions adds considerably to the risk of injury. According to Industry Knowledge Base (2017), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration divides ergonomic solutions into three tiers, of greater to lesser effectiveness. In order of preference, these are: = 1. Engineering controls, in which employers physically change the worker's relationship to the work. This often involves the use of material handling equipment designed to take over ergonomically risky jobs such as lifting, transporting, and emptying containers. 2. Work-practice controls, such as rotating workers through different jobs to prevent repetitive motions; requiring two-person lifts for heavy objects, and enforcing mandatory work breaks at regular intervals, among others. 3. Personal protective equipment, which can be as simple as a layer of padding on sharp edges or the addition of handles to picking tubs. For the most part, engineering controls will be most effective at removing the risks associated with these demands. When a machine does the lifting for you, you're far less likely to injure your back. Agriculture provides food, raw materials for other industries and employment opportunities. As consequence, given the key role of agriculture in global economy, safety and health of its employees are regarded to be of major importance. However, rural occupation involves a considerable number of harmful illnesses. Agriculture have more in common than it may seem. They both require staff to lift heavy loads, and they both place repetitive stress on workers' bodies. What works in an assisted living center should work on the farm, too, even if the particularly in workplace tasks differ from one another. (Bato et al., 2005) A tractor is a machine designed to deliver high tractive force, usually for the purpose of hauling machinery or to help in mechanizing agricultural tasks such as plowing or tilling the soil. It can have one or more axles which delivers power. A single axle tractor, also called two-wheel tractor or hand tractor, is popular in the Philippines because of its affordability compared with four-wheel tractors. In addition, a hand tractor is common nationwide as an essential tool in agricultural livelihood due to its low manufacturing cost. (Villaruz, 1960) Magdalena Villaruz is the inventor of a hand tractor with a concave "shell" that allowed the machine to float on top of the mud and water of her farm's fields. Magdalena was sick of her farm losing time and money because tractors were getting bogged down in the mud. Having been educated in Commerce, Magdalena quickly patented her invention and began to sell tillers to farmers throughout the Philippines, as well as other parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. The long list of Magdalena's inventions includes rice threshers, corn shellers, and water pumps. Though she is a major player in the Philippines science and technology world, she happily still lives in her rural hometown. (UNEP, 2010) Climate change is one of the greatest threated facing the globe. This is because it causes rise in the ambient temperature of our environment. According to IPCC (2013), the emission of greenhouse gases at year 2000 levels a further warming of about 1C per decade would be expected. (Meteorological Organization, 2015) Reported that 2011-2015 have been the warmest five years period on record with many extreme weather events especially heat waves which is influenced by climate change. (Costello & Abbas, 2009) Tropical climatic zones, with normal daytime air temperatures exceeding 30C, consist of about 40% developing countries. (Schenker, 2011) Agriculture is among the major employer in the developing world, farming operations carried by farmers is normally at high risk of heat stress, as they work under high pressure, perform extended hours of work in high heat and humidity, suffer dehydration and often do not have sufficient knowledge on the prevention of heat exposed. (Parson, 2013) Heat stress may also lead to reduction in task productivity which normally results in their lowered manual dexterity and adjusting for a more comfortable environment. Several studies have been done and reported regarding the work-related health issues from different work fields like agriculture. According to the studies, most of the employees claim to have painful posture experience from neck, shoulder, lower back, upper limb and leg. Due to lack of Risk Factor of the floater Environmental hazards: Heat that direct contact with the sun Noise coming from the machine of hand tractor. Vibration can cause by the machine when running, Awkward body Posture: . The sitting chair of the floater is not ergonomically designed The chair has no backrest Awkward grips: . Exerting too much force while gripping in the handle when turning left and right. Repetitive motion: body is tilted when or whenever turning left or right. Localized pressure on body part: The seat of the floater is metal, therefore feeling numbness in the gluteus maximus part of the body is quite often and low seat. The footrest is far away 1.1 Objectives of the Study The main objective of this study is to reduce the risk hazards involve in operating uncomfortable or undesirable postures when using ergonomically designed floater. 1.2 Significance of the Study This study will have a big impact in the agriculture, on how we understand the proper usage of ergonomically floater and in the help of this device will ease the load of the manipulator. The Farmer's This ergonomic floater will provide protection for the user. It will give an extra support by the help of ergonomically designed floater to lessen the chance of experience long- or short-term strain that should be evaluated and alterations to procedures. This would be a great tool, by means of long distance sitting it has a resting chair built in it. The Farm owner Farm owner used those devices to save labor. Farm machines include a great variety of devices with a wide range of complexity. Methodology This outline of research methods that were followed in the study will redound to the benefit of the farmers considering that the new design of Ergonomically Floater can reduce the exposure to work hazards when using it. Thus, farmers can use something that will help them when they are not having a hard time using it and they can afford to spend. The researcher describes the research design that was chosen for the purpose of this study. The procedures that were followed to carry out this study are included. 2.1 Materials The researchers used industrial measuring tape to calculate the anthropometric data from the samples. The usage of hand tools to create the prototype of the said design. This are the list of materials: Metal pipe size 2" in diameter Metal pipe 1" in diameter Metal flat bar Round Steel bar Fabric (nylon fabric) Foam MICROMATIC Micromatic Umbrella 62" in diameter (modified) II a 2.2 Designing the ergonomically designed floater The design of this project, it is important to review the different features of the different types of floaters that are available in today's market. It will provide the reader with a better understanding as to why it was decided to redesign the floater that was used in the system between the iteration prior to this project, and the current iteration. This will answer the use of floater in agriculture. Figure 1: Floater for Hand Tractor Figure 2: Typical Floater A typical floater consists of a chair and a small iron to lean on the foot (see Figure 1). The other side of floater is the connector for Hand Tractor. Due to this constant interaction, the reason why the floater is simple because other farmers cannot afford high maintenance tractors. The most commonly used by farmers is still the hand tractor with floater especially in the provinces. Figure 3: Chair of the Floater The chair is a round point of the shovel. It is common when they make their own floater to somehow make them comfortable while working on the farm. Figure 4: Small iron to lean on the foot The small iron is similarly to chair that as simple to lean on the foot so that they can just put the foot down while working rather than standing. When it was not yet discovered, the hand tractor used it while walking. 0