A discomfort survey in a poultry-processing plant

The relationship of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort due to awkward work postures, forces, static loading and over-use is widely accepted as an indicator of poor job design. A discomfort survey was conducted in a poultry-processing plant to help to prioritize areas for ergonomics intervention and to determine whether regions of discomfort relate to types of task performed. The survey form was basic, to accommodate illiteracy, and was administered to 699 employees. Demographic data and job information were recorded. The employee rated job satisfaction and overall discomfort, shaded areas of discomfort on a body diagram and rated the intensity of the discomfort for each area. The jobs were coded into four mutually exclusive categories: hand tool, hand manipulation, material handling and mixed task. A discomfort index (DI) combined the number of shaded areas with intensity. Of the 65% who reported discomfort, the back had the highest mean maximum intensity followed by the arm, contrary to prevalence ranking of body regions. In the light of the findings, the benefit of rotation in a plant requiring major redesign is questioned. Results unexpectedly highlighted women who reported arm discomfort with more than one job, and who performed manual material-handling tasks, to have a significant discomfort problem, which indicates the breadth of ergonomics intervention required in the poultry environment. Surprisingly, no other effects of task were found. The survey provided useful indications of ergonomics issues in areas not identified by medical records.