Análise ergonômica da produção de mudas de eucalipto em viveiro, no Vale do Rio Doce, MG

Abstract

This research was carried out on data collected in a forest nursery at Vale do Rio Doce -MG to study the ergonomic factors related to the activities performed in this environment, aimed to improve health, well being, occupational safety, comfort and productivity of the workers involved. The main objectives of this study were to carry out an assessment on work profile and conditions, an anthropometric assessment, physical work load and bio - mechanical evaluations, repetitive strain disorders (RSDs) analysis, and environment, thermal overload, light and noise factor characterization. The data were collected by means of individual interviews, measurement and evaluation of the tasks developed. The results showed that the average age of the workers was 32, starting working age, 15.6, on average, with 36.0% of them being married, with 2.2 children, on average. Average time working at the company was 3.7 years; however, 20.0% of the workers had an average working time of 15.6 years. Among the forest workers, 64.0% were trained on the workplace, with their working time at the company being the same of the task they performed. With regard to health, 16.0% of the workers informed to have some health problem at the time of the interview, such as allergy and back disorders; 24.0% attended school and among those not attending, 72.0% would like to go back to school, with school fees, tiredness, and lack of time being cited as the major limiting factors. The anthropometric results led to conclude that the maximum width for shipyards and benches, for the percentile of 5% was 73.3 cm, and the shipyard and bench height for the population studied is 101 cm, at a percentile of 20%.The operation demanding the heaviest physical work was seedling transportation to the shipyard, using a small cart, with a cardiovascular load value of 30.8%.However, none of the activities evaluated had values above the maximum limit acceptable of 40%. Most activities were classified as light, except preparation of substrate; tube covering with vermiculite; seedling transportation using a small cart; and first selection, which were classified as moderately heavy. Seedling transportation was the only activity presenting spine disc strain above the superior limit load, with the activities evaluated surpassing the limit load recommended for, at least, one cycle phase or, at least, one articulation. The results on RSDs led to conclude that all the activities evaluated, except for first selection, were classified as of high risk. The noise levels and the globe thermometer humid bulb index values (GTHIV) did not surpass the limits of 85 dB (A) and 26.7ºC, respectively, recommended by the Brazilian Norms of the Atlas Legislation Manual on Occupational Safety and Medicine. The amount of light available was found insufficient at the workplaces for the following activities: tube (staking) and stake cutting, according to the levels established by NBR 5413 of ABNT ( Brazilian Association of Technical Norms).