Ergonomic risks at work in the banana industry of the Ecuadorian coast
Abstract
Ecuador’s globally important banana industry faces ergonomic challenges on the plantations that can affect workers’ long-term health. Physical labor such as harvesting and packing can cause musculoskeletal diseases due to inadequate posture and long working hours. For this reason, the objective of this research is to identify the ergonomic risks to which workers are exposed in the banana production and harvesting sector. For this purpose, the methodology used was quantitative, descriptive and observational. The questionnaire was used and was applied to 10 farms according to the stratified sample of 298 workers. The MRL matrix was used for the identification, evaluation and control of ergonomic risk factors, which was evaluated by means of consequence, probability and exposure, determining which factor is low, medium, high and critical. The results showed that 80% of the workers’ illnesses are the result of repetitive movements, forced postures, physical overexertion and overload; the weighting made it possible to propose strategies as prevention measures and to reduce critical risks.
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