Injury and Musculoskeletal Disorder among the Palm Plantation Farmer Sinpun Sub-district, Khao Phanom District, Krabi Province

Abstract

Palms cutting is a task exposed to many risks namely risk from trimming, stabbing or lifting palm bunches. These activities resulted in ache or injury of muscles and bones as well as the dangers of working with sharp tools such as shovels or sickles. In addition, there are many potential factors that might caused an injuries or accidents during the operation e.g., slipping down during palm bunches lifting or carrying, stinged by palm thorns including the musculoskeletal disorders which said to be keep increasing according to the American report. There are several reasons leading to this including rapid movements during work, repetitive moves, forced physical exerts, constrained gestures, injury from work and diseases. This paper aims to examine the nature of injury and musculoskeletal disorders, to study ergonomics factors and evaluate the work gestures from palm cutting workers in the area of Sinpun Sub-district, Khao Phanom District, Krabi Province. The questionnaire was approved by three experts and 0.75 IOC calculated. The data collected by questionnaire and evaluation form. The data divided into 3 categories including general data, work data and work evaluation using REBA technique. The population was 171 and 3 villages. The qualifed samples were calculated by Taro Yamane and 120 samples were found. The ffindings indicated that effects of the ergonomics factors to musculoskeletal disorders were harsh physical exerts, bending over and raising up and neck/body twisting. The danger gestures were ffingers grasping and body twisting. Furthermore there is a high risk from neck turning and face raising of palm cutting workers and risk from arms bending while carrying the palm bunches. Ache in all parts of the body were found in musculoskeletal disorders. The palm bunches workers suffered from neck pain. The plant lifter/ fallen fruits collector suffered from pain in the lower area of back and hip. There were also injuries from stinged by palm thorns and slipping down. But there is only one person suffered from Epigastric Pain caused by work. This demonstrated the health hazards of palm cutting workers and there should be the putting of efforts in encouraging palm cutting workers/palm farmers to aware of avoiding dangerous gestures and provide more break time as well as promoting the exercise for good health.