Ergonomic risk level assessment of working postures in the finished leather workers

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the ergonomic risk level of working postures in the finished leather workers with a total of 40 workers, which consists of three main stages: tanning, dyeing, and finishing. The rapid entire body assessment (REBA) was used as a tool to detect the ergonomic risk in different working postures among employees. The results found that the majority of working postures of employees were at risk of ergonomics, with 65 percent being at a high level of risk (there is a problem, it should be improved). They can be found in the tanning processes of soaking, tanning, fleshing, and samming, the dyeing processes of milling, hang dry, and staking, and the finishing processes of polish and spray pigment/top coat. Standing for long periods of time, bending, lifting the arms, stretching the limbs too much, and knee bending are all examples of awkward postures or unnatural of body. Furthermore, two tasks in the dyeing and finishing processes, the toggle task, and the task of moving the finished leather table, showed that the working posture required immediate improvement or correction, presenting a very high risk. The findings of this study could be utilized to establish a guideline for manufacturers to reduce the risk of ergonomic problems of employees for the finished leather process.