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M. Sc. Dissertations

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20151
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Subject: Farm Machinery and Power Engineering × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Occupational hazards among women labourer in construction industry
    (CCSHAU, 2015) Yadav, Garima; Singh, Kiran
    In India, the construction industry is the second largest industry which provide employment after agriculture. In construction industry most of the materials and equipment’s are handled manually by the women construction labourer usually in ergonomically hazardous postures. The awkward posture while performing head load activity can develop musculoskeletal disorders. The present study was conducted on the construction women labourer to indicate the work complexity in the actual field and occupational hazards. The present study was conducted in three phase. In phase I, work profile and occupational hazards was assessed among fifty women labourer engaged in residential and commercial sites each from Hisar and Gurgaon District respectively with the help of interview schedule. In phase II, ergonomical assessment of30 women labourer of 20-40 years of age engaged in head load (cement mixture) carrying activity was evaluated for their WMSDs. In phase III, plastic gloves and head load manager developed by Mrunalini, 2011 was given as an ergo solution for its feasibility testing in reducing the WMSDs. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were illiterate (93%) and hailed from Madhya Pradesh (45%). Majority of the respondents (71%) were employed on the temporary basis. And were having no facility for toilet (72%) and medical (77%) as well. About half of them received drinking water facility (50%). Head load carrying activity (74%) was carried out by maximum women labourer followed by breaking bricks (14%) and cleaning activity (12%). About two-third of respondents lifted load by bending their back whereas only 28 percent of them lifted the load by bending their knees. After carrying the head load, highly significant increase was observed in pulse rate (27.9 b.min -1 ), heart rate (HR) (32.7 b.min -1 ), energy expenditure (EE) (6.4 kJ.min -1 ). Oxygen uptake volume of respondents were found to be decreased after the work. It was calculated that pre value was found to be non-significant to post value of lung function capacity. On the basis of RPE, load carrying was perceived as moderately heavy activity (3.7) followed by load lifting also moderately heavy activity (3.4) and load landing wasperceived as very light activity (2.1). Grip strength of right hand (19.7%) as well as left hand (15.4%) was reduced after performing the activity. Deviation was 2.7 percent in spinal angle in terms of lumbar region (exterior posterior) and cervical region by 3. 1 percent (anterior posterior) was observed during carrying the load on head. REBA and VAD indicated that load carrying stage was observed to be more critical in comparison to load lifting and load landing. Hence, high risk was involved in the adopted posture and needed an immediate correction in the posture. BPDS in carrying head load was highest in the head (4.2), lower back (4.2), neck (3.9), shoulders and buttocks (3.7 each) and upper back (3.6).The average temperature was 34.8 0 C and the average level of humidity was 47 percent which depicted that women labourer had to work in dry and hot environment. The average noise level was 90.8db which was not suited to human ear. Plastic gloves were acceptable in work output and field acceptability. There is need to modify the plastic gloves. Head load manager was not acceptable by the women labourer as it was difficult to handle while carrying heavy load on the head and hence needed modifications.