Assessment of working posture among manual material handlers at ACRO Team Inc. using Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS)

Date of Completion

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy

Keywords

Postural Balance, Work

Abstract

Today's industries are armed with the latest technological advancements to lighten the burden of the increasing demands in the fast-pace global economy but, the fact that the accomplishment of a fine and quality work is still dependent on the manual work force which is why manual material handling (MMH) is still a part of the whole process of producing goods. One common task in manual material handling is lifting and this could be in various positions task would or would not lead injuries. As physical therapist, we are after the safety measures by educating the patients the correct body mechanics which is an essential factor for working postures of the manual material handlers in ACRO Team Inc. The objectives of the study are: To determine the profile of the manual material handlers, the most common postures of the back, arm and leg, most common load, action category of the whole task and identify which action category does the manual material handlers belong. This is a descriptive type of study. The researchers used OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysis System) to assess the working postures of the participants. The population included 16 participants. Convenience sampling was used in this study. The result shows that as to demographic data, most of the subjects are 21-26 years of age and 4-7 years of experience. The working posture assessed in the study shows that the most common posture of the back is bent and twisted, as to the arm is both below the shoulder, and as to the leg is standing on one leg. The most common weight of load is less than 10 kg. Most of the manual material handlers of ACRO Team Inc. fell under Action category 2 which means their posture has some harmful effect on the musculoskeletal system and corrective actions required in the near future.

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