Purificación Castelló Mercé1, Alicia Piedrabuena Cuesta1, Raquel Marzo Roselló1, Mercedes Sanchis Almenara1, Raquel Ruiz Folgado1, Dimas Vallina García2, Sergio Cuadrado Iglesias3
(1) Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV). Universitat Politécnica de València. Edificio 9C. Camino de Vera s/n. (46022) Valencia. Spain
(2) CEMA Foundation (Labor Foundation for Cement and the Environment)
(3) Spanish Cement Association, OFICEMEN
The Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV), as an expert in the field of occupational ergonomics, has wide experience in the identification of verification and selection criteria for tools that can be used by manufacturers in the design thereof, and by consumers when making a purchase decision. The latest work carried out in this regard, developed in collaboration with the CEMA Foundation (Labor Foundation for Cement and the Environment), has consisted of the preparation of a guide to simplify both the ergonomic assessment of the hand tools that are most used in the sector (jackhammers, water jets, mallets and bars) and the improvement of the workplaces associated with them.
INTRODUCTION
The work carried out by the Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) in the field of occupational ergonomics and the knowledge generated in the different projects it has developed, has made it possible to prepare a series of guides for the ergonomic verification and selection of tools and machines in different sectors of activity. Some examples of these guides are: “ERGOMAD. The Manual of Ergonomics for Machines in the Wood Processing Sector”, “ERGOMETAL. The Manual of Ergonomics for Machines in the Metal Sector” and the “Guide for the Ergonomic Verification of Machines-Tools in the Construction Sector” (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Covers from different manuals prepared by the IBV.
In 2012, the Labor Foundation for Cement and the Environment (CEMA Foundation), in collaboration with the Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) prepared a manual of “Good Practices for the Improvement of Ergonomic Working Conditions in the Cement Sector”, financed by the State Foundation for the Prevention of Occupational Risks, which made it possible to carry out an ergonomic study of the most representative tasks in the cement sector in order to analyze its characteristics and the possibilities of improving the ergonomic working conditions. As a continuation of the aforementioned project, during 2019 we produced the “Guide for the Ergonomic Verification and Selection of Hand Tools in the Cement Manufacturing Sector”, whose main purpose is to improve the ergonomic conditions of work associated with the use of hand tools by companies in the sector.
The guide presented here is aimed at prevention technicians and supervisors, procurement staff, workshop managers, heads of production/maintenance, and in general, any agent in the cement industry involved in the design, selection, procurement and use of hand tools. This guide contains the technical information needed to check the ergonomic requirements and principles of hand tools, providing general information to help with their design, selection, procurement and use.
Figure 2. Examples of tools used in the cement manufacturing sector.
The ultimate purpose of this work is to generate a support tool for the activity of prevention that can make it possible to advance in the improvement of the health and safety conditions of those tasks that involve the use of tools, and the integration of ergonomics into the culture of prevention of the different agents in the cement industry.
DEVELOPMENT AND METHODOLOGY
In order to achieve the defined objectives, the following tasks were carried out:
1. Firstly, the most representative hand tools in the sector were identified and selected, analyzing their representativity based on their frequency of use or by the accident rate associated with their use, or the workplace in which they are used. This selection was made by experts from the sector, who took part in a discussion group set up for that purpose.
2. Secondly, specific information was collected from systematic bibliographical reviews of publications related to ergonomics in the cement sector, guides for the ergonomic assessment of machines and tools from other sectors, manufacturers websites, etc., and all the collected information was then critically reviewed.
3. In addition, a field study (Figure 3) was carried out, which collected information about the real use of the selected tools, and workers and experts were interviewed.
Figure 3. Images of the field study.
4. Finally, based on all the information that we collected, we prepared the guide, and it was then assessed by the experts who had participated in the previous phases.
RESULTS
The Guide, which compiles all the information obtained during the study, has been edited in electronic format and is available for download from the websites of the entities that have participated in its development (Figure 4).
Available through the following link:
https://www.fundacioncema.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/guia_verificacion_2019_web.pdf
Figure 4. Cover of the guide.
The contents of the guide are structured as follows:
1. Checklist
2. Criteria for the application of the checklist and
3. Specific file cards for tools commonly used in the cement industry.
1. Checklist
This section includes a list for the ergonomic verification of hand tools (Figure 5):
• A first level that includes general aspects, applicable to any type of hand tool, which not only takes into account the characteristics of the tool (weight, length, materials, etc.) but also its use and the opinion of the people who use it.
• And a second more specific level which focuses on a typical tool for the sector and is intended to be an aid in its design, selection, procurement and use. This second level includes tools that were selected as being representative of the sector: bar, jet, jackhammer and mallet.
Figure 5. Example of some of the pages of the checklist.
2. Criteria for the application of the checklist
In order to facilitate the application of the checklist, a series of criteria have been developed which describe the ergonomic principles on which each aspect of the list is based (Figure 6). It includes specific values, recommendations, etc., and is therefore intended to serve as an aid when carrying out the ergonomic assessment of tools used in companies, as well as to provide criteria for the procurement or design of new tools considering ergonomic criteria. This section establishes specific guidelines for assessing each of the aspects contained in the list, clarifications, as well as, in some cases, possible solutions and recommendations for improvement.
Figure 6. Example of some of the pages containing criteria for the application of the checklist
3. File cards
The final section of the guide includes 4 file cards that correspond to the specific tools that have been studied (bar, jet, jackhammer and mallet). The file cards include both the ergonomic problems and possible suggestions for their improvement in terms of their design, procurement and use (Figure 7).
Figure 7. Example of some of the pages of the tool file cards.
CONCLUSIONS
It should be noted that this type of tool verification guide is not only aimed at prevention technicians and supervisors, procurement staff, workshop managers or heads of production/maintenance, , but also at any agent of the specific sector to whom it is addressed. These guides also provide valuable information for companies that develop and design such hand tools, because they contain necessary technical information for the verification of the ergonomic requirements and principles of hand tools, offering general information to assist in their design and use.
The development of specific Tool Guides for different sectors if activity is vitally important, because the impact of a poorly designed tool can affect the health of the people who use it to perform their job, such as the onset of some sort of injury associated with its use, especially disorders of a cumulative nature, such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Raynaud’s syndrome, etc. On the other hand, it is necessary to stress that the use of inadequate tools from an ergonomic point of view can also have an effect on productivity, because an absence of ergonomics leads to a decrease of efficiency in the performance of the task in question. An ergonomic design of hand tools can help, for example, to increase the strength exerted by the worker, to increase precision, reach and the capacity to exert power, as well as guaranteeing the health and safety of people.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The development of this guide has been possible thanks to funding from the State Foundation for the Prevention of Occupational Risks (AS-2018-0061). This action was requested by the CEMA Foundation.
Finally, we would like to thank all the workers, company managers and the trade union organizations, CCOO Construction and Services, and UGT-FICA, Federation of Industry, Construction and Agriculture, and the Spanish cement sector, for their valuable contributions to the project and their collaboration in the implementation of the study. And a special mention to everyone in the Sagunto Factory (LafargeHolcim España, S.A.U.), who have taken part in the field work.
