MÉTODO PARA LA AYUDA AL REDISEÑO PARA LA MEJORA ERGONÓMICA DE PUESTOS CON MANIPULACIÓN MANUAL DE CARGAS

Abstract

The National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work (INSHT) has developed a manual load handling guide, with the purpose of facilitating the fulfillment of the effective legislation for occupational health and safety provisions relating to manual load handling (Royal Decree 487/1997-Spain). This paper describes a method for assisting the redesign of workstations with manual load handling under the criteria established by the GINSHT. The method organizes work redesign actions from critical manual load handling risks factors identified by means of GTINSHT. Developed method permits to analyze the variation of the risk based on the vertical range of the load, the degree of trunk rotation, the grip type, the task duration or manual load handling frequency. The ergonomist selects risk factors to improve and the method generates possible redesign options under GINSHT criteria. The method simulates different manual load handling situations. The proposed analysis and their corresponding risk levels will guide ergonomist in the workstation redesign actions, sometimes limited by production or organizational system. Keywords: Ergonomics, manual load handling, workstation redesign