Análise ergonômica do posto de trabalho do operador de produção em uma indústria de injeção plástica utilizando o método RULA (rapid upper limb assessment)

Abstract

Ergonomics is acquiring increasing importance in the workplace due to various problems arising from industrial activities carried out, such as injuries, accidents and musculoskeletal diseases, which often generate temporary or definitive withdrawal of the worker. In addition to the damage to the health and well-being of the employee, there is a financial burden to the economy as a whole. Because of the problems mentioned, various methods and techniques have been developed to evaluate the ergonomics of the workstation. Among them is the Methodology RULA, which assesses the exposure of individuals to postures, forces and muscle activities, work postures or detecting risk factors that deserve special attention, determining the level of risk posture in the workplace, with great applicability in the industrial sector. In the industrial segment, plastic injection businesses are increasingly important in the economy due to growing demand of injected plastic products and components, employing a large contingent of workers who may be exposed to ergonomic risks arising from the activities carried out. In this monography, ergonomic analysis was made of the workstation production operators of a plastic injection industry in the great Curitiba, using the RULA Method, with the overall objective to identify ergonomic risks. The main causes of ergonomic risks were identified and defined the degree of risk to which workers are exposed in the execution of each task. In addition, recommendations have been proposed to reduce ergonomic risks at the workplace.