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Several
studies have been undertaken to examine health and safety of
the workers in agriculture. Research on the problems of
agricultural work force has a precise emphasis
to resolve problems of work environment, to alleviate
rigors at the workplace and to improve performance ability of
the workers.. Emphasis has been given on the principles of
ergonomics, i.e., work simplication and workload
classification, modification of work methods and manually
operated tools and implements.
The farm population was examined with reference to (i)
possible changes in working capacity with nutrition,
increasing age and organic constitutional differences, (ii)
the mean level of energy expenditure during occupational tasks
in farming and non-farming seasons, (iii) setting work
standards as relative severity of maximal working capacity.
About 63% of the total man-hours were occupied by moderately
heavy tasks; average working day energy expenditure
corresponds to 30 to 40% of maximal work capacity of persons.
Based on large number of observations, recommendations arrived
at the permissible daily energy output as 4.6 MJ. In summery,
the recruitment, selection and placement of labour may be
possible based on the work capacity data of the farm workers.
A better form of work organisation through the management of
human labour may thereby be possible.
Modification of work methods and manually operated
tools and implements — attempts were made to simplify
manually operated farm tools and implements, by which the
physical demand of work may be minimized. Studies were carried
out in different types of weeders to remove weeds from dry and
wet land, plough for deep and shallow ploughing, serminated
seedlings to minimize time requirement of seeding operation,
threshing operation either by manual beating or pedal
threshing, use of different types
of hand tools, including sickle, beater, shovel, etc. A
prototype of a ploughing device was designed for better
tillage.
Asbestosis
Byssinosis
Pneumoconiosis and Other Respiratory Morbidities Among Coal
Miners In India
Noise Pollution and Health Effects
Occupational Exposure to Heavy Metals
Occupational Exposure to Organochlorine Pesticides
Agricultural Ergonomics
Women in Industry: Health and safety
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