Eliane Ramos

Upper Limbs Exposure to Biomechanical Overload: Occupational Risk Assessment in a Poultry Slaughterhouse

Brazil is the largest poultry meat exporter, especially in the form of cut-up parts. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risks associated with repetitive movements of the upper limbs in meat processing tasks. The study was conducted in a slaughterhouse with 3000 workers that slaughtered 300000 chickens/poultries per day. The OCRA checklist was used to evaluate work tasks. The 22 work tasks analyzed were the following: cutting (n = 11); chiller (n = 1); freezing tunnels (n = 1); reception (n = 3) and packing (n = 6). The average of occupational repetitive actions performed by poultry workers was 59.1 ± 18.0 per minute. The average score of OCRA’s checklist was 16.8 ± 4.2 (moderate risk). The scores for the right upper limb (18.3—moderate risk) were significantly higher (p = 0.003) than the contralateral limb (15.3—moderate risk). Two work tasks were considered high risk (9 %); 17 represented moderate risk (77 %), and 3 were considered low risk (14 %).

Risk of Developing Musculoskeletal Disorders in a Meat Processing Plant

The present study aimed to evaluate the risk of developing UL-WMSDs in a pig meat processing plant using the OCRA checklist. The study was conducted in a company with 3000 workers. The average of occupational repetitive actions performed by workers was 64.1 ± 14.3 per minute, representing nine points in the OCRA’s scale. The average score of OCRA’s checklist was 22.2 ± 7.7, which is considered as a moderate risk. The scores for the right upper limb (22.2 ± 7.8 - moderate risk) did not differ (p = 0.192) from the left upper limb (21.6 ± 8.1 - moderate risk). Considering the five risk categories proposed by the OCRA method, six work tasks were considered as high risk (27%) and 16 represented moderate risk (73%). When performing simulations, in 19 of the 22 activities it was possible to reduce the risk of UL-WMSDs to very low levels, by reducing only the working pace (−46.7 ± 14.8%).

Thermographic Evaluation of the Hands of Pig Slaughterhouse Workers Exposed to Cold Temperatures

Brazil was rated the fourth leading producer and exporter of pork meat in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperature of the hands of pig slaughterhouse workers and its relation to the thermal sensation of the hands and the use of a cutting tool. The study included 106 workers in a pig slaughterhouse. An infrared camera FlirThermaCAM E320 (Flir Systems, Wilsonville, OR, USA) was used to collect the images of the dorsal and palmar surfaces of both hands. A numerical scale was used to obtain the thermal sensation. Chi-square test, Pearson correlation and Student’s t test or Wilcoxon were used (p ≤ 0.05). The majority of workers felt cold in the hands (66%) and workers who used the knife felt the coldest. There was an association between the thermal sensation and the use of knife (p = 0.001). Workers who used the tool showed correlation between the thermal sensation and the temperatures of the left fingers, with a difference between the temperatures of the right and left hands of those who used the knife (p ≤ 0.05). The hands (left) that manipulated the products presented the lowest temperatures. Findings indicate that employers of pig slaughterhouses should provide gloves with adequate thermal insulation to preserve the health of workers’ hands.

Evaluation of Bodily Discomfort of Employees in a Slaughterhouse

Brazil is the fourth leading producer and exporter of pork meat in the world. This study aimed to evaluate the bodily discomfort of employees in a pig slaughterhouse. The participants were 72 workers, 34 females and 38 males. A human body map, an interview regarding organizational issues, the OCRA method, descriptive statistics and Chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05) were used. The results indicated that 80.6% of workers performed repetitive tasks, all workers took rest breaks, 41.7% performed job rotations and 62.5% used tools. Cold was felt by 44.4% of workers, with the most complaints for the feet (68.8%) and hands (28.1%). Most workers felt bodily discomfort in at least one region (83.3%) and the bodily regions most affected were shoulders (47.2%) and arms (25.0%). Their symptoms were pain (56.7%) and fatigue (45.0%), and 50% were taking medications. There was no association between bodily discomfort and the variables analyzed in this study.

Repetitive Working in Slaughterhouses: The Esthesiometry Use of the Hand as a Proposal for Assessing Levels of RSI Compression Syndromes of the Upper Limbs

This is a descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional study aimed at determining the predictive value of esthesiometry for diagnosing compressive neuropathies of the upper limbs in freezer warehouse workers. Participated in the study 300 workers aged from 20 to 50 years who work for more than 12 months in poultry slaughterhouses, whose work activities are characterized by repetitive movements and prevalence of biomechanical requirements. Data collection used esthesiometry resources to determine the sensitivity of the hand of workers; the use of a dynamometer to verify and assess the handgrip strength, and the use of a questionnaire to record socio-demographic characteristics of participants. As statistical criterion for analysis, descriptive statistics and the ROC curve (Receiver Operating Characteristic) were selected in order to identify the best cutoff point handgrip strength value and the result of hand esthesiometry to indicate the presence of RSI in the upper limbs. The results indicated that the handgrip strength is efficient in diagnosing RSI by compression syndromes in 77.67 % of cases for the right side of the body and in 71 % of cases for the left side of the body. Thus, considering the analysis by statistical method by applying the ROC curve, the esthesiometry procedure used as predictive diagnosis was characterized as the best criterion for the early identification of RSI by compression syndromes in the upper limbs. Thus, esthesiometry seems to be an easy-to-apply quantitative tool able to identify changes in sensitivity even before the onset of RSI, providing more accurate objective results when compared to the handgrip strength, both for its diagnosis and follow-up, which can be used in slaughterhouses safely and effectively.

Evaluation of Risk Factors of Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorders in a Meat Processing Company

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risks associated with repetitive movements of the upper limbs in different meat processing tasks of a pig slaughterhouse. The study was conducted in a Brazilian pig slaughterhouse, in which 200 workers were evaluated through the OCRA Checklist. There were 18 work tasks analyzed from the following sectors: cuts (8); ham (4); pepperoni (3); sausage (2) and salami (1). The average score of OCRA Checklist was 20.6 ± 5.8 (moderate risk). The scores for the right upper limb (20.4 ± 6.0 - moderate risk) did not differ (p = 0.163) from the left upper limb (20.6 ± 5.8 - moderate risk). Two work tasks were considered high risk (11%) and 16 were within a moderate risk (89%). These results suggest that pig processing tasks predispose workers to a greater probability of developing upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (>21.5% probability for high risk and 10.8 to 21.5% for moderate risk).

Risk Assessment of Repetitive Movements of the Upper Limbs in a Chicken Slaughterhouse

Brazil is one of the main exporters of chicken meat since 2004. However, improvements in the working conditions in this sector have not expand at the same rate as production grows. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risks associated with repetitive movements of the upper limbs in different meat processing tasks in a poultry slaughterhouse. The study was conducted in a poultry slaughterhouse with 3,500 workers, in which 300,000 chickens were slaughtered daily. In order to evaluate the risks associated with repetitive movements of the upper limbs, 10% of the workforce was evaluated while carrying out their work tasks, using the Checklist proposed by OCRA method. Descriptive statistics was used, as well as the Student t-test (SPSS 17.0) to compare the risk between left and right side of the body (p ≤ 0.05). The average of occupational repetitive actions performed by workers was 64.7 ± 13.3 per minute, representing 9 points in the OCRA scale (0 to 10 points scale). The average score of OCRA Checklist was 19.5 ± 2.5 (moderate risk). The scores for the right upper limb (20.0 ± 3.0 - moderate risk) were significantly higher (p = 0.024) than the contralateral limb (17.7 ± 2.8 - moderate risk). Considering the five risk categories proposed by the OCRA method, one work task was considered high risk (7%) and 14 presented moderate risk (93%). Through simulations, it was possible to reduce the risk of UL-WMSDs to very low levels by reducing only the activity working pace (–48.5 ± 11.8%).