[Anthropometry in workers and ergonomic aspects of work stations in the printing plant of the government of the state of Zulia, Venezuela].
To measure the corporal dimensions of the workers and the relationships with the spaces and equipments used in the printing processes, as the initial phase for the design and implementation of a surveillance program of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, 38 workers of a press were studied, by making an anthropometric record for ergonomic studies (CAPEE). The interior spaces and machinery were measured according to a format designed for that purpose. When the anthropometric parameters for each sex, the width elbow-elbow, height of the plane of the seat--elbow, height floor--upper face of the thigh and maximum width of hips were compared, they did not present significant differences. The other anthropometric parameters differ statistically (p < 0.05), being greater in men, except the height of the heel (p < 0.01). When relating the anthropometric measures and those of the interior spaces, there were no relationships among the maximum vertical reach of knuckles with the minimum height of objects and controls, the plane height of the seat-eye with the height of the computer's monitor and the sacrum-knee distance with the height of the work surface. The other variables showed a significant statistical relationship (p < 0.05). The interior spaces of the press are adapted to the anthropometric measures of its workers, fulfilling ergonomics approaches. These anthropometric measures and the ergonomics aspects of objects and workplace provide elements that will allow the design and the implementation of surveillance programs for the control and the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, related to the personnel's inadequate selection and to the redesign of interior spaces, and the selection of the machinery and tools to use in the technological processes.
Rojas-González
L
L
Instituto de Medicina del Trabajo e Higiene Industrial, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Chacín-Almarza
B
B
Corzo-Alvarez
G
G
Sanabria-Vera
C
C
Nuñez-González
J
J
D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011327:Printing; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013219:State Government; D014687:Venezuela; D017132:Workplace