Ergonomic factors and production target evaluation in eucalyptus timber harvesting operations in mountainous terrains.
There are several forest operations involved in Eucalyptus timber harvesting. This study was carried out during brush-cutting; tree felling, bucking, delimbing, piling and manual extraction operations, with the following objectives: a) analyzing, ergonomically, two systems of brush-cutting: one manual and the other semi-mechanized, using two different machines; b) ergonomically evaluating three different brands of pruner machines used in delimbing felled trees. c) determining the feasible target of productivity as a function of ergonomic factors relevant to establish the time of resting pauses for workers in manual and semi-mechanized timber harvesting systems in mountainous terrain. Brush-cutting, either manual or semimechanized, is an activity carried out prior to timber harvesting. It is usually a hard work, with low productivity when compared with mechanized systems. Pruner machines have been used by forest companies, due to the great possibilities to improve productivity, quality and the health of workers. Ergonomics is a discipline that promotes the adequacy of work to the physical and mental characteristics of human beings, seeking to design production systems and products considering relevant aspects, including social, organizational and environmental factors. Companies should consider the ergonomic factor in the determination of daily worker production targets.
Ergonomic Laboratory - Forest Engineering Department, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 - Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Amaury Paulo
AP
de Souza
Luciano José
LJ
Minette
André Luis Petean
AL
Sanches
Emília Pio
EP
da Silva
Valéria Antônia Justino
VA
Rodrigues
Luciana Aparecida
LA
de Oliveira
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004526:Efficiency; D006804:Ergonomics; D005052:Eucalyptus; D016468:Forestry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009623:Noise, Occupational; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014732:Vibration; D016526:Workload