ABSTRACT
This study analyzed the effect of job rotation on the risk of developing UL-WMSDs in a poultry slaughterhouse with 1,200 workers. Three organizational settings were evaluated (“without job rotation”, “with job rotation - tasks >1h” and “with job rotation - tasks <1h”) using the OCRA Checklist method and the fulfillment of requirements for the implementation of rotations established by the Brazilian Regulatory Standard NR-36. The OCRA score of the right upper limbs (16.5±5.7) were significantly higher (p<0.001) relative to the left upper limbs (15.0±5.6). The average scores on all three organizational conditions presented moderate risk. There was a significant difference between the scores of the conditions “without job rotation” and “with job rotation - tasks <1h” (p=0.011), as well as “without job rotation” and “with job rotation - tasks >1h” (p<0.001). Thus, the results of the risk using the OCRA Checklist method showed the inefficiency of the realization of rotations >1h and <1h compared to not carrying out job rotation for the reduction of the UL-WMSDs risk. In relation to NR-36 requirements, it was found that alternating sitting and standing posture, postural requirements reduction and monotony were met by most sectors. Finally, it was difficult implementing efficient rotations due to particularities of work in the slaughterhouses such as: tasks with similar musculoskeletal requirements, pace imposed by machines, inability to perform rotations between different sectors (health and occupational constraints), the predominance of tasks with moderate and high risks, hindering the distribution of risks between the tasks of the rotation.
Keywords:
Ergonomics; job rotation; musculoskeletal disorders; slaughterhouse
