ABSTRACT
The employee, the employer and labor unions, government institutions and certifiers can question the amount of output per person per workday. In the forestry sector the process of determining production targets, in general, does not take into account the ergonomic factors. The objective of this study was to determine production targets for timber cutting activity with chainsaw (tree felling and bucking) taking into account ergonomic factors related to the activity, as a way to prevent damage to health of workers. The ergonomic factors were assessed using a validated methodology for ergonomic analysis in scientific communities. The work organization was evaluated according to the methodology of systems analysis and time studies. The results indicated that the total vibration level (X, Y, and Z-axis), the thermal environment expressed by the WBGT index (Wet Bulb Globe- Thermometer), the noise level, the cardiovascular load exceeded the recommended limits for an eight hour work shift. The movements performed by workers were not classified as repetitive. The forces resulted in compression at L5-S1 disc of the spine, near or above the limit. With the exception of repeatability factor, all other factors required fatigue recovery breaks, and the machine vibration level the factor thatrequires more breaks. There was need to increase the ergonomic resting time and consequently to decrease the effective work time, which made the production target reduce 18%, to avoid damage to the workers' health.
Keywords:
Forest harvesting; Ergonomics; Productivity
