Agriculture, forestry & fishing

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries to work in within the UK, more people are injured (some fatally) per head of working population than in any other sector. The Health & Safety Executive provide a lot of information and advice to help improve health and safety on farms. It's vitally important to make sure that ergonomics is applied in this sector too!

A multi-national European research project has been set up to establish the best working practices within agriculture to prevent or reduce musculoskeletal disorders in agriculture. Activities to date include the use of tools and equipment for milking, planting and some harvesting tasks. Other research has looked at tractor design. Tractors have become a central part of work on the farm, carrying out many of the tasks that would previously have been carried out by hand or by using horses. However, whilst this brings many benefits, it also brings some issues for the driver. These include the risk of overturning on steep ground, noise, vibration from travelling over rough ground, dust exposure, poor seating posture and more.

A tractor works by both providing a large pulling force and transferring engine power through the back of the tractor to the implements attached at the rear via a power-take-off shaft. A significant amount of research is going into the effect of this on the driver. Many of the implements are attached at the rear, which means the driver has to twist in the seat to monitor the work. Many studies have made ergonomic recommendations to manufacturers to reduce the risk of discomfort or injury from working in tractors. Some studies have looked into whether a swivelling seat base reduces the amount of twist, or whether the use of large mirrors reduces the need to twist, or whether a saddle type seat is better than a conventional seat. Other recommendations have included moving the controls to the arm rests, within easy reach of the operator, and raising the ceiling height of the cab to reduce head impact. In fact, rotating seat bases and armrest controls are now commonplace within most tractors.

There are still many challenges for ergonomists to solve in agriculture. Tractors are typically designed for large British or American males. However, more and more tractors are being used by females in the UK and also sold on to the third world, where the stature of people can be very different. The practical impacts of this are not just about comfort. If seat suspension is designed for a British male and a lighter, shorter driver sits on it, at the top end of travel, they often can't reach the brake pedal!

Forestry workers have a number of issues in common with agricultural workers in relation to the vehicles they drive: twisting, use of controls, whole body vibration, for example. Ergonomists look at the design of tools and heavy equipment, and their use when the operator is wearing personal protective equipment such as facemasks and gloves, especially in relation to the changing environment in which they will be used. The UK's Forest Research (part of the Forestry Commission) is one of the world’s leading centres of research into woodlands and forestry. Their programme of safety and ergonomics for forestry operations investigates ergonomic and health and safety issues for a wide range of forestry operations. It aims to provide best practice guidance to prevent and minimise risks to forestry operators' health, and to support and inform the development of health and safety guidance and standards for the industry.

Workers in the commercial fishing industry face a number of very difficult ergonomic challenges. Obvious issues are the extremes of weather they face from working at night in howling wind and rain to burning sunshine during the day. The physical effort involved can be enormous with manual handling of nets and equipment and the catch itself, all the while maintaining balance on a constantly moving deck. Ergonomists can analyse working postures and the physiological effects of the work on the fisherman to help reduce the potential for sudden and cumulative injuries. They can assist with provision of adequate protective, safety and communications equipment, together with effective rescue procedures in the event of an emergency.

Work in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries can be difficult and dangerous. The challenge is to use ergonomics and human factors to help make working life in these environments easier, more efficient and safer - no mean task!

Text by Lauren Morgan & Dave O'Neill

Photo credit, forestry worker: Malene Thyssen