Analysis of Work Posture and Work Station in Metal Coating Worker at Talang, Tegal
Ekawati, Yuliani Setyaningsih, Ida Wahyuni
Occupational Safety and Health Department, Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University
Abstract
Background: Chromium, a heavy metals commonly used as an anti-corrosive agent. Clinical and laboratory evidence showed that inhaled chromium was very toxic. Talang sub-district, Tegal district has several groups of metal coating workers. As an informal sector, they were poor of legislation and health services and also poor of hygiene sanitation, poor of workplace arrangement. They were not use personal protective equipment also. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the work posture and work stations on chromium metal coating workers. Methods: This research used a cross sectional design. Data collected using interview method, work station and work posture observation. A number of 35 worker at Talang metal coating industry participated in this research. Results: Most of the workers were in poor work stations, for example: insufficient location and size of ventilation, lack of lighting, slippery and moist floor. Most workers were not use personal protective equipment and had awkward work postures. Conclusion: The workers do their work in non-ergonomic work postures. The work station was not supportive for making ergonomic work posture. This study recommends to repair work station by adjusting ventilation size and the ventilation location should not be in front of the workers directly. If this was not possible, then workers who must adjust their work position away from ventilation. Entrepreneurs can provide local exhaust that was useful for sucking metal vapors so that the levels of metal vapors can be reduced to a minimum level.
Keywords: work posture, work station, ergonomics
Topic: Environmental and Occupational Health