Abstract
“Coolie’s” are recognized as one of the oldest occupations under the unorganized sector in India. More than 90% of the workers who contribute to the economy of the country are under the unorganized sector, making it essential to look into their work conditions and to increase their efficiency of work. In recent years, the world prefers mechanization at work places, but in the Indian railways, the sahayaks are directly exposed to strenuous physical activity which they endure for their livelihood. In view of the above, the current study focuses on the ergonomic risks the workers experience and proposes a possible intervention for increasing the efficiency and reducing the musculoskeletal problems they face. For the purpose of the study, several methods like self-reported questionnaires, REBA, NMQ, WERA, QEC, were used to assess and analyze the ergonomic risks and the symptoms of the MSD among the sahayaks. The results of the study contribute to planning and implementing an ergonomic design intervention. Based on the results of the study, we propose a design intervention of adjustable trolley, which could be altered according to the sahayak’s convenience and can be rolled over a ramp on the staircases making it an effortless and efficient design to reduce the physical strain experienced by the sahayaks.
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Deosthali, I., Bagmar, N., Mishra, W. (2022). Adjustable Design Intervention for Rail Sahayakas to Reduce Physical Discomfort. In: Rana, N.K., Shah, A.A., Iqbal, R., Khanzode, V. (eds) Technology Enabled Ergonomic Design. HWWE 2020. Design Science and Innovation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6982-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6982-8_3
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