A Study of the Design of Lifting Trolley for the Suspending Agent Pouring Process in Chemical Industry

Abstract

The raw material preparation process in the chemical industry is still done manually by pouring the suspending agent. Workers pour 20kg boxes with a frequency of 20-30 boxes every day. These activities have the potential to cause musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of this study is to provide an assessment and design a lifter as a conveyance that has the potential to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This study used the Nordic questionnaire to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, REBA to assess work posture, and QFD as an approach in designing the lifter. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the most complaints were felt in the upper body. And based on the assessment with the QEC method, the average total exposure received by workers is 64.63%. This is evidenced by the results of the assessment of 60 work postures during the suspending agent pouring process which obtained the highest REBA mode value with a score of 8 (high risk). Based on the QFD method, this lifting trolley produces 11 target specifications. After simulating the design of the lifting trolley, the REBA score decreased to 3 (low risk). This shows that the designed trolley has the potential to be applied to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in workers in the chemical industry.