Ergonomic evaluation of operations in poultry production systems / Avaliação ergonômica em operações do sistema produtivo de carne de frango

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

Based on the importance of poultry production for the Brazilian economy and based on current demands of domestic and foreign markets with respect to production and processing of chicken meat, several aspects should be improved in the production chain in order to provide increased product quality with particular attention to safe working conditions for employees involved in this activity. The research objective of this study was to evaluate ergonomic factors associated with employees working in hatchery, rearing and slaughter of broilers, in function of the influence of three minimum ventilation systems (initial phase) and two feed supply systems (growth phase) in the physical strain of poultry farms workers, in order to guide the establishment of better working conditions, from complying with the laws proposed by the Regulating Rules of the Ministry of Labor and Employment. For this work the physical load of work, exposure to heat, through the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) in the hatchery and warehouses, and exposure to cold, through the Effective Temperature Index (ITE) at the slaughterhouse, noise, lighting, biomechanics and postural analysis of employees engaged in the hatchery, sheds and slaughter of broilers, and also the exposure of workers to the concentration of gases such as ammonia and carbon monoxide in the sheds were evaluated. Based on data collection and analysis, it was found that the hatchery workers are exposed to physical overload during unloading egg boxes, hatching associated with turning, cleaning of metal cases coming from incubation and loading boxes with chicks. Exposure to excessive heat during incubation associated with turning. The activities developed within the incubation machine, transfer hall, sexing area, vaccination and during the loading of boxes with chicks, expose workers to continuous sound levels considered harmful. Lighting is inadequate in all rooms. The unloading and pulling of the egg boxes, the chicks boxes washing, and their loading in the truck can injure all members analyzed by the biomechanics, and that the postures adopted to perform: the act of pulling and lifting egg boxes, squatting to pick up chicken boxes, separating egg shells and dead birds, when the box is close to the ground and on top of the cart, washing the classification plastic boxes and incubation cans, and loading of boxes with chicks in the truck, are worth checking in short term. In sheds, it was found that: revolving the bed exposes the employee to a physical strain and that the sheds where the power system is manual, workers are exposed to greater physical effort. In the sheds with minimum negative ventilation system and natural ventilation, the ammonia concentration was higher especially at 09:00 hours and the carbon monoxide concentration was not considered detrimental to the three warehouses. The management in the sheds was considered heavy. The noise level was considered harmful during firewood cutting. The lighting of the poultry shed was lower than that recommended by the NBR 5413, during the initial phase, at 03:00 and 21:00 hours. The traction of the cart with coffee husks and food and the act of lifting the bucket and pour the coffee husks in the composters exposes workers to risk of injury in all joints studied in biomechanics. With respect to the activities in which the postures are worth checking in the short term, they were observed for: revolving the bed with the aid of hoe and pitchfork, refilling the feeder, pulling the food cart and washing the trough. At the slaughterhouse, it was verified that evisceration, cutting the pieces, hanging the chicken in the transporting hook after leaving the chiller and the separation of guts, expose employees to physical overload at work. The temperature in the cutting halls (domestic and export), chiller, and cuts packing hall for domestic and export markets, was below the thermal comfort range. The noise level was considered hazardous in all sectors. Aside from the evisceration room and the international market cuts packing room, the lighting was below the recommended standard. The loading of boxes with chicken pieces can injure the elbow, shoulder and back of the workers. Unloading chicken boxes from the truck, cleaning the scalding and plucking sector and the act of lifting and pushing boxes of various sectors to the area of freezing and shredded, are worth checking posture in the short term. Thus, it can be concluded that that the operations of the poultry production system can offer unhealthy work conditions and it is required investment by federal and private organizations in studies and techniques to be applied in agriculture, especially in the poultry industry, which aim to reduce risks to health and safety of the workers, therefore bringing benefits for its own employees and businesses from the suitability of its products to the requirements of national and international quality.

ASSUNTO(S)

ergonomia construcoes rurais e ambiencia work safety ergonomic segurança no trabalho avicultura poultry production

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