RBG risk scale: An integrated tool for ergonomic risk assessments

Manufacturing in developing economies continue to be labour intensive owing to its cost benefits. Productivity improvement in this circumstance is brought about by continuous evaluation of manual work for ergonomic risks and taking corrective actions. Existing tools for risk assessment seek to measure risk in isolation while risk often depends on several factors such as posture, loads, injury proneness of a job and environmental factors (EFs) (temperature, lighting conditions, etc.). In the absence of an integrated measurement tool for ergonomic risk assessment, we propose a composite measure called RBG risk scale. It provides a single measure of the ergonomic assessment in terms of several factors(e.g. posture, biomechanical forces, environmental, etc.) collectively contributing to ergonomic impairments. This integrated score provides a clearer picture of the risk involved in the job and hence it can be used as a basis for prioritising operations for ergonomic interventions. © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.