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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #359204
Title: Ergonomic evaluation of current advancements in blueberry harvesting

Author
item KIM, EUNSIK - University Of Windsor
item FREIVALDS, ANDRIS - Pennsylvania State University
item Takeda, Fumiomi
item LI, CHANGYING - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Agronomy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2018
Publication Date: 11/17/2018
Citation: Kim, E., Freivalds, A., Takeda, F., Li, C. 2018. Ergonomic evaluation of current advancements in blueberry harvesting. Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8110266.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8110266

Interpretive Summary: The blueberry industry relies on many workers for harvesting fruit either by hand or using mechanical shakers. In this study, several types of blueberry harvesting methods were evaluated (hand harvesting, semi-mechanical harvesting with hand-held shakers, and over-the-row machines) in terms of workers' postural loads and self-reported discomfort by using ergonomics intervention techniques at five locations in California, Oregon, and Washington between 2017 and 2018. Based on the results, we conclude: 1) working on the fully mechanized harvester would be the best approach in minimizing muscular strain and fatigue to the worker, 2) for hand harvesting, more than half of the postures were high risk for workers' shoulder pain because the harvested berries were stored in shoulder harnessed containers; when full, weighed as much as 12 lb, and 3) for semi-mechanical harvesting systems, the biggest problem was the excessive vibration to a worker’s hand from the air-powered shaking head that moved back and forth about 700 times per minute. Thus, collaborative efforts among health and safety professionals, engineers, social scientists, horticulturists, and ergonomists are needed to provide effective ergonomic interventions.

Technical Abstract: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) accounted for 32% of days-away-from-work cases in private industry. Several factors have been associated with work-related MSDs such as repetitive motion, excessive force, awkward and/or sustained postures, and prolonged sitting and standing, all of which are required in farm workers' labor. While numerous epidemiological studies on the prevention of MSDs in agriculture have been conducted, an ergonomics evaluation of blueberry harvesting has not yet been systematically performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors of MSDs for several types of blueberry harvesting (hand harvesting, semi-mechanical harvesting with hand-held shakers, and over-the-row machines) in terms of workers' postural loads and self-reported discomfort using ergonomics intervention techniques. Five field studies in the western region of the United States between 2017 and 2018 were conducted using Borg CR-10 scale, EMG, RULA, CTD index, and the NIOSH lifting equation. Based on the results, we conclude that working on the fully mechanized harvester would be the best approach in minimizing worker loading and fatigue. This is because the total component ratio of postures in hand harvesting with a RULA score of greater than five was 69%, indicating that more than half of the postures were high risk for workers' shoulder pain. For the semi-mechanical harvesting, the biggest problem with hand-held shakers used in a semi-mechanical harvesting system was the excessive vibration, which led to worker fatigue. Thus, collaborative efforts among health and safety professionals, engineers, social scientists, and ergonomists are needed to provide effective ergonomic interventions.