Development of an Ergonomic Stirring Tool for Gari Frying Workers

Abstract

Stirring activity in gari frying involves repetitive movement of the hand until the batch is ready. The existing stirring tools vary. Workers  using these tools experience Carpal Tunnel Syndrome among other discomforts of mus culoskeletal disorders origin up to the  shoulder/arm region. To mitigate this risk, an ergonomic stirring tool was developed. The user requirements were first defined by assessing the existing stirring tools. Also, six hand anthropometric data of female gari frying workers were collected from 120 subjects in six southwestern states of Nigeria. A new prototype stirring tool was thereafter developed based on the requirements of the gari frying task and the hand anthropometry data collected. Results of the ana lysis of the anthropometric data give the 50 th percentiles of the hand length, hand breadth at thumb, hand breadth at knuckles, hand thickness, grip span and hand length at index as 10.45, 9.40, 6.88, 4.19,  2.96 and 17.50 cm, respectively. A new rectangula r shaped stirring tool was developed, having a surface dimension 275.00 × 124.00 mm x 13 mm, weighs 342 g made of Melina wood (Gmelina Arborea). In use, this new tool ensures a neutral posture of the wrist with power grip and good coverage (sweep) area of the frying pan during operation .