Preliminary study of the ergonomics of Gari frying

Abstract

Manual frying, with its attendant drudgery, is about the last unit operation in the processing of cassava into gari. This determines the quality and market value of the food product. This paper studied the ergonomics of the frying task to investigate its nature and define the inherent problems with a view to proffering solution which would enhance safety of the processors and increase productivity. A total of 150 fryers, selected in ten locations from Oyo and Ogun states Nigeria, participated in the study. Data were collected with questionnaires and oral interview, in addition to some anthropometric data collected with instruments and used to determine basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) for 8hr-working day. Four improved gari-frying methods were identified based on processors’, work piece and workplace characteristics. The mean age, height and weight of the respondents were 37.49years (SD 11.28), 158.14cm (SD 6.26) and 56.77kg (SD 10.78) respectively. The mean BMR and TDEE were 1.85MJ/day (SD 0.16) and 2.40MJ/day (SD 0.21) respectively. Average output per fryer per day was 150kg. Methods of production adopted were found to generally depend on educational level, ownership status and the thriving culture in the location of the industry.

Keywords: Gari-frying, Basal Metabolic Rate, Energy Expenditure, Improved Methods, Ergonomics, Work

Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology, Volume 8, 2008