Impactos das inadequações ergonômicas na saúde dos trabalhadores do posto a toalete da carcaça bovina em um frigorífico

Abstract

Slaughterhouse workers are constantly exposed to occupational hazards. This study was conducted in a medium-sized slaughterhouse located in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, so as to assess the activities developed and the impacts of ergonomic inadequacies in worker health. This facility handles the slaughtering of cattle and pigs following a method of mass production, where the slaughter process consists of thirty-one steps defined in workstations relying on one worker each. The main objectives were to analyze the work process of a slaughterhouse, regarding factors such as work conditions, physical damage and costs, as well as diagnose the key ergonomic risks inherent to the activities performed in the "toilet of the beef carcass" industry, and recommend changes in work environment aiming for ergonomic suitability and improvements in production processes. We employed the method recommended by Guerin et al (2001) for ergonomic work analysis, which revealed the following main results: the cutting edge of the knife used is preponderant in the execution of the task, as it determines the force required to cut the extracted structures; in order to maintain the cutting edge in ideal condition, sharpening must be performed by the operator throughout the process, within the time imposed by the overhead conveyor speed; bleeding weight and the height of the cylinder where blood is thrown overload operators musculoskeletal structures, causing pain and physical discomfort; the time pressure imposed by the overhead conveyor speed, associated with repetitive movements required by the task, causes physical fatigue; work in a standing and static position causes muscle fatigue at the level of the lumbar spine and lower limbs. It is concluded that changes should be made in the organization and work environment so as to improve conditions of the production process and promote the health and welfare of the workers involved.