Design Of Ergonomic Workstations In The Ironing Department To Reduce The Risk Of Poor Work Postures And Musculoskeletal Complaints At Bunda Laundry

Abstract

The Ironing Unit is one of the key work units in a laundry service. Because this work is driven by punctuality, cleanliness, and neatness, employees are required to work for long periods of time, which can lead to excessive fatigue and, ultimately, complaints caused by ergonomic risk factors experienced by staff, namely abnormal posture in the shoulder area due to frequent upper extremity movements above shoulder height, static muscle strain from prolonged standing, abnormal posture in the waist and lower back due to bending and twisting, and abnormal forward-leaning posture. To analyze these issues, the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method was used. Based on the results of the analysis of workers’ postures in the ironing unit using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method, the exposure score for the standing position was 6, indicating that the risk level during the ironing process while standing is high (high risk), whereas the exposure score for the sitting position was 4, indicating that the risk level during ironing and folding while using a chair without a backrest is medium risk. Therefore, an investigation and the implementation of changes are needed as soon as possible, including a proposal to improve the ironing table by making it height-adjustable.