Studying the effectiveness of adjustable water valve opener for drip irrigation systems to mitigate ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders: A case study of farmers in Thailand

BackgroundAgricultural workers suffer from a high rate of musculoskeletal disorders due to poor ergonomic design of tools and working conditions.ObjectiveThis quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of an ergonomic valve-opening device used in place of traditional valve openers among farmers utilizing drip irrigation systems.MethodsThe study evaluated the risks of improper working posture, musculoskeletal discomfort, task duration, risks of repetitive work, and physical workload. Data were collected from 34 farmers by means of general information questionnaires, satisfaction surveys, the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) tool, the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), and the Revised Strain Index (RSI). Physical workload was assessed by calculating %HRR (relative heart rate), and valve operation times were recorded. Data analysis employed Paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and descriptive statistics.ResultsThe results showed that using the ergonomic valve-opening device significantly reduced REBA scores (Mean = 2.18, S.D. = 0.39) compared to traditional valve operation (Mean = 11.53, S.D. = 1.26). Musculoskeletal discomfort, risks of repetitive work, physical workload, and task duration were also significantly reduced. Efficiency also improved, shown by a significantly higher number of valves operated in under five minutes when using the ergonomic device (Mean = 12.91, S.D. = 1.03) compared to traditional operation (Mean = 8.56, S.D. = 0.61). The participants also reported a high level of satisfaction with the device (76.5%).ConclusionThis study highlights reduced ergonomic risks and improved work efficiency among farmers utilizing the adjustable valve-opening device with drip irrigation systems.