Ergonomic risks and risk assessment methods in production processes: An application in the bolt factory

Today, it is the most important part of human production factors. For this reason, ergonomics plays an important role, aiming the harmony of work to people and people to work. Especially in labor-intensive businesses, neglecting ergonomic factors negatively affects employee productivity and causes permanent occupational diseases in employees. In this context, the elimination of ergonomic risks in the enterprises is extremely important on the performance and productivity of the employees. In this study, it is aimed to analyze processes and offer solutions by using ergonomic risk assessment methods in an enterprise. In this context, a factory operating in the fasteners sector in Malatya 2nd Organized Industry was chosen as a place of application. Wire drawing section, which is one of the main processes in the factory that produces bolts, was the focal point of the study. In this framework, the current situation analysis was carried out primarily with in-depth interviews with department managers and employees, the layout plan was examined in detail, the process was recorded for approximately 36 hours at various times with action cameras in factory environment and detailed work flow charts of the machines used in wire drawing were created. Angle values of the employees' posture positions were calculated with the help of Dartfish package program. Within the framework of all these data, 55 processes that can cause difficulties in the muscle and skeletal systems of the wire drawing department have been analyzed through REBA, RULA and QEC methods, which are frequently used in the literature. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the vast majority of the tasks in the machine, especially those with thick wire drawing, are in the very high risk and high risk group. Improvement recommendations for tasks found to be ergonomically risky have been presented. Keywords: Ergonomic, Ergonomic Risk, Assessement of Ergonomic Risk