Ergonomic Evaluation of Mobile Work Platform Technology in Washington State Orchards

Kit Galvin, Peter Johnson,

Patrik Renyll, Richard A. Fenske

2011 National Symposium on Agriculture,Forestry and Fishing Health & Safety

29 June 2011 Boise, ID

Cooperating orchards

Agricultural workers

Research teamMaria Tchong-FrenchMaria NegretePablo PalmándezAnna Fretheim

Contributers

Northwest Tree Fruit Industry

Activities require: high level of manual labor use of ladders

Labor is the greatest

production cost

Northwest Tree Fruit Industry

Technology Roadmap decrease production costs increase orchard productivity

Major changes in tree fruit production

orchard architecture assistive technologies

Minimize the health and safety impact

Photo of fruiting wall

Goals

Evaluate ergonomic stressorsTasks

pruning green fruit thinning

Equipmentladdersself-propelled mobile platforms

Recommendations for best practices

Pruning

Green Fruit Thinning

Green Fruit Thinning

Green Fruit Thinning

Exertion

Heart rate

Borg RPE

Example: pruner HR

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

0:00 2:24 4:48 7:12 9:36 12:00 14:24 16:48

Work1

Work2

Work3

Rest1

Rest2

HR

Time

Hea

rt R

ate

bp

m

Upper Body

Borg Crt10 scale

Inclinometer

Next StepsComplete data analysis

Validate Borg RPE and Borg CRT10 for hispanic men and women

Evaluate vacuum

harvesting platform