A biomechanical analysis of industrial forest plantation workers in East Kalimantan

The objectives of this study are to clarify physiological work loads and physical loads acting on the lumbar region of workers and to propose a safe work environment in tropical forestry operations. The research was conducted in the industrial forest plantations of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, in 1996. In this study, heart rates and the physical lumbar burden of industrial forest plantation workers were measured for three types of work, that is, weeding, planting and path clearing. In addition, the load moment at the L₅/S₁ and the disc compression force were calculated using low-back biomechanical models. As a result, compression forces at the L₅/S₁ disc during weeding, planting and path clearing were estimated and found to be below the Action Limit (AL) by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). However, it was also found that some work posture types during path clearing by chain saw were sometimes above the AL. A part of this paper was orally presented at the 108th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Forestry Society (1997).