Ergonomics and worker well-being: contributions to sustainability in the apparel manufacturing industry

Abstract

The main research studies, involving the apparel manufacturing industry, are more focused on the study and development of new fabrics (technological and intelligent); new fibers and their combinations; updated anthropometric tables; functional textile finishing; among others; not being valued the productivity nor the welfare of the worker. The new demands for the clothing manufacturing industry, in the context of Industry 4.0, reinforce the need for new studies, involving the planning, organization, and control of production, focusing on the worker, analyzing his well-being and the quality of work. The main objective of this paper is to expand the discussion about the contributions of ergonomics and well-being to the sustainability of the worker, in the clothing manufacturing industry, via a bibliographic and descriptive review of the literature. The PRISMA method was used, with the research divided in four phases: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. National and international papers were screened in Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and databases of Portuguese and Brazilian universities, published between 2015 and 2022. Among the 78 articles found, all were reviewed according to the scope of the research, in which 7 were included for detailed analysis. The keywords that were used for this research were: sustainability, apparel industry, industry 4.0, well-being, ergonomics, productivity, and mental health. From the conducted research, it was possible to identify two key ideas within industry 4.0: mental health and well-being of the worker.