Ergonomic Analysis of Traditional Pine Oleoresin Tapping: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Cumulative Fatigue, and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Pine oleoresin is a valuable non-timber forest product commodity in Indonesia. A traditional tapping using small-sized hoes ("kadukul" in Sundanese or "pethel" in Javanese) are widely applied. Given the protection of occupational safety and health is a worker's right, various ergonomic issues were discussed in this study. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) was examined by using Standardized Nordic Questionnaire and Wong-Baker Pain Rating Scale instruments, physical-mental-social fatigue was measured by Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index (CFSI), and job satisfaction was tested from eight variables such as wage, employment status, accessibility, health service, living facilities, work equipment, training, and social facility. This study revealed that most of the workers suffered from intense MSDs in the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand, thigh, calf, and foot (mostly right body side). This finding was in line with the CFSI analysis.  The common fatigue symptoms suffered by the workers were in the category of the physical dimension, such as in sub-dimensions of general fatigue, chronics fatigue, and physical disorder. The job satisfaction analysis confirmed that two variables, i.e., wage and employment status, influenced job satisfaction significantly in a positive association. Proper personal protective equipment and workaid, working techniques improvement that meets occupational safety and health standard, and safety behavior incentive should be considered as effective strategies in improving the worker's safety and health protection. Keywords: forest harvesting, forestry worker, non-timber forest product, physical fatigue, safety