Biomechanical Evaluation of Spinal Loading Using Farm Hand Tools and Handle Design Modifications for Haryana Male Farmers

• Published in: Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India). Series A, Civil, architectural, environmental and agricultural Engineering Vol. 102; no. 1; pp. 103 - 110
• Main Authors: Kharb, Sandeep Singh, Belokar, R. M., Kant, Suman, Sharma, Milap
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.03.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anthropometry; Biomechanics; Civil Engineering; Compression loads; Compression tests; Design modifications; Engineering; Farmers; Farms; Hand tools; Original Contribution; Virtual environments; Agriculture; Spade; CATIA-V5; Compression force at L4–L5; Anthropometry
• ISSN: 2250-2149; 2250-2157
• DOI: 10.1007/s40030-020-00481-1

Manual farming tools must match the body characteristics of the workers for their safety and performance. With this objective to serve in the present study, 18 body dimensions were measured including age and mass for 200 male farmers from the five districts of Haryana. Handle design of spade and sickle was suggested following the measured body characteristics. Biomechanical study was conducted to evaluate the compression loading at L4–L5 of five subjects using newly designed spade and pre-existing spade alternately. A similar virtual environment was developed in the CATIA-V5 to examine the compression loading at L4–L5. The results obtained were compared using t test, which show a significant reduction in compression forces at L4–L5 for p  < 0.05.