Biomechanical analysis of a manual handlingtask performed by a bakery employee inZapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) represent a critical challenge in occupational environments. In the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Jalisco, local bakeries rely on traditional methods for bread making. Despite the availability of automated processes, tasks remain predominantly manual. The objective of this case study was to analyze the workstation of the baker in charge of the baking stage at a bakery in Zapopan, Jalisco, to evaluate their ergonomic risk exposure. Anthropometric assessments and workstation measurements were conducted, and activities were video-recorded to execute a main task and subtask analysis based on the Workplace Site Analysis methodology (Gómez Bull et al., 2012). Extracted video frames were evaluated using the OWAS ergonomic assessment method and the 3DSSPP® biomechanical analysis software (University of Michigan, 2011). The primary findings indicate that the workstation design and its resulting postures pose a moderate-to-high risk to the worker. Ergonomic intervention is essential to mitigate postural load across the identified body segments; furthermore, corrective actions must be implemented regarding both the workstation layout and the tools utilized in this specific case. This approach aims to eliminate the identified ergonomic risk factors without altering the traditional bread-making manufacturing process. Finally, this proposed methodological evaluation procedure remains available for replication in research environments similar to the one presented in this study.