AN ERGONOMIC EVALUATION OF PADDY HARVESTING WITH FARM WOMEN

Improved and Local sickles were evaluated ergonomically for harvesting paddy crop with 7 farm women aged 22-45 years at Kachhi-Barkheda village, Bhopal (M.P.). Improved sickle was tested on farm women to improve work efficiency and to reduce the drudgery of farm women. The performance in respect of heart rate, oxygen consumption rate, energy expenditure, overall discomfort and output were evaluated and data of improved and local sickle were compared. The results revealed that mean HRwork and oxygen consumption rate recorded 112 beats/min and 0.5 kilojule/min respectively with improved sickle, whereas it was 109 beats/min and 0.6 kilojule/min with local sickle during paddy harvesting. The corresponding work pulse (DHR) was 34 beats/min. It was observed that there was 5.3% increase in output with improved sickle. Improved sickle reduces 20.5% drudgery in ODR as compared to the traditional practice of local sickle.