A Method to design job rotation schedules to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders in repetitive work

摘要

Job rotation is an organisational strategy widely used in human-based production lines with the aim of\udpreventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). These work environments are characterised by\udthe presence of a high repetition of movements, which is a major risk factor associated with WMSDs.\udThis article presents a genetic algorithm to obtain rotation schedules aimed at preventing WMSDs in such\udenvironments. To do this, it combines the effectiveness of genetic algorithms optimisation with the ability to\udevaluate the presence of risk by repeated movements by following the OCRA ergonomic assessment method.\udThe proposed algorithm can design solutions in which workers will switch jobs with high repeatability of\udmovements with other less demanding jobs that support their recovery. In addition, these solutions are able to\uddiversify the tasks performed by workers during the day, consider their disabilities and comply with\udrestrictions arising from the work organisation.