Physical Strain of Women Workers in Rice Cultivation System

Women are involved in planting, transplanting, weeding, harvesting and processing activities in paddy cultivation system. These operations are most drudgeries activities performed by them. During these operations the women face many physical and physiological problems. Keeping this in view the physical strain with respect to working heart rate (WHR), Oxygen consumption rate (OCR), Energy expenditure rate (EER), Relative cost of workload (RCWL) of selected fifteen women workers were evaluated. The workers were selected in the age group of 15-45 years. Their age, weight, height, body surface area were observed to be 31.1 years, 51.7 Kg, 152.3 cm and 1.46 m2 respectively. The major benefits of introducing improved tools for the selected operations are mainly avoiding bending posture resulting reduction in musculoskeletal disorder. The anthropometric measurement like stature, vertical reach, vertical grip reach, acromial height, elbow height etc were measured with the help of Integrated Composite Anthrop-meter. OUAT 3 row rice transplanter, mandwa weeder, improved sickle , OUAT pedal thresher were evaluated and compared with that of local method of transplanting in bending posture, weeding in squatting position, harvesting with local sickle and threshing by beating of paddy bundles . The mean value of working heart rate of selected women subjects were observed to be 114. 5 beats/min in case of manual transplanting against 126.5 beats/min in case of OUAT three row rice transplanter. But in case of Mandwa weeder, Improved sickle and OUAT pedal thresher, the WHR recorded to be 122.8, 120.4 and 128.9 beats/min respectively. The OCR and EER followed the same trend. The field capacity of these improved tools were more than that of local method of operations. The overall discomfort score using a 10 point VAD scale in 34 body parts observed that higher discomfort score was recorded in right gluteous, left gluteous, lumber, chest, right eractor, left erector and right trapezious in the local method of operations adopting bending posture. Improved tools and equipments should be introduced for women workers for improving their efficiency or the workers resulting reduction of fatigue and drudgery.