Ergonomic Evaluation and Design of Carpet Handloom

Abstract

Indian carpet sector is the world’s leading producer and exporter of handmade carpets, providing livelihoods for over 2.5 million artisans. However, it suffers from a lack of infrastructure, where weavers work in a poorly designed working environment and affected by work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). This three-phase study developed and validated an ergonomic improvement to the vertical carpet loom focused on reducing pull force, improving posture, and increasing productivity. This study was conducted in three phases. Phase I assessed musculoskeletal symptoms and ergonomic risk among 120 female weavers and identified key risk factors (RULA, working hours, and force exertion), that informed design requirements. Logistic regression was used to assess the risk factors associated with the prevalence of MSDs. RULA score, working hours, force, and experience were highly associated with the prevalence of MSDs among artisans. Phase II generated four concepts and selected a chain-drive rotational handle based on ergonomic, economic, and maintainability criteria. Phase III tested a full-scale prototype with pre–post validation of 30 weavers. Compared with the traditional loom, prototype provided significant reductions in peak pull force (from 72.88 ± 5.49 N to 23.42 ± 1.76 N), RULA score (from 6.80 ± 0.92 to 3.26 ± 0.78), and REBA score (from 10.30 ± 1.17 to 2.30 ± 0.70), and also reduced task cycle time (from 43.43 ± 1.25 s to 25.06 ± 0.82 s). Usability feedback indicated unanimous preference for the prototype. The new low-complexity design intervention improved the productivity of the weavers, reduced the force required to pull the threads, and improved the working postures of the weavers.