BACKGROUND: Work of crane operators is very difficult and
demanding. Therefore, it is very important that the cabin of a crane be
designed on the basis of relevant anthropometric data. However, it is very
difficult to find a research that considers anthropometric convenience of
crane cabins.
OBJECTIVE: From the theoretical viewpoint, it is important to
perceive and to classify effects of the anthropometric incompatibility of
crane cabins. Globally, the objective is to consider the anthropometric
convenience of existing crane cabins, and possibilities for improvements of
their design from the ergonomic point of view. In this regard, it is
significant to detect constraints that impede or hinder the work of the
crane operators, which could be overcome with certain anthropometric
solutions. The main objective is to examine whether and to what extent is
justifiable to use anthropometric data that are obtained on the basis of
general (national) population, during designing the crane cabins.
METHODS: For the assessment of existing crane cabins and the work
of operators, four methods were used: observation of the work of the
operators and design solutions of the cabins, the checklist approach,
interviewing of operators and the experimental research based on obtaining
the data on the population of crane operators.
RESULTS: Results of the analysis based on the method of
observation, analysis based on the application of the checklist, as well as
interviewing of the operators indicate that certain construction constraints
of the components in the cabins are the main reasons of reduced visibility
and improper working postures of operators. All this has caused the
emergence of continuous musculoskeletal loading of the crane operators. The
results of the anthropometric research that were obtained on the population
of crane operators in this case study suggest that there is a statistically
significant difference, when compared data of this population of workers
with anthropometric data from the general population.
CONCLUSIONS: Analyzed workplaces in crane cabins do not correspond
to the majority of operators from the anthropometric standpoint. The
conducted anthropometric analysis has been indicated that could be made the
mistake, if dimensions of the cabin and layout of equipment would be relied
on data derived from the general population of citizens. In order to achieve
greater precision in the design and configuration of equipment, it is
recommended using the data that are obtained directly on the population of
the crane operators when designing the cabin.
