Isometric Muscular Strength of Agricultural Workers of Gujarat India

Abstract

An agricultural worker must exert a push/pull force on the horizontal plane while using many agricultural tools and equipment. However, very little data are available on the push/pull force of farm workers. A study was therefore carried out to collect these data on male as well as female agricultural workers. Therefore, strength parameters of 105 agricultural workers (75 male and 30 female) were measured on "strength measurement setup" comprising load cell with digital indicator. The average push strength for male and female workers (with both hands in standing posture) was found to be 248.29 and 171.07 N respectively whereas the pull strength in standing posture was 232.40 and 141.75 N respectively. Average torque strength of both hands in standing posture for male and female workers are found to be 209.93 and 117.72 N-m respectively. The data were intended to be used to design and modification of hand tools and agricultural equipment in order to reduce drudgery and increase the level of efficiency, safety and comfort for users. Therefore, an attempt was made to illustrate the relevance of these data in the design of tractor controls.