Ergonomics in the Turf Industry: Hazards and Risks

This article discusses the hazardous manual handling tasks involved in turf production and the risks and hazards associated with them. It also covers the ergonomic problems commonly faced by farmers in the agriculture industry.

Running head: ERGONOMICS
Turf Industry
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ERGONOMICS
Introduction- Artificial turf refers to the surface of synthetic fibres that are made to
appear alike to natural grass. This is most commonly used for sports that were traditionally
played on grass fields. However, the turf industry also finds its business in commercial
applications and residential lawns. The primary reason for maintenance of the turf industry is
that it can withstand heavy use in sport related activities and does not require any trimming
and irrigation (Breuninger et al., 2013). It grows with growing with an estimated 4,400
hectares of turf under production at all times and there are almost 250 turf producing business
throughout the country that are responsible for the production of turf, worth $300 million
(Turf Australia, 2018). Turf production in Queensland characterises 38% of the entire
production, while Victoria embodies 15%, New Western Australia 11%, South Wales 33%,
and Tasmania, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory
together yield 3%. 2725 ha in Queensland is under turf production and employs more than
700 people (Turf Queensland, 2018). This assignment will discuss the hazardous manual
handling tasks that are involved in turf production.
Risks and hazards associated- Pallet of grass have an estimated 450 sq. ft. of sod
inside it. It is suggested that the placement of a pallet of turf that is approximately 500 sq. ft
in its dimensions usually requires 1-1 ½ hours by one person. The major risks that are
associated with the placement of the pallet are twisting, binding and turning of the back. It
involves awkward movements and postures and the person often has to work with raised
arms, bent wrists and twisted trunk. Of all the issues that a person working in the turf industry
can face, onset of musculoskeletal disorders are most widespread. The task of cutting the turf
also involved bending of the body in inappropriate postures (Spector et al., 2014). The
muscles usually get more fatigued easily. The large pallets are often difficult to grasp and
might result in slipping, thereby causing an accident. Uneven loading and placement of the
turf pallets might also lead to fatigue of the muscles due to the distant location of the centre

2ERGONOMICS
of gravity of the concerned object from the middle of the body. Other hazards related to this
task are the fact that the workers often find it difficult to reach the turf after their placement.
This requires them to outstretch their arms and twist or bend their trunk, thus necessitating
huge muscular force. Large shape and size of the pallets also obscure the view of the workers
and increase the chances of tripping/slipping, collision and falling.
Tractors have been identified as a major form of work-related hazards on farms. The
major injuries and hazards on a turf farm during tractor driving, while being engaged on the
road ahead, but also collaborating and viewing the work behind might be faced during run-
over, overturns, and power take-off entanglements. While attempting to both tasks
simultaneously, the overturn of the tractors is the major hazard type and accounts for a
majority of the turf-related work fatalities (Myers et al., 2013). While looking behind at the
operations, the tractor can either turn sideways or backwards. This might occur when the
person driving the tractor moves too close to the edge of the turf field or turns it sharply with
a raised front-end loader. The tractor operator might also fall of the vehicle (Kim et al.,
2016). Furthermore, absence of any back or arm rest also makes the person lose balance and
suffer pain in the back.
Lifting of heavy seed bags is another task that involves manual handling. This
requires considerable amount of stooping, twisting and reaching for the bags. Furthermore,
the bags are usually lifted from the level of the floor, above the height of the shoulders. This
usually leads to the onset of back pain that occurs due to injuries to the muscles and the
ligaments that are attached to the vertebral column. Ensuring even spread of the turf gives
rise to a constant shooting pain sensation in the lower back of the workers, thus causing spine
weakness and muscle spasm. This also leads to occasional numbness in the spinal cord
(Zare et al., 2016). This can be accredited to the fact that the entire spine is put into motion
during the task and the weak ligaments present in the lumbar spine get damaged upon lifting

3ERGONOMICS
the heavy bags. This also accounts for a failure to stabilise the shoulders and the back bears
the pressure. This transmits the fluid to the central region of the lumbar disc, subsequently
triggering the onset of disc herniation and bulging. Placement of turf on a wider commercial
scale forms an essential aspect of maintaining the design of the landscape. However, it
involves several tasks such as, seeding, turfing, tuf plastering, dibbling roots, and astro turf.
Cutting down the turfs in uniform size and placing them side by side on the vast
commercial area requires continuous bending and stretching of the back and the arms that
also puts a strain on the muscles and leads to musculoskeletal injuries (Beach, Frost &
Callaghan, 2014). There is mounting evidence for the fact that landscaping crews involved in
such commercial turf based work are subjected to 10-12 hours of manpower each day (Hua-
jia et al., 2013). This in turn adds to the stress on the body. Injury to the wrists and hands are
a common issue due to the recurrent handling of controls. The stand-on mowers are
subjected to sprain and injuries in their feet, knees, and lower back. With the presence of
zero-turn mowers, pain can be intense in the lower back. According to Safe Work Australia,
total economic costs of work injuries are an estimated $60 billion dollars. 190 workers were
found to be fatally injured in the year 2017 in Australia, of whom 93% were males (Safe
Work Australia, 2018).
Agriculture and ergonomic risks- Agricultural activities carried out in agrarian
undertakings including forestry activities, crop production, animal husbandry and insect
raising, in addition to the operation and upkeep of equipment, machinery, tools, appliances,
and agricultural installations. It also comprises of all kinds of process, operation, storage, or
transportation in large and small agricultural undertakings. Some ergonomic problems that
are commonly faced by farmers are work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to their
awkward postures, work-rest schedule, hand tools, and training (Naeini et al., 2014). Low
back pain is one of the most prevalent ergonomic issue faced in such scenario. Some factors

4ERGONOMICS
that create or aggravate work-related disorders, such as social and cultural factors, work
demands, environmental factors, and work place characteristics. Some of the primary
demographic features that are associated with hazards include work age, duration,
educational status, technical training, work experience, safety tools, and drinking or smoking
habits (Madeleine et al., 2014). Older workers accounted for a much larger proportion of
mortalities in the Australian agriculture industry in 2016. Additionally, vehicle collisions,
rollover of non-road vehicles and hit by moving substances accounted for 27%, 16%, and
14% of the fatalities (Safe Work Australia, 2016).
Employees aged below 25 years are usually more involved in injuries, compared to
those aged beyond 55. Furthermore, it is also found that people who work in the areas for 2-
10 years report higher frequencies of ergonomic injuries (Salminen et al., 2017). This can be
accredited to the fact that they undergo more sustained postures that continuously faces
forceful exertion and contact pressures. Furthermore, low pay conditions prevent the people
working in agricultural sectors to buy safety equipment that are required in those conditions
(Jain, Meena & Dangayach, 2016). Maintaining a rigid posture and repetitive movements
cause ergonomic damages. Imported agricultural machinery and tools that are based on the
body dimensions of workers of foreign lands are often not suitable for diverse populations.
Farmers are found to often labour in humid and hot environments. Hot temperatures most
often result in muscle fatigue and dehydration. Furthermore, cold temperatures are found to
reduce the muscle flexibility, thus triggering pulls and muscle strains (Coenen et al., 2013).
Some other problems comprise of troubled breathing, sensory sensitivity, reduced dexterity,
and lowered grip strength. Additionally, long working hours in the agricultural fields exposes
the workers to painful, debilitating conditions that affect the muscles, nerves and tendon
sheaths. One of the most common musculoskeletal disorder that occurs under such

5ERGONOMICS
circumstances include carpal tunnel syndrome where the nerves in passageways get pinched
(International Labour organization, 2012).
Conclusion- To conclude, ergonomics or the process of arranging and designing the
workplace and industry is an essential component for preventing any unwanted injuries and
damages to the health of the employees. The Australian turf industry is principally involved
in the generation and upkeep of grasses that are utilized in management and development of
facilities for sports activities, recreational purpose and home garden. Thus, it can be
concluded that turf raises a number of safety and health concerns among the people who are
employed in the industry. Hence, provisions must be created for a safe environmental, socio-
demographical and human factors to reduce the work-related injuries prevalent in the
industry.

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