Ergonomic assessment of working postures in semiconductor manufacturing processes

Abstract

A cross-sectional study of semiconductor manufacturing processes was conducted to evaluate the ergonomic working postures of the workers. A main objective of this study was to identify and quantify ergonomics working postures in this department that may contribute to the serious development of musculoskeletal injuries and investigate possible contributory causes in the each of department with the intention of prevention. During the study session, about forty-eight (48) operators located at six (6) departments were interviewed with more than two-hundred (200) operators were observed. Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) methods were used to estimate the final score of working posture respectively. Additionally a thorough observational method including the use of photos and score measurement were utilized to identify ergonomic working posture during performing the different tasks in each department. Overall, 62.5% operators had very high risk, 33.3% operators had high risk and 4.2% operators had medium risk in the REBA scoring posture. In department A and B, 4.3% and 8.7% operators had a combination of lifting weights, awkward posture includes repeated reaching and bending and prolonged standing might have led to high pain prevalence’s in the low back, repetitiveness and contact stress. In department C and D, 13.1% and 17.4% operators had lifting a heavy lead frame box, bend in awkward posture in display screen viewing with prolonged standing posture and visual effort from precision task. For the department E and F, 34.8% and 21.7% operators had in lifting a heavy lead frame box and bending the neck, upper back and lower back when doing a task with prolonged sitting posture, As such, the risks of bodily injury including back pain, wrists and fingers pains, shoulder pain and hips pain are seriously high. Immediate corrective actions to improving the current work procedures and workstations’ designs are necessary to overcome the high risks of injury to the operators.