Ergonomics in Colombian Floriculture: Results and Lessons

Introduction: The flower industry has been affected for years by the high occurrence of muscu¬loskeletal disorders among workers. Various efforts have been done to understand the magnitude of the problem, its causes and possible solutions. This manuscript presents from the academic perspective the lessons and achievements of an industry-academics model of action to improve the ergonomic conditions of the working population of this important industry. Materials and methods: I conducted a review of minutes, communications, reports and scientific publications related to the ergonomics work done since year 2007 with the participation of the Center for Ergonomics Studies (cee) of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. A retrospective analysis of the information sought to answer questions about the origin of the work, objectives, results, lessons learned and benefits gained. Results: The working model was participatory. Flower producers were the starters of the work. They made explicit their needs to workers’ insurance companies. The overall study design was not just given but built with academics, and subsequently refined with the association of producers. Although the overall objective of the work was the prevention of musculoskeletal disease among workers, the work was carried out in time as funds were secured through studies with specific objectives related to: Workplace ergonomics evaluations, characterization of the working population, and the development, implementation and testing of solutions. Discussion: The presented industry-academics collaboration model resulted in important improvements to working conditions and academic results. Although it is necessary to validate the view of the industry regarding this type of collaborative models, it is considered that this case was successful and therefore should be replicated in other industries.