Abstract

A study was conducted in Chandangaon village of Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh in 2009 to 2010 to determine the physical fitness, time and activity profile and physiological stress of farm women during wheat harvesting activity. A technically prepared serrated sickle was tested on farm women to improve work efficiency and to reduce the drudgery of women. The results revealed that 19.5% of working efficiency is increased by using serrated sickle as an average, one farm woman harvested 50 bundles of wheat by using serrated sickle while only 39 bundles of wheat was harvested  through local sickle and using serrated sickle average working heart rate of women was found to be 110 beats/min. Similarly, energy expenditure was found to be 12 kJ/s and about 19% saving in cardiac cost of workers per unit of output in comparison to the traditional practice of local sickle.

Key words: Heart rate, ergonomic evaluation, drudgery reduction, cardiac cost of worker.