Use of Improved tool (Revolving Pihri) for milking of dairy animals by farm women

Dairy farming involved backbreaking tasks as all the activities are carried out in difficult posture. The women adopt difficult static postures for some of the activities, which increase the static muscular effort resulting in physiological cost and low productivity. Researchers proved that any work design or work environment that helps to perform the work with minimum energy and put minimum stress on cardiovascular system and muscular system is the best design of work. So, working posture becomes an important factor while designing ergonomically sound tools and equipment. Use of improved tools for performing the selected activities reduce the angle of deviation of the back and minimize the muscular efforts to perform the task. Lower muscular efforts lead to lower fatigue. Therefore, improved tools for performing the selected activities are beneficial because they lead to the reduction of drudgery and reduce the muscular stress and help the women to adopt correct posture work and also reduce the angle of deviation. Dairy farming is subsidiary occupation of rural women in Handiaya of Barnala district. The study was conducted to know the physiological workload and change the posture so as to reduce the musculoskeletal problems of the women respondents performing milking activity. A representative sample of 30 women was selected as sample under the study for observation and ergonomic assessment of milking by using traditional method and revolving stool. Selection of sample for experiment was based on their age i.e., 25–35 years. Women were asked to do milking activity by putting their feet in flat position. They were not able to exert pressure while milking and this method had stress on worker. So, due to this work load increased and the milk output was decreased. “Pihri” was provided to the respondents to facilitate milking process and reduce perceived exertion. “Pihri” was introduced to the women and were asked to use it. Women accepted the “Pihri” as with the use of this tool women felt high relief from body stress because it improves the work posture from squatting to sitting, Provision of wheels makes the movement easy and it reduces the musculoskeletal problems while performing the milking activity. There was a significant reduction in energy, physiological parameters, time taken and body angles when the activity was carried out by using drudgery reducing tool i.e., revolving stool for milking activity.