A method to design job rotation schedules to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders in repetitive work

TLDR

Job rotation is widely used in production lines to prevent work‑related musculoskeletal disorders, which are driven by high‑repetition movements. The study proposes a genetic algorithm to generate rotation schedules that reduce WMSDs in high‑repetition work settings. The algorithm integrates genetic‑algorithm optimisation with the OCRA ergonomic assessment to evaluate repetitive‑movement risk. The algorithm produces rotation schedules that pair high‑repetition jobs with less demanding ones, diversify daily tasks, accommodate disabilities, and respect organisational constraints.

Abstract

Job rotation is an organisational strategy widely used in human-based production lines with the aim of preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). These work environments are characterised by the presence of a high repetition of movements, which is a major risk factor associated with WMSDs. This article presents a genetic algorithm to obtain rotation schedules aimed at preventing WMSDs in such environments. To do this, it combines the effectiveness of genetic algorithms optimisation with the ability to evaluate the presence of risk by repeated movements by following the OCRA ergonomic assessment method. The proposed algorithm can design solutions in which workers will switch jobs with high repeatability of movements with other less demanding jobs that support their recovery. In addition, these solutions are able to diversify the tasks performed by workers during the day, consider their disabilities and comply with restrictions arising from the work organisation.