Study of the Ergonomics Applied to the Reuse and Recycling of Materials

Abstract

With the need for workers to find new sources of income, new possibilities for organizing work and the disposition of the working class emerged in Brazil at the end of the twentieth century. This study addresses the application of ergonomics, in different contexts, to a solid waste recycling and commercialization association located in the central region of Brazil. The use of ergonomic hangers, along with routine follow-up by the cooperative, provided suggestions for improvement that were mainly based on applications of physiology and biomechanics, which are fundamental to an ergonomic analysis of work. It is concluded that several aspects of the cooperative could be improved, requiring the participation of the cooperative in this process of change in order to improve postures, methods, and work dynamics.