Impact of work station on health of handloom weavers in Nalgonda district

Abstract

Weaving Ikat fabrics is the main occupation of the villagers for the past several generations in Koyalagudem village. Ikat weaving involves resist dyeing technique where yarn is dyed before weaving the fabric. It includes various operations like warping, weaving design on warp yarn, tying and drawing the warp yarn, weft making and final weaving. All these operations require sitting position with forward head posture by both male and female workers without any support to the back and for arm rest. An interview schedule was used to elicit information from 15 male and 15 female weavers who were selected by purposive sampling technique. Nearly 83.3 per cent felt that their work station did not permit them to have full range of movements while working. Eighty three per cent of the respondents reported the pain in the right and left buttocks and thighs. About one-fifth of the respondents had only 2-4 hrs of sleep when they were affected by pain.