The Survey of Job Rotation Implementation at Medium- and Small-Industries

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the job rotation implementation at medium- or small-industries and to identify the viewpoint on job rotation as preventive activity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs). Background: Job rotation has been implemented in many industrial areas in order to prevent the WMSDs as one part of ergonomic program. Generally, the cases of implementation of ergonomic program or successful cases of job rotation were reported on the side of major or large company. Therefore, this study tried to inspect the current state of job rotation implementation at medium- or small-industries. Method: Survey was carried out for randomly contacted forty seven mangers responsible for safety. Survey contained the questionnaires on the general state of company, shift-work and job rotation. Results: The ratio of work-shift in medium- and small-industry was 34.0% and the ratio of job rotation was 19.1%. For manufacturing industry, the ratio was 37.9% and 17.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The implementation ratio of job rotation was relatively low considering the results of previous studies. Many managers appealed the quality decreasing of goods and the injuries of workers due to job rotation, though agreed to train the multi-functional worker and to prevent the WMSDs. Application: The results can be used for the fundamental data how the job rotation will be properly implemented in medium- and small-industry as an administrative control for MSDs.