Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia

The agricultural industry in Malaysia, for oil palm in particular, has low technology and labor-intensive production systems rather than modern technology and machine-based production systems. This study examined the workers’ workload and productivity with respect to the estimated human energy exp...

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Main Authors: El Pebrian, Darius, Yahya, Azmi, Tan, Chun Siang
Format: Article
Published: American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers 2014
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/36032/
https://elibrary.asabe.org/abstract.asp?aid=45120&confalias=j&redir=[volume=20&issue=4&conf=j&orgconf=]&redirType=toc_journals.asp&dabs=Y
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spelling my.upm.eprints.360322016-02-15T03:29:59Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/36032/ Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia El Pebrian, Darius Yahya, Azmi Tan, Chun Siang The agricultural industry in Malaysia, for oil palm in particular, has low technology and labor-intensive production systems rather than modern technology and machine-based production systems. This study examined the workers’ workload and productivity with respect to the estimated human energy expenditure, measured heart rate, and measured production capacity for various operations in the nursery and field stages of oil palm cultivation in Malaysia. The objective of the study was to rank each operation in accordance with its priority for a mechanization program. The operations involved in the nursery and field stages and the tasks within each operation were ranked individually based on the combined DWD-DEM-EXH (duration, heart rate, and energy demand) criteria. Holing the soil in large polybags was found to be the highest priority operation for mechanization in the nursery stage, while planting germinated seeds in small polybags was the lowest priority operation. Lining was found to be the highest priority operation for mechanization in the field stage, while pest control was the lowest priority operation. The established DWD-DEM-EXH Cartesian plots can be an important basis for prioritizing the operations for mechanization and ultimately for formulating a mechanization program for oil palm plantations in Malaysia. More specifically, the results of this study could be used for lightening the workload and improving the performance of oil palm plantation workers. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers 2014 Article PeerReviewed El Pebrian, Darius and Yahya, Azmi and Tan, Chun Siang (2014) Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 20 (4). pp. 235-254. ISSN 1074-7583; ESSN: 1943-7846 https://elibrary.asabe.org/abstract.asp?aid=45120&confalias=j&redir=[volume=20&issue=4&conf=j&orgconf=]&redirType=toc_journals.asp&dabs=Y 10.13031/jash.20.10413
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
description The agricultural industry in Malaysia, for oil palm in particular, has low technology and labor-intensive production systems rather than modern technology and machine-based production systems. This study examined the workers’ workload and productivity with respect to the estimated human energy expenditure, measured heart rate, and measured production capacity for various operations in the nursery and field stages of oil palm cultivation in Malaysia. The objective of the study was to rank each operation in accordance with its priority for a mechanization program. The operations involved in the nursery and field stages and the tasks within each operation were ranked individually based on the combined DWD-DEM-EXH (duration, heart rate, and energy demand) criteria. Holing the soil in large polybags was found to be the highest priority operation for mechanization in the nursery stage, while planting germinated seeds in small polybags was the lowest priority operation. Lining was found to be the highest priority operation for mechanization in the field stage, while pest control was the lowest priority operation. The established DWD-DEM-EXH Cartesian plots can be an important basis for prioritizing the operations for mechanization and ultimately for formulating a mechanization program for oil palm plantations in Malaysia. More specifically, the results of this study could be used for lightening the workload and improving the performance of oil palm plantation workers.
format Article
author El Pebrian, Darius
Yahya, Azmi
Tan, Chun Siang
spellingShingle El Pebrian, Darius
Yahya, Azmi
Tan, Chun Siang
Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia
author_facet El Pebrian, Darius
Yahya, Azmi
Tan, Chun Siang
author_sort El Pebrian, Darius
title Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia
title_short Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia
title_full Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia
title_fullStr Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia
title_sort workers` workload and productivity in oil palm cultivation in malaysia
publisher American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
publishDate 2014
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/36032/
https://elibrary.asabe.org/abstract.asp?aid=45120&confalias=j&redir=[volume=20&issue=4&conf=j&orgconf=]&redirType=toc_journals.asp&dabs=Y
_version_ 1643831628606210048
score 13.211869