¹Nihon University

Funabashi, Chiba, JAPAN

k04004@ocean.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp

　

²National Fisheries Research Institute Fisheries Research Agency

Kashima, Ibaraki, JAPAN

kysaeki@fra.affrc.go.jp

　

　

An alternative to relieving the burden of both skilled fishers and beginners is considered clarifying the cause of the burden in the fishery and removing it. Among methodologies, this paper describes the characteristics of on four fishing practices and introduces OWAS-Ovako Working Posture Analysis System in order to clarify unproven working postures and physical burdens on a landside of the fishing ports. The analysis shows that most physical burdens are concentrated on the back and legs and identifies required action categories for working postures, which should be improved. The burdens may result from the vertical distance between the pier and the fishing boat, the weight of freights, and long working hours. Also, questionnaire and interview researches support the results.

　

　

Since the 1990s, the fishery industry in Japan has faced the decrease of fishermen because of the advent of the aged society, the lack of new young fishermen, and the dramatic social and industrial change. Under these situations, many older fishermen have to continue working until they find a follower, and women should fill in the lack of the workforce. Among many difficulties of working environments in a fishing port, physical burdens seem to cause a possible accident and increase the physical fatigue. Unfortunately, the research on these parts had not been done until those problems came to reality because the concept of working environment and efficiency had been discussed in the industry, which is dependent on the natural environment. Considering these circumstances, a paper (Yamashita, 2000) showed the methodological approach in order to illustrate the characteristics of the fishing on offshore and measure the burden of each work. However, the paper did not cover the several types of fishing practices on a landside of fishing ports where the types of works are complicated and workers have diverse physical abilities. Therefore, this paper focuses on several types of fishing practices on the landside of fishing ports.

　

　

The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of four types of fishing practices: trawl fishery, purse seine fishery, fixed gill net fishery, and shell dredge net fishery, and mainly clarify the undesirable working postures on the landside of fishing ports and action categories that indicate the degree of the requirement for measured the postures. Also, it focuses on the causes of physical burdens and the facilities that should be improved

　

　

Five fishing ports in Chiba prefecture (Fig.1) are selected as research sites, considering fishing activities during the summer season, the scale of the port facilities and the fishing practice. Table 1 shows the outline of the research. Fifty copies of questionnaire are distributed to each fishing port and are collected by post. Also video recordings as well as interviews are conducted at four among five fishing ports except for Katsuura, during working hours on each fishing practice. "Class" in Table 1 shows size of fishing port. The largest port among the fishing ports in Japan is Special Class Third. Class Four is an emergency fishing port.

　

　

　

The working postures of fishermen are measured by using OWAS, Ovako Working Posture Analysis System, which can determine the level of burden posed by a specific posture at a given time and the degree of required correction. The OWAS method is based on a simple and systematic classification of work postures combined with observations of work tasks. Working together, specialists and workers can apply the method to find measures for reducing the harmful load caused by poor work postures. OWAS assesses the posture of a worker in terms of the back, arms, legs and burden (Louhevaara, 1992). A posture can be classified into one of four action categories (AC) depending on the level of burden and the degree of required correction. The posture evaluation based on the AC score, shown in Table 2. The particular posture for a specific type of work can be assessed based on the frequency of the AC scores for the following two aspects. One is "physical burden" from the viewpoint of the entire work postures. The other is "burden on a particular part of the body", such as the back, arms or legs, from the viewpoint of the frequency of a specific posture (bending the back or raising (an) arm(s), etc.). The result of the former identifies the degree of required correction and work processes in need of correction while the result of the latter identifies the specific body part subject to a particularly heavy burden in a specific type of work. The classification of working postures on body parts is shown in Table 3. In the case of work posture combination is determined (Fig.2). The crossing point shows the AC score.