Ergonomic Risk and Discomfort Assessment of Hairdressers’ Tasks: The Case of Shampoo Assistant Job

Hairdressers are exposed to various work-related risk factors due to prolonged awkward postures with repetitive movements. Although this problem is well documented in scientific literature, not much has been done to reduce and/or contain this problem. Therefore, the aim of this study is to contribute for this gap through the suggestion of guidelines or workplace modifications, to reduce MSD for hairdressers, during the shampoo task. The job-tasks of 25 shampoo assistants have been analysed regarding ergonomic risks and perceived discomfort. Shampoo assistants’ postures were recorded and processed using Kinovea® software. To evaluate the ergonomic risk level, the RULA method was used, and an ad-hoc questionnaire was created to acquire Perceived Discomfort data. The analysis was supported by DELMIA® V5R16 software. Results showed that the neck and the back were the most critical body parts in terms of discomfort and ergonomic risk. Statistical analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between the body-size percentile and discomfort. As the percentile increased, the perceived overall discomfort increased. Based on the results, a virtual ergonomic-driven redesign was carried out. The solution was tested in DELMIA® and the recalculated RULA scores showed a decrease, highlighting a good improvement.