Designing Protective Clothing Kit for Cotton Harvesters and Functionality Assessment Thereof by On-farm Wear Trials

ABSTRACT

An attempt was made in this reported work to develop a protective kit for the cotton harvesters. With the assistance of a questionnaire, the health problems faced by the harvesters have been identified. Based on the survey, harvesters have been shown to suffer from frequent headaches, heat sensation, nose blockage, asthma, back pain, cracks in fingers, and heels. On this background information, a suitable functional protective kit/equipment (PPE) was developed, consisting of an apron with attached headgear, mask, glove, and goggles. The cotton harvesters were directed to use this kit regularly for a period of two months following the primary hygienic strategy. The post-use health issues were assessed using the same scheduled questionnaire. It is observed that the protective kit significantly reduced the everyday difficulties and enhanced the working efficiency of the harvesters.

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KEYWORDS:

• Cotton
• PPE
• protective clothing
• harvesting
• occupational health hazards
• natural fiber