AUTOMATION OF VISUAL INSPECTION

Visual inspection in the plant consisted of three operations. Workers had to stand by the conveyor during the entire eight-hour shift and inspect each raw anode block. Operators inspected the surfaces of the blocks. The production of anodes blocks was 20 pieces an hour. To identify the blocks, workers had to squat down and use a piece of chalk to mark each block with a six-digit number. If the worker discovered a faulty block, he pressed a button to reject it.

The visual inspection tasks increased the risks of workers developing MSDs from long periods of standing, frequent bending over to mark blocks and the cold working conditions. Workers reported tiredness, back pain and other musculoskeletal problems.