<![CDATA[Oil palm fertilization exposes workers to manual handling, repetitive movements, and non neutral postures, yet evidence is limited on ergonomic seating integrated into gingga machines used for fertilizer application. This study evaluated whether a redesigned gingga seat was associated with reduced musculoskeletal disorder complaints among oil palm fertilization workers. A quasi-experimental pretest posttest control-group study was conducted at an oil palm plantation in North Sumatra, Indonesia, from October to December 2025. Using purposive sampling, 84 eligible workers were allocated equally to an intervention group using gingga machines with redesigned seats (n = 42) and a control group continuing usual work (n = 42). Musculoskeletal complaints were measured using the Nordic Body Map and analyzed separately within each group using paired samples t-tests. The control group mean decreased from 61.45 to 60.80, a nonsignificant reduction of 0.65 points (p = 0.231). The intervention group mean decreased from 62.10 to 54.35, a significant reduction of 7.75 points or 12.5% (p < 0.001), with the group mean shifting from the painful to the slight-pain category. These findings suggest a potentially meaningful practical improvement following seat redesign. However, groups were not randomly assigned, baseline characteristics differed, and change scores were not compared directly between groups; therefore, a comparative intervention effect cannot be confirmed. The redesigned seats provide preliminary evidence for adapting gingga machines to workers’ physical support needs. Randomized or matched studies using anthropometric design, objective ergonomic measures, direct between group analysis, and longer follow-up are needed to confirm effectiveness and sustainability.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
