Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Manual Handling Tools by Oil Palm Collectors and Loaders
Last reviewed: March 2026
Key Findings
- Among 25 oil palm workers assessed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) tool, 61% were exposed to high ergonomic risk levels and 39% to very high risk levels during routine manual handling tasks.
- Musculoskeletal symptoms were prevalent among collectors and loaders, with the lower back, shoulders, and upper limbs most frequently affected.
- The study identified that the intensity of manual lifting increases significantly as oil palm trees age, as heavier fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) must be collected and transported from taller palms.
- The findings underscored the urgent need for ergonomic interventions, improved manual handling procedures, and increased mechanisation in the Malaysian oil palm sector.
Background and Context
Malaysia is the world’s second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil, an industry that employs hundreds of thousands of workers across vast plantations. Despite significant advances in agricultural technology, a substantial proportion of oil palm plantation work—particularly the collection and loading of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs)—continues to rely heavily on manual labour. This dependence on manual handling exposes workers to a range of ergonomic hazards that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), a major cause of occupational morbidity in the agricultural sector.
The oil palm harvesting process involves several distinct tasks performed by specialised categories of workers. FFB cutters use long-handled tools to sever the fruit bunches from the palm tree. Once cut, FFB collectors gather the fallen bunches, typically using wheelbarrows to transport them to collection points along the main plantation road. Loaders, who are often also the truck drivers, then manually lift and load the FFBs onto trucks for transport to the palm oil mill. Each of these tasks involves forceful exertion, awkward postures, repetitive movements, and heavy lifting—all recognised risk factors for the development of MSDs.
This study, published in MJPHM in 2016 as part of a special supplement, sought to systematically assess the ergonomic risks associated with the manual handling activities of oil palm collectors and loaders at a plantation in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Study Design and Methodology
The study employed a cross-sectional design conducted at an oil palm plantation in Negeri Sembilan. Twenty-five workers were randomly selected to participate, comprising both FFB collectors and loaders. Two complementary assessment tools were used. Musculoskeletal symptoms were recorded using the Modified Nordic Questionnaires, a standardised instrument for assessing the prevalence and distribution of self-reported musculoskeletal complaints across different body regions. Working postures were assessed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method, a well-validated observational tool designed to evaluate the biomechanical risk associated with whole-body postures encountered in manual handling tasks.
REBA scores classify postural risk into five action levels: negligible (score 1), low (scores 2–3), medium (scores 4–7), high (scores 8–10), and very high (scores 11–15). Higher scores indicate greater urgency for ergonomic intervention. The assessments were conducted through direct observation and video recording of workers performing their routine tasks under typical plantation conditions.
Key Results
The REBA assessment revealed that all 25 workers were exposed to either high or very high levels of ergonomic risk. Specifically, 61% of the workers fell into the high-risk category (REBA scores 8–10), while the remaining 39% were classified as very high risk (REBA scores 11–15). No workers were assessed at moderate, low, or negligible risk levels. These findings indicate that the manual handling tasks performed by oil palm collectors and loaders are inherently hazardous from an ergonomic perspective.
| REBA Risk Level | Score Range | Percentage of Workers | Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very High | 11–15 | 39% | Immediate intervention necessary |
| High | 8–10 | 61% | Intervention required soon |
| Medium | 4–7 | 0% | — |
| Low | 2–3 | 0% | — |
| Negligible | 1 | 0% | — |
The Modified Nordic Questionnaire results corroborated the REBA findings, revealing a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the workers. The lower back was the most commonly affected body region, consistent with the heavy lifting and bending postures involved in FFB collection and loading. Shoulder pain, upper back discomfort, and complaints in the upper limbs were also frequently reported, reflecting the overhead reaching, pulling, and carrying motions inherent to these tasks.
Biomechanical Analysis of Work Tasks
The ergonomic analysis revealed several specific postural hazards associated with oil palm collecting and loading. During FFB collection, workers are required to bend forward with significant trunk flexion to gather fruit bunches that have fallen to the ground. This stooping posture, when sustained or repeated frequently throughout the working day, places substantial compressive and shear loads on the lumbar spine. The degree of trunk flexion varies depending on the worker’s height, the terrain, and the position of the fallen fruit.
When using wheelbarrows to transport collected FFBs, workers must push or pull loads of considerable weight across uneven plantation terrain. This activity involves sustained gripping forces, trunk rotation, and variable degrees of forward lean that further contribute to spinal loading. The challenge is compounded by the demanding environmental conditions typical of Malaysian oil palm plantations—high heat, humidity, and sun exposure—which accelerate physical fatigue and reduce work capacity.
For loaders, the primary hazard lies in the repeated manual lifting of FFBs from ground level onto truck beds. Fresh fruit bunches can weigh between 10 kg and 50 kg depending on the maturity and age of the palm tree, and the lifting height to the truck bed requires significant force generation through the lower back, shoulders, and arms. The study noted that these risk factors intensify as oil palm trees age, because older trees produce heavier fruit bunches that must be lifted from greater heights.
Comparison with Other Studies
The findings of this study are consistent with a broader body of evidence documenting the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among oil palm plantation workers in Malaysia and other producing countries. Earlier studies using the REBA tool on oil palm FFB harvesters reported similarly elevated risk scores, with the cutting phase exposing workers to significant stooping and overhead reaching postures. Related research has identified back pain, particularly in the lower back, as the most common complaint among oil palm manual workers, with prevalence rates exceeding 80% in some study populations.
Comparative studies from other agricultural sectors in Malaysia, including rubber tapping, pineapple harvesting, and tea plantation work, have likewise documented high rates of musculoskeletal complaints, suggesting that manual agricultural labour in general poses substantial ergonomic challenges. However, the combination of heavy lifting, awkward postures, and repetitive movements in oil palm collection and loading appears to place these workers at particularly elevated risk.
Implications for Occupational Health
The universal exposure to high or very high ergonomic risk among the study participants carries significant implications for occupational health policy in the Malaysian oil palm industry. The findings provide compelling evidence that current manual handling practices are inadequate from a worker safety perspective and that urgent intervention is needed to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury.
Several categories of intervention merit consideration. Engineering controls, including improved mechanisation of FFB collection and loading operations, represent the most effective approach to reducing biomechanical exposure. The development and deployment of mechanical aids such as improved wheelbarrows with ergonomic design features, loading ramps or hydraulic lifts for truck loading, and light motorised transport vehicles for in-field FFB movement could substantially reduce the physical demands placed on workers. Administrative controls, including task rotation, scheduled rest breaks, and limits on the weight of FFBs that may be manually handled, can complement engineering solutions. Worker training in safe lifting techniques and posture awareness provides an additional layer of protection, although training alone is insufficient to mitigate the fundamental hazards identified in this study.
Relevance to Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry
As one of the nation’s most economically significant agricultural industries, the oil palm sector has a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of its workforce. Malaysia’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has been increasingly focused on ergonomic hazards in various industries, and the findings of this study support the case for more rigorous enforcement of occupational health standards in plantation settings. The high prevalence of MSDs among oil palm workers not only affects individual wellbeing but also has economic consequences through lost productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare costs.
Furthermore, as the Malaysian palm oil industry faces growing international scrutiny regarding labour practices and sustainability, demonstrating a commitment to worker health and safety through evidence-based ergonomic interventions strengthens the industry’s social license to operate and contributes to compliance with international sustainability certification standards.
Limitations
The study has several limitations that should be considered. The sample size of 25 workers from a single plantation in Negeri Sembilan limits the generalisability of the findings to the broader oil palm workforce across Malaysia. The cross-sectional design captures a snapshot of ergonomic risk at one point in time and does not allow for assessment of how risk varies across seasons, tree ages, or different plantation management practices. The REBA assessment, while well-validated, is an observational tool that involves a degree of subjective judgement by the assessor. Self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms may be subject to recall bias. Future studies with larger, multi-site samples and longitudinal follow-up would strengthen the evidence base for policy action.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that oil palm collectors and loaders in Malaysia are exposed to high and very high levels of ergonomic risk during their routine manual handling activities. The findings indicate an urgent need for comprehensive ergonomic interventions, including increased mechanisation, improved work practices, and enhanced worker training, to reduce the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in this critical sector of the Malaysian economy. Protecting the health of oil palm workers is both an ethical imperative and an economic necessity for sustaining the long-term productivity and competitiveness of the industry.
Citation
Syazwani MN, Deros BM, Ab Rahman MN, Sukadarin EH, Nordin N, Mohd Tamrin SB, Shahriman AB, Rambely AS. Ergonomic risk assessment of manual handling tools by oil palm collectors and loaders. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. 2016;16(Suppl. 2):56–60.
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0)