Nigeria automobile service industry is labour intensive with high level of work-related injuries among its workforce. This research assessed work-space (WsD) and work-method designs (WmD), level of compliance with recommended standards (RSs) and effects on workers' wellbeing. Clearances for services in 55 supine positions and 45 stand-up workbenches' (SUWb) heights were measured and compared with RSs. Questionnaires were completed among 252 workers to measure prevalence of work-related injuries. Descriptive statistical procedure and Chi-Square tests were conducted using SPSS. 94.4% of workers suffered from low back, 43.5% neck and 40% knees pains among others. Averagely, 43.33±7.3cm and 67±0.15cm were measured for supine position clearance and SUWb heights with 15.03±14.3 and 26.55±16.23 percentage deviations respectively from the minimum RSs. Automotive mechanics may be prone to back, hand and/or wrist related problems and Cumulative Trauma Disorders. Ergonomics trainings, use of mechanical devices and protective equipment will reduce injuries connected with the job.
The challenges of carrying agricultural loads and forestry products were rightly identified as essentially the rural dwellers burden. Little efforts have been made to have an adaptive mobility frame (attached to bicycle and motorcycle) to carry goods and products from the point of harvest to the point of sales (the markets), a situation that leads to systematic rot of agriculture products on the farms, leading to low revenue and productivity of the rural people. Therefore, the goal of this research is to develop an improved carriage (trailer) to bicycle and motorcycle for goods mobility in rural areas of Nigeria. The design criteria for these trailers include: lightness in weight; ease of usage; flexibility; adaptability with various bicycle and motorcycle types; low cost of engineering materials, durability and availability of materials; and it is required that the trailer carries 200 kg load on smooth road (tarred and untarred). Factors considered for this design include; weight of the rider, weight of bicycle and motorcycle, type of road, type of load and factor of safety. Three different trailer designs were developed for the bicycle namely fixed plate design (FPD), convertible plate design (CPD) and wire mesh design (WMD), while the motorcycle trailers developed are the fixed plate design (FPD) and the convertible plate design (CPD). The hitch system used for the WMD bicycle trailer was a conventional universal joint and collar attached to the trailer front frame and the hitch system for the bicycle and motorcycle FPD and CPD comprises an annular of heavy duty cylindrical cone housing and a bolt. These designs are due in part to their simplicity, availability and ease of replacement for rural dwellers. Preliminary evaluations have shown satisfactory performance based on the load carrying capacity; stability of the trailer, bicycle and motorcycle turning ability; comfort of the operator and ease of disassembling the hitch system. A proper usage of the trailers presented in this study will boost the health and wealth of farmers and other rural dweller users.
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