Table 4.

Man-Machine Interfaces Involved in Floating Solar PV Plants, Occupational Risk Factors, Occupational Diseases, and Proposed Scope for Ergonomics Design Interventions

FSPV System Components	Occupational Risk Factors	Occupational Diseases/Conditions*	Design/Redesign Scope
Solar PV panel	Awkward postures during installation & unwieldy equipment.	Low Back Pain (LBP) & Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)	Lowering of loads and task rotation
Frames, clamps/nuts/bolts	Sharp edges and sub-optimal designs	Cuts, bruises, strains, and WMSDs	Layout redesign, lowering of loads
Water bodies, pontoons/floating structures, and walkways	Unstable platform/Wet-work exposure.	Irritant Contact Dermatitis (ICD), slips, trips, drowning, and even fatalities	Workplace redesign, training, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Tools such as hammers, pliers, cutters, wire strippers, and manual cleaning equipment	Awkward & repetitive postures, noise, vibration, compression, and usability issues	Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, MSDs, cuts, bruises, and Hand Arm Vibration syndrome	Design/redesign of tools and/or PPE
Batteries, panels, and inverters	Toxic oxides and electrocution	Injury, burns, and even death from electrocution	Job aids/PPE
Cranes, connectors, wires & cables	Objects may fall, fall from height, slips, and electrocution	Head injuries and electrocution	PPE/Workplace redesign
Work environment	Heat, UV radiation, humidity, rain, snow, noise, dust, etc.	Heat illnesses, tinnitus, slips, falls, respiratory diseases, immune system disorders, skin cancer, and diseases of the eyes	Improvement in the environment, design of PPE, skin protective clothing, head & eye protection products, sun-safety training/awareness programs, and health monitoring
Work organization	Psychosocial	Job stress and absenteeism	Training, job design, shift rotation & job enlargement

Note: *Data from Stack and Ostrom,⁴ Bridger,⁵ and Modenese et al.⁸