Muscular Stress of Grinding Dry Spices in Different Postures

A study on muscular stresses (hand grip and arms) during manual grinding of dry spices in different postures was conducted on 10 female subjects. Electromyogram machine and grip dynamometer was used to measure the muscular stresses of arms and hand grip. Results of the study showed that there were maximum muscular stresses of arm (1.68mv) and hand grip (8.47% and 6.58%) when subjects did this activity in the squatting posture and minimum of muscular stresses were observed when subjects performed the activity of grinding of spices while sitting on Pihri(1.29 mv and 8.47% and 6.58% for right and left hands). The muscular stresses of arm areas and hand grip for other two selected postures viz. standing at counter level and sitting on Patra were found to be more as compared to left hand because of the reason that right hand was used more intensively during the selected activities. On the whole sitting posture on Pihri was assessed as the best posture for grinding spices because of minimum muscular stresses in this posture.