Marble are rock formations formed by nature. These are formed naturally by
enormous pressure under the earth. Marbles are used in decorating and
sculpturing from the moment civilization was born. These are time tested for
their natural beauty. Ancient buildings and monuments made of natural stones
during early civilization still stand erect narrating the beauty and durability of
natural stones. Modern people want to make their home stand out of the rest
and they used natural stones for their floors and walls to bring about eternal
beauty.
Building constructions using marble was popular in India too and the Taj
Mahal one of the seven Wonders of the World was constructed using pure
white marble stones. This uniqueness of natural stones has made people
want for more use of natural stones. In the ancient periods, marble and
granite were used for lining and decoration. The natural stone flooring was
used in the various rooms of the house except for in Bathrooms.
A drastic change in marble scenario during half century of independence
has generated job opportunities manifold. A large number of persons are
engaged in marble mining and marble based industries.
Despite of the technological development for lifting bulky marbles and
cutting them, the role of a human being cannot be denied. The findings
of the pilot study conducted by the researcher at Kishangarh tehsil,
Ajmer district, Rajasthan found that the laborer is required at every step
of marble production maintaining different postures and standing for long
period of time. The marble cutting machine on which the small slabs are
cut into the required shape for making tiles requires the worker to adjust
the marble on the machine and hold it till the blade cuts the marble
through. The marble cutting activities are performed by the worker
throughout his shift of 8 hours including a rest break for 1 hour. The
marble pieces that are cut for residential areas are carried manually by
the worker from the marble cutting machine to the store house.
Sometimes these slabs weigh from 25 kg to 75 kg. The investigator was
interested to find out whether such practices have an impact on MSD
and on Posture, thus this study was framed.
