Comparative Literature Review of Ergonomic and Safety Approaches in Agricultural Tools

BACKGROUND: Agriculture is an essential yet hazardous industry with frequent injuries and a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Despite this, the ergonomic design of agricultural tools remains insufficient, and previous studies have mainly focused on large-scale machinery rather than manual tools. METHODS: This study reviews research on agricultural tools from ergonomic and safety perspectives to identify research directions and trends. Relevant records were identified using keywords related to agriculture, tools, ergonomics, and safety and screened following the PRISMA process, resulting in 96 final materials included in the review. The selected studies were categorized into three groups based on research topics, and research focuses were classified and analyzed by period, country, and target (tool or machinery). RESULTS: The findings indicate persistent gaps in user-centered ergonomic design. Moreover, differences in focus between manual tool and machinery research suggest that research priorities vary depending on target. CONCLUSION: Understanding these differences provides useful insight for establishing design strategies and setting directions for ergonomic research in agriculture. The findings also highlight the need for standardized evaluation protocols to support safe and ergonomic agricultural tool design and assessment.