Physical Distancing in Small Industries to Prevent COVID-19 in New Normal Era - Case Study: Workstation Canting at Batik Tulis Workshop in Central Java

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the economic sector, especially small industries. One that feels the impact is the traditional batik industry. In the traditional batik tulis business, the process is still mostly done by humans. One of the most critical processes in the traditional batik tulis is the canting process, and batik workers do it in groups in a canting workstation with the value of togetherness and sharing. However, given the New Normal Era, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, new considerations are needed in arranging workspaces for traditional batik workers. This study aims to provide recommendations for alternative layout compositions of equipment in the workspace, canting workstations, following New Normal standards. This research was conducted through an ethnographic approach with interviews and observations of several batik houses in Central Java. The research continued with experimentation by reconstructing batik activities using canting at the Ergonomics Laboratory, Faculty of Art and Design, Bandung Institute of Technology. The experimental results were then simulated to produce the best layout composition according to the New Normal workspace standards. In conclusion, a circular layout with one stove with a capacity of two batik workers with opposite orientations was the best layout for following physical distancing to prevent the spread of the SARS-COV-2 virus.

Keywords: batik tulis, behavior, layout, physical distancing, workstation

DOI: 10.7176/ADS/88-02

Publication date: December 31^st 2020