Development of a Human - Centered Charcoal Dispensing Machine

Abstract

Small and medium business entities that sell charcoal in Uganda handle it using bare hands. This compromises their personal hygiene and also poses health risks because of the continued inhalation of charcoal dust. Some vendors touch charcoal using gloves and polyethene bags but this is not effective because they usually get torn. Limited or no interventions have been made to address the problem of unhygienic handling of charcoal. This study developed a charcoal dispensing machine for small scale charcoal vendors. The research objectives were to design, fabricate and test the performance of the machine. The charcoal dispensing machine was tested on dispensing charcoal, consistence in measurement and time taken to dispense a given amount of charcoal. A dispensing efficiency of 88 % and machine capacity of 32 kg were achieved. The time taken to dispense charcoal by the big and small measuring containers was 17 seconds and 15 seconds respectively. This machine will enhance the standardization in the charcoal vending business through improving on the accuracy with which charcoal is measured. It will also improve on the working conditions of the vendors by reducing on the direct exposure of charcoal dust and minimizing unhygienic handling of charcoal.