Design of a Manual Cassava Grater to Reduce Processing Injuries Among Women in Edo State

Cassava processing is a critical livelihood activity for rural women across Edo State, South South Nigeria, yet the manual graters currently in widespread use are responsible for a high incidence of hand and wrist lacerations, particularly among women who process large volumes daily for commercial sale. This project undertakes the ergonomic redesign of the manual cassava grater to reduce injury risk while maintaining or improving processing efficiency. A situational analysis involving structured observations and interviews with eighty cassava processors across Owan East and Akoko-Edo local government areas documented injury frequency, grater design characteristics, and user workflow patterns. Key injury risk factors identified included unguarded grating surfaces, inadequate grip mechanisms, unstable base configurations, and the absence of hand shields. The redesigned grater incorporates a stainless steel grating drum enclosed within a protective guard frame, a textured ergonomic handle, an anti-skid rubber base, and an adjustable hand rest bracket. Fabrication used mild steel and food-grade stainless steel available in Benin City metal markets. Field testing with thirty-five processors over four weeks compared injury rates, processing output, and user fatigue between prototype and standard graters. Prototype users recorded zero lacerations during the testing period compared to an average of four incidents per week with standard graters. Processing throughput improved by eighteen percent. The project recommends subsidised distribution through the Edo State Agriculture and Food Security Programme. Keywords: cassava processing, ergonomic design, injury prevention, women's health, Edo State.