Physiological workload of workers employed during motor-manual timber harvesting in young alder stands in different seasons

• Authors: Witold Grzywiński , Rafał Turowski , Tomasz Jelonek , Arkadiusz Tomczak

Abstracts

EN

ObjectivesThis study examined the physiological strain experienced by workers employed in motor-manual timber harvesting performed in winter and summer, and the applicability of heart rate indices for estimating energy expenditure.Material and MethodsThe heart rates (HR) of 2 teams consisting of 2 persons working simultaneously during felling and forwarding, in both winter and summer, were measured. Heart rate at work (HRwork), resting heart rate (HRrest), relative heart rate (%HRR), ratio of working heart rate to resting heart rate, and 50% level were used to estimate the physiological workload in particular jobs. The HRindex (HRwork/HRrest) equation was used to estimate the energy expenditure (EE). ResultsFor all jobs, significantly higher physiological workload and energy expenditure were recorded during winter.ConclusionsThe season significantly affects the physiological workload during logging operations. If there is no possibility of harvesting wood in summer, in order to limit the workload of workers during winter activity, attention should be paid to the proper organization of work and selection of workers.

Keywords

EN

forestry; heart rate; energy expenditure; logging; winter; summer

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2022
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 437-447

Dates

published

2022

Contributors

author

Witold Grzywiński

• Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology)

author

Rafał Turowski

• Płaska Forest District, Płaska, Poland

author

Tomasz Jelonek

• Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology)

author

Arkadiusz Tomczak

• Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01862

Biblioteka Nauki

2085735