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Assessment of skeletal muscle fatigue of road maintenance workers based on heart rate monitoring and myotonometry

ObjectiveThis research work is dedicated to occupational health problems caused by ergonomic risks. The research object was road building industry, where workers have to work very intensively, have long work hours, are working in forced/constrained work postures and overstrain during the work specific parts of their bodies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the work heaviness degree and to estimate the muscle fatigue of workers after one week work cycle. The study group consisted of 10 road construction and maintenance workers and 10 pavers aged between 20 and 60 years.MethodsPhysical load were analyzed by measuring heart rate (HR), work postures (OWAS) and perceived exertion (RPE). Assessments of the muscles strain and functional state (tone) were carried out using myotonometric (MYO) measurements. The reliability of the statistical processing of heart rate monitoring and myotonometry data was determined using correlating analysis.ResultsThis study showed that that road construction and repairing works should be considered as a hard work according to average metabolic energy consumption 8.1 ± 1.5 kcal/min; paving, in its turn, was a moderately hard work according to 7.2 ± 1.1 kcal/min. Several muscle tone levels were identified allowing subdivision of workers into three conditional categories basing on muscle tone and fatigue: I – absolute muscle relaxation and ability to relax; II – a state of equilibrium, when muscles are able to adapt to the work load and are partly able to relax; and III – muscle fatigue and increased tone. It was also found out that the increase of muscle tone and fatigue mainly depend on workers physical preparedness and length of service, and less – on their age.ConclusionWe have concluded that a complex ergonomic analysis consisting of heart rate monitoring, assessment of compulsive working postures and myotonometry is appropriate to assess the work heaviness degree and can provide prognosis of occupational pathology or work-related musculoskeletal disorders for the workers under different workload conditions. These results can also be used when deciding on necessary rest time and its periodicity.

Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD) in Construction Workers and Main Causes

Construction industry still is characterized with physically demanding work duties despite the ongoing modernization of new technology. Construction work requires physical and psychosocial effort, working in compulsory and awkward postures. WRMSD are the most common health problems among employees in construction. The aim of this study was to determine WRMSD reasons caused by physical load and psychosocial risks at work for painters and tilers in the construction enterprise. Results of the study shows that causes of WRMSD in employed in construction, are not only physical risks at work, but also psychosocial risks, as well as individual attitude towards one’s own health.

Strategic Model for Ergonomics Implementation in Operations Management

Contemporary organisations have to search for new strategic ways in order to improve economic effectiveness and work productivity, as well as to maintain human resources in long term. Managers should ensure open management of changes in order to motivate employees to participate in it delegating more responsibility to employees. This can promote trust, support employees’ initiatives in operations improvement thus changing traditional organizational structure to flexible operations management. Therefore combined approach of macro- and micro-ergonomics in strategic operations management can result in effective improvement of labour productivity, management of technologies and healthy work environment. The developed model “Ergonomics implementation in operations management”, based on the overview of the recent prominent literature, shows that changes in operations management due to ergonomics implementation stimulate satisfaction of employees, increase productivity, and decrease costs resulting in an improvement of the process and product quality.

The Significance of Early Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation in Health Promotion for Workers with VDT Suffering from NSAH Complaints

METHODS The study was performed over a period of one year. Twenty offi ce workers aged 40,2 yrs. (±SD 8,1) participated. We selected participants who had suffered from pain between 2 to 5 years (without sick-lists) and who had had physical pain at least 6 8 times during one month working with VDT. The workers questionnaire was utilized. The pain level in NSAH and the effectiveness of rehabilitation after successfully completing the programme was determined using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Rehabilitation was carried out for 9 months and consisted of various physical activities. The autogenic training (AT) method was applied in order to learn the technique of self relaxation and self positive control. Muscles tension was measured with MYOTON-3 device before, during and at the end of rehabilitation. Life quality was assessed before and after rehabilitation using the Quality Of Life Scale.

Stress at Work and Physical Load in Professional Sport

Various professional sports have reached a high level of development. Stress at athletes’ work partly characterizes quality of psycho-emotional work environment. Psychological effects caused by stress frequently change into physical effects. At the same time, it should be noted that athletes do not receive adequate attention from the occupational health and safety point of view. The aim of the research was to investigate influence of work stress and physical load on professional volleyball athletes during trainings in comparison with volleyball competitions. The results reveal that the volleyball players are generally exposed to physical load (94%) and 82% - to work stress and other psycho-emotional risks. Heart rate measurements proved that athletes are subjected to significant overload during competitions since it is increased by accumulated workload during trainings as well as by psychological strain during competitions. Work stress and physical load (intense physical activity, forced postures) affect work performance and physiological parameters of the body during the trainings and competitions. This can increasingly contribute to sports injuries.

Human Factor and LEAN Analysis at Industrial Manufacturing Plants

The aim of the research was to find out effective identification and prevention of ergonomics problems in industrial metal processing manufacturing plant, based on human factor workload analysis and LEAN failure mode and effect analysis. Creation of safe, effective work places, emphasizing human oriented approach and implementing ergonomics in business process management is one of the main conditions for sustainable development of an enterprise. For the research were chosen packaging, assembling and quality control manufacturing plant operations due to main complaints from workers about physical overload, intensive work pace and task complexity. Human factor analysis provides holistic understanding of work conditions that can save and avoid costs in long-term. If used in combination with LEAN methodologies, such as FMEA analysis, manufacturing operations can significantly be improved, by increasing productivity and save costs resulting in total efficiency of company, not only considering it as issue of health and safety.

Physical Load Among Construction Workers and Analysis with Objective Ergonomics Research Method

There is growing number of work related musculoskeletal disorders among workers in construction industry. Employees in construction professions admit physical load and discomfort in various body parts after the work. Accordingly to Eurostat statistical data 60 % of total work related diseases are attributed to musculoskeletal disorders in Latvia. The aim of this study was to determine physical load of construction auxiliary workers and bricklayers using objective ergonomics research method HR monitoring and subjective ergonomic risk assessment methods. The research involved full time 8 auxiliary construction workers and 7 bricklayers. Analysis of the heart rate monitoring data proved that objective physical load analysis method is more precise than subjective workload evaluation methods. Results showed that construction workers workload falls into hard and moderate work heaviness category. More experienced workers with longer length of service were subjected to lower work heaviness category.

Combined Treatment for Penile Rehabilitation in Aging Males after Prostatectomy

METHODS During 2007-2008 years period 17 heterosexual males, aged 59-69, suffering 5-10 months from ED after RP, were treated and observed. Erectile function was evaluated using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. Hypnotic susceptibility and quality of couple`s well-being was determined by Stanford scale, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). A group`s patients (n=10) received eight weeks combined treatment course: oral PDE-5 inhibitor vardenafi l (Levitra), 10 mg once a day, cognitive hypnotherapy session and couple therapy once a week. B group`s patients (n=7) received eight weeks only vardenafi l. Catamnesis data were obtained after six months. RESULTS Analysis of IIEF-EF and VAS data showed signifi cant improvement in 8 A group`s patients. After follow-up 8 men reported about restoration of erectile function, successful intercourse. Only one B group`s patient reported about restoration of erectile function.

Workplace Rehabilitation as an Effective Tool for Promoting Employees Workability

INTRODUCTION Physical occupational risk factors may result in low back pain due to mechanisms such as high physical load and psycho-emotional stress with a resultant decrease in working abilities. Traditionally, rehabilitation has tended to focus on people with disabilities but it is necessary also to pay attention to early work rehabilitation which not only involves injured workers with long-term disabilities, but also involves interventions aimed at improving environmental conditions such as the invention of new technologies and other interventions that revitalize workplaces. A middle sized wood-processing enterprise and its packaging department with poor working conditions and involving hard manual labour was chosen for this study. Workplace rehabilitation was carried out over a period of 9 months. New mechanical packaging technology was implemented and employees were educated in ergonomically safe techniques.