An indirect method to assess the energy expenditure of manual labourers in situ

Scott, Patricia A; Christie, Candice J

Title: An indirect method to assess the energy expenditure of manual labourers in situ
Creator: Scott, Patricia A
Creator: Christie, Candice J
Date Issued: 2004
Date: 2004
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6742
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008390
Description: The aim of ergonomics is to identify any incompatibility between worker capabilities and the demands of their job. It is therefore desirable that in a developing country such as South Africa we have some basic, yet valid and usable means of measuring worker responses to physically demanding manual tasks. Extensive ergonomic research has been conducted in the controlled environment of laboratories around the globe, but only a limited number of investigations have been conducted in the workplace. This is due to the impossibility of controlling the extraneous factors such as the environment and changing workloads while assessing worker responses, plus the impracticality of using hi-tech equipment under difficult conditions on unsophisticated workers. The likelihood of obtaining ‘natural’ responses thereby is low. The focus of this study was to establish a less invasive means of assessing the physiological responses (specifically energy expenditure) of manual labourers working in the field. Twenty-three forestry stackers were assessed. Heart-rate responses were recorded during a full shift, after which the workers participated in a submaximal incremental step test. Subjects were fitted with a gas analyser, and heart rate and oxygen consumption responses were measured throughout the 12-min test. These data were used to establish a regression equation based on the relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (r² = 0.49; r = 0.69). Using this equation (y=0.26x – 6.42), one can measure heart rate in the field and predict the energy cost of manual tasks.
Format: 5 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: Scott, P.A. and Christie, C.J. (2004) An indirect method to assess the energy expenditure of manual labourers in situ. South African Journal of Science, 100 (11 & 12). pp. 694-698.

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Scott, Pat A (Prof)

Christie, Candice Jo-Anne‏ (Assoc Prof)

RU Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics

SDG 03. Good Health and Well-Being

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