Effect of local sustained stress on general oxygen consumption in belt conveyer workers

Abstract

The modern mechanization and rationalization of production procedures have recently reduced the intensity of work in most factories. However, it has been pointed out that monotonous inactive work and/or cooperative work can in some sense impose stronger mental and physical stresses which may induce ill health in workers. In this study, assuming the assembly and adjustment of videotape-recorders on a belt conveyer to be representative of monotonous inactive and cooperative work, changes in oxygen consumption, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, critical flicker fusion and subjective symptoms of fatigue throughout a workday have been followed for six female workers engaged in this type of work. The main results obtained were as follows: 1) The average oxygen consumption of six workers was 230 ml/min, almost unchanged during the work. 2) The belt conveyer work indicated the metabolic rate of 0.3 in terms of relative metabolic rate. 3) The net daily energy expenditure due to the work was only about 100 kcal. 4) The average heart rate during assembly and adjustment were respectively, about 1. 4 and 1. 2 times the average heart rate at rest. 5) The blood pressure and the rate of oxygen removal increased slightly as the work progressed in assembly work, but did not increase at all in adjustment work. 6) The critical flicker fusion and body temperature showed little change during the work. Reprint requests to Department of Health and Physical Education, College of Liberal Arts, Kyoto University, Yoshida Nihonmatsu, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606 Japan (E. Nakamura). © 1984, Japan Society for Occupational Health. All rights reserved.