Assessing the impact of work activities on the physiological load in a sample of loggers in Sicily (Italy).

Details

• Personal Author:
  Antonangeli LM ; Bortolotti S ; Colosio C ; Giorgianni CM ; Masci F ; Rosecrance J ; Spatari G
• Description:
  Occupational logging activities expose workers to a wide range of risk factors, such as lifting heavy loads, prolonged, awkward positioning of the lower back, repetitive movements, and insufficient work pauses. Body posture has an important impact on the level of physiological load. The present study involved a group of 40 loggers in the province of Enna (Sicily, Italy) with the aim of defining the impact of logging activities on the workers' physiological strain during the three primary work tasks of felling, delimbing, and bucking. The Zephyr Bioharness measurement system was used to record trunk posture and heart rate data during work tasks. The NASA TLX questionnaire was used to explore workers' effort perception of the work tasks. Based on our results, the most demanding work task was tree felling, which requires a higher level of cardiac cost and longer periods spent in awkward trunk postures. The perceived physiological workload was consistently underestimated, especially by the more experienced loggers. Lastly, as the weight of the chainsaw increased, the cardiac load increased. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular System Cumulative Trauma Disorders Environmental Exposure Forestry Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Biomechanical Overload; Heart Rate; Loggers Logging Industry; Logging Safety; Logging Workers; Workers; Work Environment; Exposure Levels; Risk Factors; Lifting; Lifting Capacity; Posture; Low Back Pain; Repetitive Work; Repetitive Stress; Physiological Function; Physiological Stress; Heart Rate; Questionnaires; Chain Saws; Weight Factors;
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  13
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065574
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jul; 19(13):7695
• Contact Point Address:
  Federica Masci, Department of Health Sciences, International Centre for Rural Health of the Santi Paolo e Carlo ASST of Milan, University of Milan, 20142 Milano, Italy
• Email:
  fedemas@colostate.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University - Ft. Collins
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030915
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20270914
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ed9cefb7c199c6e544a334e9ac64b894a4a9376c803fff9556a4165c06660d591b7c2aed7551a836aca3977d9a2aba6ed75fc78d372f3ca2a32037f499aa0baa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/248556/cdc_248556_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.20 MB ]