The aim of this study was to estimate the physical stress and strain in diary farming, using ambulatory heart rate and oxygen consumption measurements. The rate of perceived exertion was estimated with Borg scale. The maximal oxygen consumption was measured in the laboratory. The study group consisted of eight male and 15 female farmers. The handling of feed and manure was the heaviest work task in dairy farming. The aerobic capacity (VO2 max) of female farmers (26 +/- 3 ml/min/kg) was below average, and their work required over 50% of VO2 max during most of the tasks. The VO2 max of male farmers (32 +/- 10 ml/min/kg) was moderate, and most work tasks required below 50% of VO2 max. The mean heart rate in dairy farming tasks was 99 beats min-1 in men and 116 beats min-1 in women. However, according to the rate of perceived exertion, the mean experienced the same work tasks as subjectively more heavy than did the women. The physical strain of female farmers in dairy farming seems to be too high because of heavy work tasks and relatively low VO2 max of women. Special attention should be paid to these factors in the occupational health services for farmers.
In order to assess the energy demands of manual clearing of snow, nine men did snow clearing work for 15 min with a shovel and a snow pusher. The depth of the snowcover was 400-600 mm representing a very heavy snowfall. Heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (R), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were determined during the work tasks. HR, VE, R, and RPE were not significantly different between the shovel and snow pusher. HR averaged (+/- SD) 141 +/- 20 b min-1 with the shovel, and 142 +/- 19 beats.min-1 with the snow pusher. VO2 was 2.1 +/- 0.41.min-1 (63 +/- 12%VO2 max) in shovelling and 2.6 +/- 0.51.min-1 (75 +/- 14%VO2max) in snow pushing (p < 0.001). In conclusion manual clearing of snow in conditions representing heavy snowfalls was found to be strenuous physical work, not suitable for persons with cardiac risk factors, but which may serve as a mode of physical training in healthy adults.
In order to assess the physiological strain of different boot weights, seven male and three female subjects walked on a treadmill and a snow-field while wearing three types of boots: winter jogging boots (WJB), rubber boots (RB), and rubber safety boots (RSB), weighing (means +/- s.d.) 0.9 +/- 0.1, 1.9 +/- 0.4 and 2.5 +/- 0.2 kg, respectively During each walk the subjects wore the same clothing ensembles and moved at the same, individually determined speed. The mean (+/- s.e.) depths of the footprint impression in the snow while walking in the WJB, RB, and RSB were 26.1 +/- 1.5, 25.6 +/- 1.4 and 26.1 +/- 1.5 cm (NS), respectively. During walking on the treadmill, the means for oxygen consumption were 0.79 +/- 0.05, 0.81 +/- 0.06 and 0.83 +/- 0.04 l min-1 (NS) and in snow 2.24 +/- 0.18, 2.34 +/- 0.17 and 2.34 +/- 0.19 l min-1 (p less than 0.01) with the WJB, RB and RSB, respectively. The mean oxygen consumption levels observed during the walks averaged 23% and 65% of the subject's maximum oxygen consumption on the treadmill and in the snow-field, respectively. During the walking tests the corresponding mean heart rates were 106 +/- 4, 93 +/- 5, and 95 +/- 5 beats min-1 (p less than 0.05) on the treadmill, and 151 +/- 11, 150 +/- 11 and 151 +/- 12 beats min-1 (NS) in snow. No significant differences in ratings of perceived exertion were observed between the walking tests in snow with the three types of boots. In accordance with earlier studies, walking in snow was found to be strenuous work. In conclusion, the use of the RSB is recommended during logging work in snow, since they are known to provide greater protection than lighter boots and the increase in physiological strain experienced with RSB in this study was not appreciably greater than that with boots of lighter weight.
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