Combined effects of noise, vibration, and low temperature on the physiological parameters of labor employees

Abstract

Noise, vibration, and low temperature render specific occupational hazards to labor employees. The purpose of this research was to investigate the combined effects of these three physical hazards on employees' physiological parameters. The Taguchi experimental method was used to simulate different exposure conditions caused by noise, vibration, and low temperature, and their effects on the physiological parameters of the test takers were measured. The data were then analyzed using statistical methods to evaluate the combined effects of these three factors on human health. Results showed that the factor that influenced the finger skin temperature, manual dexterity, and mean artery pressure (MAP) most was air temperature, and exposure time was the second most influential factor. Noise was found to be the major factor responsible for hearing loss; in this case, hand-arm vibration and temperature had no effect at all. During the study, the temperature was confined in the 5-25°C range (which was not sufficient to study the effects at extremely high- and low-temperature working conditions) because the combined effects of even two factors were very complicated. For example, the combined effects of hand-arm vibration and low temperature might lead to occupational hazards such as vibration-induced white finger syndrome in working labors. Further studies concerning the occupational damage caused by the combined effects of hazardous factors need to be conducted in the future.

Structural Model for the Effects of Environmental Elements on the Psychological Characteristics and Performance of the Employees of Manufacturing Systems

“…Noise level was the second environmental element most frequently cited, followed by THAQ conditions. It is argued that noise causes negative effects on human health and task performance [ 18 ]. Meanwhile, for THAQ conditions, temperatures above 25 °C can result in decreasing employees’ performance [ 19 ].…”

“…According to research, noise has negative effects on human health and task performance. These effects are classified into auditory and non-auditory effects [ 18 ]. Chao et al [ 18 ], as well as Konings, van Laer and van Camp [ 32 ] found that while an auditory effect is hearing loss, non-auditory effects involve a fast heartbeat, high blood pressure [ 33 ], muscle contraction leading to fatigue and reduction of light sensitivity.…”

“…These effects are classified into auditory and non-auditory effects [ 18 ]. Chao et al [ 18 ], as well as Konings, van Laer and van Camp [ 32 ] found that while an auditory effect is hearing loss, non-auditory effects involve a fast heartbeat, high blood pressure [ 33 ], muscle contraction leading to fatigue and reduction of light sensitivity. Other authors, such as Stansfeld and Matheson [ 31 ], found that noise may cause hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, psychological symptoms (e.g., aggression and mental disorders) and loss of memory.…”

Deep Learning Model Comparison for Vision-Based Classification of Full/Empty-Load Trucks in Earthmoving Operations

“…Hence, human labor is still required with these tools, and the related human error, high labor cost, and application limitations cannot be fully overcome. In detail, manual accounting applications are limited under harsh conditions, like high altitude, steep mountains, extreme cold, or hot areas, as labor safety may be threatened [10,11]; and there is also potential health damages as workers must suffer noise and vibration caused by trucks moving for a long time [12].…”

Spatial traffic noise pollution assessment – A case study

“…Noise caused by vehicles is a major source of dissatisfaction with the environment in residential areas, which can cause severe health problems [2]. Noise pollution health risks do not emerge rapidly, but one should not fail to notice that during the recent century, many large cities have been facing this problem and its consequences as an intricate environmental concern [3][4][5][6][7]. Therefore, during the recent years there has been an increasing interest in application of the Geographic Information System (GIS) in noise pollution studies.…”