Comparison of five approaches to keeping power line maintainers’ hands warm during work in the cold

Abstract

Electric utility workers in Canada must frequently work in the cold and must wear thick rubber gloves which can result in rapid fatigue and reduced performance. The purpose of the study was therefore to document the challenge of working in the cold wearing the standard five-finger rubber gloves and covers and compare them to two equipment options, mitten style gloves or a prototype wool liner, and two heating options, glove or torso heating. The dependent measures were grip force, temperature, dexterity (modified Purdue pegboard test and a simulated occupational task), finger sensitivity (Von Frey hair test), perceived effort and thermal sensation. The study population consisted of 10 experienced male utility workers. They worked in a controlled temperature walk-in chamber (-20 degrees Celsius) and performed simulated utility work for 45 minutes with interspersed test batteries. The mitten style glove and woolen liner in a standard glove reduced the effects of working in the cold compared to the standard five-fingered variety with a thin cotton liner. We found that the mitten style glove showed lesser drops in skin temperature for the 3rd and 5th digits than the other conditions (p< 0.05).

Thermal Comfort and Energy Use with Local Heaters

“…Research carried out in ergonomics laboratories was focused on testing methods of protecting the human body against extreme cold conditions occurring in workplaces, e.g., in cold rooms or in vehicle cabins during the winter. Hunt and Wells [24] studied the effect of glove type on the temperature of forearms and hands and their efficiency (grip strength) at low temperatures (−20 • C). In addition to gloves, the subjects also tested electric cushions attached to the lower back.…”