Physiological criteria for improving labor intensity classification used in occupational risks assessment

Abstract

The paper focuses on results of substantiating and selecting informative physiological criteria that can be used for assessing and controlling functional state and working conditions category taking into account physical and nervous-emotional loads borne by CNC- machinery operators. Basing on complex physiological and ergonomic studies and retrospective data analysis, we showed that workers from various occupational groups who dealt with physical labor had to face certain strain over a working shift. Such strains, given long-term working experience, could result in neuromuscular system overstrain and occupational diseases occurrence. We substantiated and developed informative physiological criteria that allowed assessing and controlling functional state and working capacity as well as working conditions category taking into account occupational activities. The present research involved using a set of occupational studies, physiological and ergonomic procedures as well as clinical and statistic ones for examining peculiarities related to functional state of workers’ bodies under exposure to occupational factors taking into account specific working tasks and loads. It allowed us to substantiate labor intensity assessment. Our research results revealed that there was a strong correlation between hand muscles endurance to static exertion (decrease in % by the end of a work shift) and working conditions category given local and overall muscular loads borne by workers. This criterion is recommended for control over functional state and working capacity taking into account occupational peculiarities and gender-related differences. It is necessary to accumulate scientific data for confirming a similar correlation between overall physical working capacity (OPWC) and working conditions category. Results obtained via physiological research were used for developing prevention activities for workers.