Abstract

Physiological signals such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability and biomechanical workload for stress analysis were investigated during the cherry tomato harvesting work in a greenhouse. The skin temperatures raised <TEX>$0.05^{\circ}C$</TEX>/min, <TEX>$0.03^{\circ}C$</TEX>/ min, and <TEX>$0.08^{\circ}C$</TEX>/min in standing, stooping and squatting postures, respectively. Breath rate significantly increased from 18 to 28 breaths/min during the cherry tomato harvesting work. As the heart rate during the work ranged from about 72 to 110 beats/min (bpm), the cherry tomato harvesting work appeared to be a light intensity task of less than 110 bpm. The worker's average energy consumption rate in three positions during 43 min working time was 65.74 kcal (91 kcal/h in 70 kg). This was a light intensity of work, compared to 75 kcal/h in 70 kg of basic metabolic energy consumption rate of a worker with 70 kg weight; The maximum shear force on the disk (L5/ S1) due to static workload in the cherry tomato harvesting work was 446 N in the stooping posture, 321 N in the squatting posture and 287 N in the standing posture. Acute stress index expressed with the heart rate variability, increased parasympathetic activation up to about 70 while workers were doing most agricultural work in this study. This study provided a system to measure quantitatively workers' physiological change, kinematics and kinetic factors without any restrictions of space in the greenhouse works.

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