スーパーマーケットにおける労働とその健康への影響

Abstract

The scale of management and the number of super markets having been expanded rapidly, the number of operators conducting the operation of cash registers have increased as accordingly. It is said that many kinds of industrial ill health and disease such as “shoulder-arm-neck-syndrome” have appeared in these operators.Health examinations of 27 cash register operators and evaluation of the work loads thereby were performed.The results were as follows : 1. Most of the operators contracted “shoulder-arm-neck-syndrome” in less than 2 years of their experiences.2. The performances of the operators consisted of recognizing the small size letters and numerals on the labels pasted down each goods, and pressing the keyboards of cash registers as fast as possible. These performances required strong muscle activity and strict accuracy. The operators had to press the keyboards without releasing all fingers from the “home position” except the finger under pressing.3. It is considered that their work loads consist of the followings : (1) The loads of local muscles of fingers, hands, arms, shoulders and necks being used to press the keyboards and to move goods.(2) The nervous and mental loads in recognizing various kinds of goods, pressing the keyboards without turning eyes on, in conducting the affairs of cash without errors, in receiving the customers and in cooperating with the sacker.(3) The increased mental and physical loads by small working space, standing posture for many hours, unadjustable height and angle of the work desks and of the cash registers, body twisting motions and the environment.4. The fatigue caused by the above mentioned work loads may be stored, fixed, and advanced to the stage of chronic, irreversible fatigue, and finally to diseases. It is necessary for cash register operators that a systematic management have to be done for the prevention of the occupational disease. Especially it is highly desirable to establish relevant administrative safty and hygiene standards for the registering work using cash registers.