Physiological assessment of work load during manual load carrying. (Under the conditions in which the load is suspended from one hand and both hands).

Abstract

Assessments of heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and the feeling of fatigue in ten health young adult male subjects were examined during seven different load conditions in which the load was suspended from one or both hands. From the assessment, it was found that the heart rate, systolic blood pressure and subjective feeling of fatigue correlated closely with the work load. Results indicated that the maximum permissible load weight when the load was suspended from one hand was under 35% of the subject's body weight. Necessary rest time for overcoming fatigue under the condition of suspending the weight from one hand increased approximately 23% when the load weight was increased by 5%. The maximum permissible load weight when the load was suspended form both hands was under 40% of the subject's body weight. Necessary rest time for overcoming fatigue under the latter condition increased approximately 19% when the load weight was increased by 5%.