Physiological Responses of Two Male Age Groups to Working in Deep Cold and Subjectively Experienced Stress and Strain

Abstract

Order picking in deep cold-storage depots leads to the necessity that employees must remain working at temperatures of around −24° C for a whole workday. Actually, it has not been established whether an age-related organization of working times and breaks is necessary or not. In order to assess possible age-dependent physiological effects, 30 male subjects were classified into two age groups (20- to 35-year olds and 40- to 65-year olds). In whole workday tests, “heart rate”, “skin surface temperature”, “blood pressure” and “body core temperature” were registered. The heart rate values indicated a high physiological strain for both age groups. Due to the deteriorating ability of heat generation with advancing age, substantial decreases of the body core temperature could be recorded for the older employees. Age-related differences in the skin temperature and the blood pressure could not be found. Regarding the physiological strain correspondingly adapted working time, break regimes have to be provided for older employees to ensure their work ability in the long run.