Evaluation of workloads based on monitored heart rates during works

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860456
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Epidemiology and preventive medicine
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: KITAMURA Hiroko 産業医科大学, 産業生態科学研究所, 助教 (20628531)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 作業強度 / 労働負荷 / RMR / %HRR

Outline of Final Research Achievements

First of all, we confirmed the feasibility of the heart rate monitoring survey during works in the pilot study, and showed the necessity of a new list of workloads adopted for modern work systems.
Secondly, we conducted a field study to measure heart rates and record work processes in the tertiary industries, which were hardly included in a current list of workloads, and secondary industries, which were supposed that workloads were reducted largely with technical innovation. %HRR(% heart rate reserve) and RMR(relative metabolic rate) were calculated from heart rates and assessed by an evaluation index of RMR proposed by Japanese Society of Occupational Health. At first, we aimed to obtain data with various types of industry and make a new list of workloads, but later, we came to consider that to establish an evaluation index of %HRR would be more useful for personalized safety and health managemen. Now, making a versatile evaluation index of %HRR had been the our next aims.

Free Research Field

労働衛生