The Impact of Body Posture on Heart Rate Strain during Tree Felling

Petros A. Tsioras (), Mahmoud Khooshdohbat, Mehrdad Nikooy, Ramin Naghdi and Mahmoud Heidari
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Petros A. Tsioras: Lab of Forest Utilization, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Mahmoud Khooshdohbat: Forestry Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara 96196-43619, Iran
Mehrdad Nikooy: Forestry Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara 96196-43619, Iran
Ramin Naghdi: Forestry Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara 96196-43619, Iran
Mahmoud Heidari: Department of Occupational Health, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht 41446-66949, Iran

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-15

Abstract: Tree felling is recognized as one of the most difficult and physically demanding work phases in motor–manual wood harvesting, during which maintaining good posture can avert unnecessary loadings to the spine and the consequent musculoskeletal disorders to forestry professionals. This study aimed to (a) quantify the impact of posture selection by means of heart rate measurements and (b) analyze its interactions with the anthropometric and personal information of study subjects. Thirteen forest workers were asked to fell thirty trees in each of the four most common body postures during motor–manual forest operations: (i) stooping, (ii) flexed stooping, (iii) squatting, and (iv) half kneeling. Posture had a significant impact on the amount of heart strain measured as mean heart rate during work (HR work ), heart rate increase over resting heart rate (ΔHR), and relative heart rate index (HRR). The most popular position among the forest workers was flexed stooping, which also caused the most damage, compared with the least physiologically damaging position, half kneeling: HR work by 12.40 bpm, ΔHR by 10.24 bpm, and HRR by 11.51. On the contrary, overweight and older subjects experienced lower heart rate strain, a finding that has to be further investigated.

Keywords: chainsaw; heart rate during work; relative heart rate index; forest operations; ergonomic interventions; motor–manual wood harvesting; Iran (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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