Article Review: Assessment of Physical workload in Boiler Operations - Essay Example

Article Review In Assessment of Physical workload in Boiler Operations by Rodrigues et al, the main goal of the study is the assessment of physical labour burdens that boiler operators are subjected to over the course of their workday in Brazil. This will involve the evaluation of boiler operators’ physical workload, especially those who work manually with boilers during the workday while exposed to the excessive heat from the high temperatures (Rodrigues et al 406). The sampled population involved those workers whose duty was to operate the boilers manually.

Various factors and parameters were considered in this research study. One of them was the main risks involved in working around boilers, including explosions, fires, injuries, and burns with explosions being the most dangerous of them all. Another factor considered in this study was the heart rate of the manual boiler operators, which is important because it could be problematic for workers if the workload is too intense and the heart rate fails to stabilize. The influence of thermal load in the manual boiler operator’s bodies was also considered, especially regarding the energy that the workers were required to dissipate, in the form of heat, to attain thermic equilibrium.

The study also considered the physical workload that workers have to bear, in this case with regards to the need to load fuel in the boilers without a mechanized process (Rodrigues et al 407). Finally, the researchers also related the boiler operators’ health issues with their activity in the boiler room. Various methods were used to measure these factors and parameters, which involved both qualitative and quantitative measures. The risk factors involved in working around a boiler were measured qualitatively using questionnaires and through a literature review.

In evaluating the workers’ physical workload, the researchers used literature reviews, a Nordic questionnaire on symptoms of the musculo-skeletal structure, and a diagram of painful areas (Rodrigues et al 408). With regards to the heart rate, the researchers used a heart rate monitor with three parts, including electrodes with elastic straps, a transmitter, and digital pulse receiver. The researchers utilized a tape measure to record the points at which boiler operators remained as they worked around the boilers.

A wet globe thermometer was also used to measure the temperatures in the boiler room where the workers spent their workdays, while an infrared camera was used to measure the exposure to thermal radiation of different regions of the body. Finally, to relate the workers’ health issues with their activity, the researchers utilized the painful areas diagram and the Nordic questionnaire (Rodrigues et al 408). The research study concluded that boiler room operators suffered from diverse pain across different regions of their bodies, especially caused by their exposure to heat and loading of excessive weights (Rodrigues et al 412).

In addition, they also suffered muscle fatigue and higher likelihood of contracting diseases like cancer. These workers also need to expend great physical strength to lay the boilers, while most of them did it using improper posture that led to painful experiences, particularly in the lumbar region. In addition, they also found that the time of day and the operator’s age was highly influential in their ability to perform and concentrate. Whereas the results from the infrared photography showed that, the workers were most exposed to thermal radiation in the thoracic region (Rodrigues et al 412).

With regards to the heart rate, most operators had quickened heart rates due to the heavy workload and excessive heat. Works Cited Rodrigues, Valéria. Braga, Camila. Campos, Julio César. C. B. Souza, Amaury. Paulo. Minette, Luciano José. Sensato, Guilherme Luciano. Moraes, Angelo Casali. & Silva, Emília Pio. "Assessment of Physical Workload in Boiler Operations." Work (reading, Mass.). 41 (2012): 406-413. Print.