Assessment of ergonomic exposure, work-related occupational injuries, and prevention: Child work in the brickfield industry in India

Health risk assessment and prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the aged brick molders, in India

The Brickfield Industry is the major and oldest informal industry in India, where millions of brickfield workers make their livelihood. Aged brickfield workers are also involved in different activities in the brickfield, especially in brick mold activities owing to poor socioeconomic conditions. A cross-sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the aged brick molders and compare them with aged control subjects. A Nordic Questionnaire was applied to assess the discomfort felt among both groups of workers and the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method was used to evaluate posture during their job. The RULA posture analysis showed that the posture adopted by aged brick molders required changes immediately. The result of the ART tool also stated that the brick molding activities' exposure level was high and required further investigation urgently. The study concluded that due to working in a forward bending posture for a prolonged period, aged brickmolders suffered from severe low back and knee pain along with upper-limb disorders due to repetitive activities.

Adverse Health Effects and Perceived Musculoskeletal Pain in the Sawmill Workers of West Bengal, India

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, unfavorable working conditions, and assessment of occupational injuries among sawmill workers. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, measurement of handgrip strength, working environment, and occupational injuries were assessed among 135 sawmill workers participating in the study. The data showed that sawmill workers complained of discomfort (pain) felt primarily in the low back region of the body followed by the shoulders, hands, knees, upper back, and wrist. This study indicated that sawmill workers had less handgrip strength due to more intense manual work than control subjects. Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that sawmill workers were highly affected due to working in an awkward posture with manual material handling for an extended period of time and that these factors may lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders as well as occupational injuries. Proper training, a proper work-rest schedule, and modifications of some working procedures may reduce injuries and work-related musculoskeletal pain.

Measuring effects of height on the autonomic nervous system in middle-aged adolescents using the very low frequency band of heart rate variability

Previous studies have revealed the association between falling accidents and stress, measured via heart rate variability (HRV). However, none have studied this association using the very low frequency (VLF) band of HRV in adolescent populations. This study aimed to fill this gap by recruiting 90 adolescents to perform a light physical task at varying heights. Heart rates were used to calculate short-term HRV. The results showed a positive correlation between VLF bands and parasympathetic indices and a negative correlation with sympathetic indices, demonstrating the balancing effects of the autonomic modulation associated with height. The lowest VLF bands were obtained as 79.25 ms² at 10 m (p < 0.001) and 62.87 ms² at 9 m (p < 0.001) for the experienced and non-experienced male groups, respectively, and 28.09 ms² at 6 m (p = 0.001) for the female group. The results also suggested the need for a relatively lower height restriction for female adolescents than for males.Practitioner summary: Increased working heights can cause stress, which leads to falling accidents. The very low frequency band was shown to be associated with parasympathetic and sympathetic indices. Furthermore, the results suggested that the height limit necessary for providing a safe working environment may be lower for female adolescents than for males.Abbreviations: HRV: heart rate variability; VLF: very low frequency; ms2: absolute power; ANS: autonomic nervous system; PNS: parasympathetic nervous system; SNS: sympathetic nervous system; RR: intervals between two successive peaks of R waves; RMSSD: root mean square of successive RR interval differences; SD1: Poincaré plot index of standard deviation 1; SD2: Poincaré plot index of standard deviation 2; HF: high frequency; LF: low frequency; BMI: body mass index; ECG: electrocardiography; HR: heart rate; FFT: fast Fourier transformation; IQR: interquartile range; r: non-parametric partial correlation coefficient; η2: eta-squared; EM: experienced males; NM: non-experienced males; NF: non-experienced females; EEG: electroencephalogram.

Physiological Stress Responses to Fear and Anxiety in a Height Change Experiment among Non-Labor Teenagers

Working on elevated surfaces without prior experience can be dangerous, particularly for young people, who are significantly more at risk of developing fear and anxiety, which might lead to falls and fatalities. This critical problem has, however, received limited research attention. The present study aimed to demonstrate the associations among physiological responses, fear, and anxiety in Thai teenagers at various height levels. Sixty teenagers (30 males and 30 females) between the ages of 15 and 18 who had no labor skills were recruited to perform the task at 11 levels, starting at zero meters and increasing by one meter at each level. The measurements were examined and recorded once the task at each level was finished. The main results indicated that heart rate was partially positively associated with mean arterial pressure, fear, and anxiety (with all p values < 0.001) in all teenagers (after controlling for level and sex), as well as male and female teenagers (after controlling for level). The present study suggested monitoring heart rate data in teenagers conducting activities at heights, which can be triggered by fear and anxiety, as a strategy for preventing falls from height hazards.