A study on the physical work load of farmers and dust conditions in the harvesting process of the chrysanthemums.
10.2185/jjrm.35.793
- VernacularTitle:菊収穫期の労働負担と作業環境に関する衛生学的研究
- Author:
Atsushi UEDA
;
Tadako UEDA
;
Koji AOYAMA
;
Akira IIBOSHI
;
Toshio MATSUSHITA
;
Masao YOSHIDA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine
1986;35(4):793-802
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
The physical work load of farmers and dust conditions in the harvesting process of chrysanthemums were investigated for two households (seven workers for A and three for B household, respectively) at mid March in 1984.
The total working hours a day of each household were 3225 min (460 min as average per a worker) for A and 1954 min (652 min) for B, being allotted more times to males than females. However, all of the house keeping hours were carried out only by females.
The intensity of each working load of farmers was not so heavy, as “light” and “moderately heavy” by Christesen's criteria and energy expenditure a day was calculated 2895-3604 kcal for males and 2155-2295 kcal for females.
In this working process farmers were enforced to keep careful handling with chrysanthemums and fixed body posture for 4 to 6 hours a day. Particulary, the working posture of sorting and bundling chrysanthemums may cause over strained load to the muscle and joint of the lower back and legs.
The dust concentrations of the sorting room were not so high. However, the farmers were exposed a large quantity of cilia of chrysanthemum leaves, calculated 37-259 pieces/cm2 on the slide grass a day. The numbers of cilia varied with amounts of handling chrysathemums.
It was suggested that the cilia of chrysanthemums may be the most important allergen to the immediate type of allergy of the chrysanthemum growers.