Order-picking in deep cold – physiological responses of younger and older females. Part 1: heart rate

Abstract

The sales figures of chilled and frozen food have been rising steadily over the years. Naturally, this has also led to an increase in the number of jobs related to these goods. While these workplaces are becoming more and more important there are, nevertheless, only a few investigations into the effects of working in deep cold on humans. Order-picking in a cold environment represents a high workload. Especially working at −24°C with wearing heavy cold protective clothing leads to explicitly higher strain. Since performance decreases with age, varying physical strain between younger and older employees can hypothetically be expected. In order to quantify the physiological responses to working in the cold, 15 subjects of two female age groups, each, (20− to 35-year-olds and 40− to 65-year-olds) were asked to carry out whole working day tasks in a chill room (+3°) and in a cold store (−24°C). Simultaneously, heart rate and other physiological relevant parameters were measured.