Physiological Cost of Manual Metal Pouring Operations

摘要

This paper presents a study on the physiological cost of manual metal pouring. The study was conducted at a middle-sized foundry in the midwestern region of the country. The purpose of this study was to collect physiological data from workers, while they were performing manual material handling in an industrial setting, and then evaluate the physiological cost of the task. The task chosen for evaluation was manual metal pouring. The experiment was also designed to study the effects of two different mold heights (0.6096 m and 0.4572 m) and two carrying distances (1.2192 m and 4.572 m) on physiological response variables while perform metal pouring operation at a foundry. Results indicated that carrying distance had a significant effect on both heart rate and oxygen consumption. Mold height had a significant effect on working oxygen consumption and on increased oxygen consumption. Furthermore, it was determined that the task of metal pouring was strenuous and exceeds recommended criteria for human energy expenditure. Recommendations for reducing the risk of injury are presented in the body of the paper.