The cumulative effects of work-related factors increase the heart rate of cabin field machine operators

摘要

Operating field machines causes little physical exertion. However, the combined effects of work-related factors strain the cardiovascular system, elevating the heart rate of the operator. Our goal was to determine what work-related factors increased the risk of cardiovascular disease of cut-to-length machine operators. We created two generalized linear models. A model consisting of 678 cases, explained 32% of the heart rate variability through the operators' height and weight, machine types, parts of the shifts, lighting, and whole-body vibrations. To identify which factors actually increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases, we assessed a subset (193 cases) of heart rates elevated above 90 beats per minute. We found that the operators' height, machine types, parts of the shifts, equivalent noise, lighting, and whole-body vibrations explained about 72% of the elevated heart rate variability. The elevated heart rate depended on variables, which can be optimized to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases.