Analysis of the Heart Rate of Operators of Forwarding Machines during Work Activities

• Published in: Forests Vol. 14; no. 7; p. 1348
• Main Authors: David Sláma, Václav Mergl, Eva Abramuszkinová Pavlíková
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 30-06-2023
• Subjects: ergonomics; forwarder; heart rate; operator; physical load; tractor with a timber trailer
• ISSN: 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f14071348

The aim of this work was to determine the dependence of the heart rate of operators of forwarding machines on the activities performed during the working day within the framework of timber forwarding and to compare individual activities in terms of the level of physical workload. For this purpose, the work shift of operators carrying out timber forwarding was divided into individual activities: driving, maintenance, forwarding, and break. During these work activities, the heart rate of each operator was taken for subsequent evaluation. A portable device, a Garmin smartwatch, was used to measure their heart rate. The results show that the highest pulse rates of the operators occurred during the maintenance of the entrusted machine, while the highest pulse fluctuations were recorded during forwarding. During this activity, the highest heart rate of the entire measurement process was recorded (132.0000 bpm), but also the lowest (42.0000 bpm). Furthermore, it was proven that both the operator and the activity he performs affect the pulse rate. The activities themselves did not differ from each other in only one of the six cases of comparison, specifically, between driving and forwarding.