Pradhan Chandan K, Thakur Sridhar, Mukherjee Ajay K, Roychowdhury Amal
Regional Occupational Health Centre, Salt Lake, Kolkata, India.
Ergonomics. 2008 Sep;51(9):1407-17. doi: 10.1080/00140130802120226.
The cycle rickshaw is a popular transportation device. The aim of the study was to assess workload of cycle rickshaw pullers--physiological and subjective at four different places in India. Subjects were instructed to pull a cycle rickshaw with two passengers, for 20 min. Working and recovery heart rates were recorded. The mean values of energy expenditure of pulling a cycle rickshaw varied from 23.5 +/- 2.66 to 25.35 +/- 1.51 kJ/min. Relative cardiac strain and cardiac cost indicated that the job is 'heavy' to 'very heavy'. Subjective assessment of workload was 'heavy' to 'very heavy'. The combined workload assessed from physiological parameters and subjective assessment indicated that the job could be categorised as 'heavy' to 'very heavy' at all the places studied and needs to be reduced by redesigning the structural and functional components of the cycle rickshaw. The rickshaw pullers carry out the jobs many times per day, sometimes without proper rest pauses between trips. The outcome of the research project is beneficial for cycle rickshaw pullers, health administrators as well as manufacturers of cycle rickshaws. Primarily, the manufacturers would be able to use the data for producing a newer model of cycle rickshaw, which would require less energy to drive. The health administrators would be able to take policy decisions for administering better health care for the unorganised and underprivileged workers. The pullers could be guided into taking care of their health by improving their work practice, i.e. taking a sufficient rest pause between trips.
人力三轮车是一种受欢迎的交通工具。本研究的目的是评估印度四个不同地点人力三轮车车夫的工作量——包括生理和主观方面的工作量。受试者被要求搭载两名乘客拉人力三轮车20分钟。记录工作时和恢复时的心率。拉人力三轮车的能量消耗平均值在23.5±2.66至25.35±1.51千焦/分钟之间。相对心脏负荷和心脏成本表明这项工作为“重”到“极重”。对工作量的主观评估为“重”到“极重”。从生理参数和主观评估综合得出的工作量表明，在所研究的所有地点，这项工作都可归类为“重”到“极重”，需要通过重新设计人力三轮车的结构和功能部件来减轻。人力三轮车车夫每天要多次从事这项工作，有时行程之间没有适当的休息时间。该研究项目的结果对人力三轮车车夫、卫生管理人员以及人力三轮车制造商都有益处。首先，制造商将能够利用这些数据生产一种新型人力三轮车，这种车驱动时所需能量更少。卫生管理人员将能够做出政策决策，为无组织和贫困的工人提供更好的医疗保健。车夫可以通过改进工作习惯，即行程之间进行充分的休息，来得到如何关注自身健康的指导。
