Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology.
Ind Health. 2011;49(4):443-51. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.ms1236. Epub 2011 Jun 21.
The purpose of this study was to investigate manual performance and thermal responses during low work intensity in persons wearing standard protective clothing in the petroleum industry when they were exposed to a range of temperatures (5, -5, -15 and -25℃) that are relevant to environmental conditions for petroleum industry personnel in northern regions. Twelve men participated in the study. Protective clothing was adjusted for the given cold exposure according to current practices. The subjects performed manual tests five times under each environmental condition. The manual performance test battery consisted of four different tests: tactile sensation (Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments), finger dexterity (Purdue Pegboard), hand dexterity (Complete Minnesota dexterity test) and grip strength (grip dynamometer). We found that exposure to -5℃ or colder lowered skin and body temperatures and reduced manual performance during low work intensity. In conclusion the current protective clothing at a given cold exposure is not adequate to maintain manual performance and thermal balance for petroleum workers in the high north.
本研究的目的是调查在石油行业标准防护服下，人员在低工作强度下，暴露于一系列温度（5、-5、-15 和-25℃）时的手动性能和热反应，这些温度与北方地区石油行业人员的环境条件相关。12 名男性参与了这项研究。根据当前的实践，防护服在给定的寒冷暴露下进行了调整。在每种环境条件下，受试者进行了五次手动测试。手动性能测试包括四个不同的测试：触觉（Semmes-Weinstein 单丝）、手指灵巧度（Purdue Pegboard）、手部灵巧度（完整明尼苏达州灵巧度测试）和握力（握力测力计）。我们发现，暴露在-5℃或更低的温度会降低皮肤和体温，并降低低工作强度下的手动性能。总之，在给定的寒冷暴露下，目前的防护服不足以维持石油工人在高纬度地区的手动性能和热平衡。
