.
Med Lav. 2019 Oct 29;110(5):389-397. doi: 10.23749/mdl.v110i5.8115.
Modern technology has reduced physical workload and imposed high mental workload on the control room operators in industrial settings. The present study was conducted among control room operators to assess their mental workload, investigate their workability, examine the relationship between mental workload and workability, and determine the factors associated with workability.
This cross-sectional study was carried out among 213 control room operators in six Iranian process industries. Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was used to assess the mental workload, and Work Ability Index (WAI) was used to determine workability. The relationships between demographic characteristics and dimensions of mental workload and workability were examined by univariate tests. Logistic regression analysis was also used to determine the factors associated with the operators' workability.
The results showed a high mental workload in the study population (82.38±8.8). Yet, the operators showed a good and excellent level of workability (56.4%). Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant inverse linear relationship between the mean score of mental workload and workability (r=-0.581). Besides, regression modeling demonstrated that mental demand (OR=0.90), temporal demand (OR=0.90), effort (OR=0.91), frustration (OR=0.92), from NASA-TLX subscales were significantly associated with workability. Moreover, mental and temporal demands were important factors associated with reduced workability.
Monitoring tasks imposes high mental workload on the control room operators, which may result in adverse effects on their workability as well as on the safety of the system.
现代技术降低了体力工作负荷，却给工业环境中的控制室操作人员带来了更高的精神工作负荷。本研究旨在评估控制室操作人员的精神工作负荷，研究其工作能力，考察精神工作负荷与工作能力之间的关系，并确定与工作能力相关的因素。
这是一项在伊朗六家流程工业中的 213 名控制室操作人员中进行的横断面研究。使用任务负荷指数（NASA-TLX）评估精神工作负荷，使用工作能力指数（WAI）来确定工作能力。通过单变量检验研究人员考察了人口统计学特征与精神工作负荷和工作能力各维度之间的关系。还使用逻辑回归分析确定了与操作人员工作能力相关的因素。
结果显示，研究人群的精神工作负荷较高（82.38±8.8）。然而，操作人员的工作能力表现良好且优秀（56.4%）。Pearson 相关系数显示精神工作负荷的平均得分与工作能力呈显著负线性关系（r=-0.581）。此外，回归模型表明，来自 NASA-TLX 子量表的精神需求（OR=0.90）、时间需求（OR=0.90）、努力（OR=0.91）、挫折（OR=0.92）与工作能力显著相关。此外，精神和时间需求是与工作能力降低相关的重要因素。
监控任务会给控制室操作人员带来较高的精神工作负荷，这可能会对他们的工作能力以及系统的安全性产生不利影响。
