Abstract

The goal of this study was to link the parameters of the physical requirements of cleaning by means of a high pressure (HP) water jet, particularly work with a gun, to the resulting cardiac workload. This knowledge could in fact make it easier to determine the alternating work-rest rate that would reduce the risks of excessive worker fatigue. The researchers observed workers under varied conditions and measured their cardiorespiratory capacity and their metabolism in relation to the heart rate evaluated during execution of the task. The results obtained demonstrate that it is relatively easy to estimate a safe work duration that can limit excessive fatigue and the accumulation of body heat by organizing task execution according to the situation. The report describes an approach for planning a temporal organization of water gun work that should help reduce fatigue-related risks. It also suggests that an integrated preventive approach would involve monitoring the workers’ heart rate, in combination with the improvement of the time-related organization of their work.