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The Impact of Body Posture on Heart Rate Strain during Tree Felling

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  • Petros A. Tsioras

    (Lab of Forest Utilization, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Mahmoud Khooshdohbat

    (Forestry Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara 96196-43619, Iran)

  • Mehrdad Nikooy

    (Forestry Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara 96196-43619, Iran)

  • Ramin Naghdi

    (Forestry Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara 96196-43619, Iran)

  • Mahmoud Heidari

    (Department of Occupational Health, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht 41446-66949, Iran)

Abstract

Tree felling is recognized as one of the most difficult and physically demanding work phases in motor–manual wood harvesting, during which maintaining good posture can avert unnecessary loadings to the spine and the consequent musculoskeletal disorders to forestry professionals. This study aimed to (a) quantify the impact of posture selection by means of heart rate measurements and (b) analyze its interactions with the anthropometric and personal information of study subjects. Thirteen forest workers were asked to fell thirty trees in each of the four most common body postures during motor–manual forest operations: (i) stooping, (ii) flexed stooping, (iii) squatting, and (iv) half kneeling. Posture had a significant impact on the amount of heart strain measured as mean heart rate during work (HR work ), heart rate increase over resting heart rate (ΔHR), and relative heart rate index (HRR). The most popular position among the forest workers was flexed stooping, which also caused the most damage, compared with the least physiologically damaging position, half kneeling: HR work by 12.40 bpm, ΔHR by 10.24 bpm, and HRR by 11.51. On the contrary, overweight and older subjects experienced lower heart rate strain, a finding that has to be further investigated.

Suggested Citation

  • Petros A. Tsioras & Mahmoud Khooshdohbat & Mehrdad Nikooy & Ramin Naghdi & Mahmoud Heidari, 2022. "The Impact of Body Posture on Heart Rate Strain during Tree Felling," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:18:p:11198-:d:908231
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lars-Kristian Lunde & Markus Koch & Kaj Bo Veiersted & Gunn-Helen Moen & Morten Wærsted & Stein Knardahl, 2016. "Heavy Physical Work: Cardiovascular Load in Male Construction Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luboš Staněk & Václav Mergl, 2024. "Effect of the body mass index and length of work on the stress of individual body parts of chainsaw operators," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 70(8), pages 436-445.
    2. Dimitrios Chouvardas & Maria Karatassiou & Petros Tsioras & Ioannis Tsividis & Stefanos Palaiochorinos, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Changes (1945–2020) in a Grazed Landscape of Northern Greece, in Relation to Socioeconomic Changes," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, November.
    3. Petros A. Tsioras & Christina Giamouki & Maria Tsaktsira & Apostolos Scaltsoyiannes, 2023. "What the Fire Has Left Behind: Views and Perspectives of Resin Tappers in Central Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-16, June.

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